The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1894-06-23
SAVED HER HOME.
FAULKNER APPEALED TO
LINCOLN.
She Was Allowed an Hour in Which to
Prepare to See the Grand Old House
Reduced to Ashes, But Ii was Long
Enough to Send A Message to Secre-
tary Stanton and Get Reply.
Cumberland Scimitar.

Cumberland Scimitar
The death of Mrs. Mary j. Faux
ner recalls to mind dramatic cpl
sode of the late war, in which size
was the chief participant, and which
has been neglected generally by the
historians THAT stormy epoch. Mrs.
Faulkner was the widow of the late
Charles j. Faulkner, who was Minis
ter to France during the administra-
tion of President Buchanan, and the
mother of Senator Faulkner of West
Virginia.
After her marriage she and her
husband lived at the magnificent
homestead of her family in Martins
burg, then old Virginia, but now a
city of the new State. 1t was house
such as one seldom sees, even in the
South, which abounds so freely in
solid, massive architecture of most
comfortable style. The rooms were
large, the ceilings high, and most of
bllC Hdl1H nClC VII ltcJ III N
ness. The house was filled with
treasures, curiosities, picked up
abroad, bits of china and virtu, dain-
ty brio brac from European marts,
costly paintings from continental
galleries and delicate fabrics from
oriental looms. Such a collection is
not often seen in private houses in
this country. The house was sur
rounded, too, by glorious park, a
lawn of several acres in extent, COW
cred with soft, thick grass, and stud
ded with the remnants of virgin
forest
1t was almost an earthly paradise.
Not alone was the home valuable as
a property, but it was dear for it's
memories, its associations, as well as
its unreplaceable contents such was
the home Minister Faulkner left
when he went to his post at Paris,
where he used his efforts in aid of the
Southern cause so openly that upon
the inauguration of President Lincoln
the minister was recalled and arrest
ed upon his return. He was repre-
sented at his home by his son, then
LAD of fourteen who had been with
him in Europe, and who went to
Martinsburg at once. But the sounds
Of war drew the lad off to the front,
and he joined the cadets of the Vir-
ginia Military Institute
Thus the stately mansion was left
in the care of woman and her
daughters, woman of great courage
and wonderful spirit, who has recent
ly been known to the people of Wash
ington as a graceful and winning
participant in several social functions.
For time all went well, though the
tides of warfare swept past the house
hold, back and forth with varying
currents. There was peace within
these massive walls in peculiar dis
tinction to the strife raging so near
at hand.
RETALIATION.
1t was in the summer of 1864 that
the serenity of the Faulkner home
was seriously disturbed. Some time
before there had been great indigna,
tion aroused among the people of the
north by the action of the confeder-
ate forces in burning the house CT
Governor Bradford, in Maryland, and
Gen. David 5. Hunter, commanding
the federal forces in Western Virgin
ia, conceiving the idea of retalating
for this act of vandalism by burning
the homes of some prominent people
in the Shenandoah Valley. None of
the citizens of that beautiful region
were more prominent than ex- Minis
ter Faulkner, whose arrest upon his
return to this country had become
topic of national talk early in the
struggle. Accordingly one morning
Capt, Gray Martindale, of the First
New York Cavalry, was dispatched
with his company from headquarters,
with orders to the effect that the
beautiful home of the Faulkners
should be in ruins by nightfall.
Capt Martindale entered upon his
mission with little relish. The burn
ing of homes over the heads of de-
fenseless women did not comport
with his idea of warfare, and he made
the terms of his mission as easy as
he could in conscience Arriving at
the home shortly before noon, he left
the detachment of soldiers in the
road guarding the entrance to the
park which surrounded the house,
and the remainder galloped up the
gravel pathway to the mansion, where
he was received by Mrs. Faulkner
and her daughters. They had heard
of the approach of soldiers, and they
| had heard, too, the rumors that were
abroad that three Of the houses in
the vicinity were to be sacrificed.
Their hearts told them only too well
the errand of the blue coats.
TO PREPARE FOR CONFEDERATION.
MADAM" said Captain Martin
dale refining his horse before the
porch and dofflng his cap. 81 am
under the painful necessity of COM
municating to you the orders of my
superior officer that your house shall
be burned to-day. l am permitted
TO give you one hour for preparation.
You shall be allowed to take from
the house the wearing apparel of
yourself and daughters, but nothing
else. All but these articles must be
left behind to be burned
Prepared though she was for the
shock the news that her beautiful
home and its invaluable furnishings
and ornaments were to be sacrificed
to the torch came upon the lady
with appalling force. Without a
man of her own kin to advise her,
she was at loss to know what course
to pursue She realized that unless
aid could be summoned the orders
must be carried out and that
her home would the next day lie
smoking and ruined. Soldiers of
her own cause were far away. Even
were they at hand it was doubtful
if they could succeed against the
great odds opposed to them in
fight for the preservation OF this
great property.