The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1892-10-08
a TRIP THROUGH VIRGINIA.


TRIP THROUGH VIRGINIA.
BY Robert q. Fraim. Esq.-whnt He
saw and Heard Thtre.
Mr.. EDlToR:-Havlng. with my wife,
attended the meeting OF the National
the Republic, which convened In an
nual session at the city Of Washington,
ID. O.. on Monday, Sept. 10, 1892, con-
eluded, after viewing tho great mill
Lary parade on Pennsylvania avenue
on Tuesday, and the brilliant display
OF fireworks on the evening of the
same day, to avail myself OF the op.
portunity afforded by the different
railroad companies, by their reduced
principal battlefields In Virginia, by
the line of the B. Il o. railroad TO Har-
pers Ferry; thence by said road down
the entire length OF the Shenandoah
Valley to the city OF Staunton; thence
by the Chesapeake and Ohio railroad
to the city OF Richmond; thence by
the Richmond. fredericksburg and
Potomac railroad to Quantico. and
thence by the Baltimore and Potomac
railroad back again to Washington;
and as was well aware of the fact
that many thousands OF the old veter-
ans who were once more SO near to
the various points where they met the
enemy In many terrific conflicts on the
battleflelds during the Rebellion OF
1851 and 1885. would, after tine close of
the National Encampment in Washing
ton in great numbers, with their wives
and daughters, visit those historic
battlefields and extend their trip to
the city of Richmond.
Consequently, l decided to leave
Washington with my wife at an early
hour on Wednesday morning in adj
vance OF the great mass OF persons
whom / know would overcrowd the
railroad trains leaving at later hour
on that day. and on the following day.
And as the trip / had decided to take
was lengthy one, covering over 600
miles, / especially desired to reach the
city of Richmond, the late capital OF tho
so-called Southern Confederacy, and Sc
cure good hotel mmodations, and
have a good opportunity OF viewing
all of the principal points of interest
| In and around said city. before 1t
would be overcrowded with visitors.
shall not in this letter attempt to
give an account OF the great demon
stration at the city of Washington
during the National Encampment. us
that has already been fully done by
Q
ents. and the same has been elabo-
rately illustrated in hundreds of news
papers. magazines, etc. After leaving
| Washington City the first stop of any
| great length of time, was made at
Harpers Ferry. the homo OF Old John
Brown.
Since last visited this romantic and
historic spot, about 81 years ago.
find there have been a great many
/ i'm 70 mazda n thtd Md
town; amongst others and perhaps the
most important. are the paper mills.
owned principally by our enter
pricing fellow citizens, William Luke
* Sons. of the Rockland paper mills,
In the suburbs of our own beautiful
city of Wilmington. One of Mr.. Lukes
sonsis permanently located at the Har
per's Ferry mills. He was one of my
school boy pupils at public school No.
g, in Brandywine hundred, over aS years
ago. ] regret very much that, owing
to want of time. did not have an OPP
portunity of calling upon him In his
new home The mountain scenery at
Harper's Ferry, as viewed whilst cross
ing the Potomac river, on the massive
Iron Railroad bridge that spans the
river at this point is magnificent. Here
tue towering mountain peaks OF Mary
land Heights. Louden Heights and
| bOhNui liDlEhto lbA'lit hB INV
clouds; but as time and newspaper
space will not admit OF further de-
scription, / must rapidly pass over
other points of Interest.
Leaving Harper's Ferry through the
valley between the towering noun
tains on either side of us, our next stop
OF any moment is made ut Winchester.
Virginia, which ID termed the northern
entrance to the beautiful Shenandoah
| Wall tRN ~tN gta Ia aIa
point to the city of Staunton. At
Winchester / find very great improve
ments have been made since my form
er visit thereto q few years after the
close of the war, ut which time there
were many ruins OF the war visible; at
present. but little remains In the town
proper to show that numerous bloody
engagements took place here during
the late war. There was no place In
Virginia. or indeed. iii any part OF the
Southern States that suffered more
from the destruction made by
both armies than the town of Win
chester Virginia.
Both armies at short intervals. ut din
erent times, held possession of this
town up to the time that the i'm
mortal Sheridan drove the Confeder-
ate troops out OF the Shenandoah Val
10y. AT Winchester many thousands of
|
: lie in their silent graves in Stonewall
Cemetery, which is a very beautiful
place. well kept Up. besides it is the
National Cemetery, where lies the dust
of many OF the once brave young men
OF the North East and West. who died
on the battlefield In defense of their
country. This is a beautiful cemetery.
and the graves OF the dead patriots
therein are marked with tom bstones
of marble by the United States Gov
eminent. many OF them giving there.
on the names OF soldiers, with the Cos
aud Regiment to which they belonged;
others bear the mOurnful motto I'm
known" But must pass on. We next
stop at in succession the battletields
of kernstown, thence ut Fishers HILL
near the town of Strasburg. a now
very pretty, contemplating town. here
alsD see marked proyements since
my former visit thore.
=. short distance further brings ue
to the beautiful town of Woodstock.
next comes Edlnburg. (the home OF
Senator Riddleberger.) This Is very
neat, pretty town. Next comes Mount
Jackson, from which runs short rail-
road to the celebrated Orkney Springs,
one of the oldest summer resorts in
! the mountains of Virginia. Next We
stop at New Market, where one of the
battles WAS fought; our next stop is at
Harrieonburg; two battles were fought
at and near this place to wit: the bat
ties OF HHrrlsonburg and Cross Keys;
passing on down the valley we make
short stops at Mt. Crawford, Weyer's
Cave and FortDefiance. Passing down
this beautiful valley we come to
Monticello, the birth place as well as
the place of tho death OF the immortal
Thomas Jefferson. This Is beautiful
place, and it is well preserved and
kept up. The old historic residence
stands on high point above the rail-
road short distance therefrom.
Our next stop is at Stanton, which
is u largo, tiourishing town, at which l
decided to make u stop of longer
period than | have done at any of the
points between Washington City aud
Staunton. We take up our temporary
abode at the Virginia Housa. which
is large hotel and well kept in every
respect We were handsomely enter
tanned here, and the rates were mod
crate, and cleeIfully recommend to
my friends who wish 10 stlly over night