Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1894-05-09
Sirsiaia FREE gress.
SIZE SAYED HER HOME
An Interesting "Reminiscences Of the
Mother Of senator Faulkner.

The death of Mrs. Mary W. Faulkner
recalls to mind dramatic episode of the
late war, in which she was the chief partic-
ipant, and which has been neglected gener-
ally by the historians of that stormy epoch
Mrs. Faulkner was the widow of the late
Charles J. Faulkner, who was minister to
France during the administration of Presi-
dent 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
Martinsburg, then in old Virginia, but now
a CITY of the new State. 1t was a house such
as one seldom sees, even in the south, which
abounds 50 freely in solid, massive architec-
ture of most comfortable style. The rooms
were large, the ceilings high and most OF
the walls were three feet in thickness. The
house was filled with treasures, curiosities
picked up abroad, bits of china and virtu,
dainty brio a>brac from European marts,
} costly paintings from continental galleries
and delicate fabrics from oriental LOOMS
Such collection is not often seen in private
houses in this country. The house was sur
rounded, too, by glorious park, lawn of
several acres in extent, covered with soft,
thick grass und studded with the remnants
of virgin forest.
1t was almost an earthly paradise. Not
alone was the home valuable as property,
but it was dear for its memories, its associa-
tions, as we'll as its unreplaceable contents
Such was the home that 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
p of President Lincoln the minister was re-
called and arrested upon his return. He
was represented at his home by his son, then
lad of fourteen, who had been with him
in Europe, and who went to Msrtinsburg at
once. But the sounds of war drew the lad
off to the front, and he Joined the cadets OF
+ the Virginia Military Institute.
4 Thus the stately mansion was left in the
st care of a woman and her daughters, q wom-
an of great courage and wonderful spirit,
. who has recently been known to the people
of Washington as a graceful and winning
participant in several social functions For
3 a time all went well, though the tides of the
It warfare swept past the household, back and
forth with varying currents. There was
y peace within these massive walls in peculiar
e distinction to the strife raging so near at
hand.
1t was in the summer of 1864 that the Sc
renity of the Faulkner home was seriously
disturbed. Some time before there had been
l great indignation aroused among the people
of the north by the action of the Confede-
rate forces in burning the house of Gov.
Bradford in Maryland, and Gen. David
Hunter, commanding the Federal forces in
West Virginia, conceived the idea of retail
iating 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 promi-
nent than ex- Minister Faulkner, whose ar
rest upon his return to this country had be-
! come topic of national interest 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 10 The effect
that the beautiful home of the Faulkners
should be in ruins by nightfall. Capt. Mar
tindale entered upon his mission with little
relish The burning Of homes over the
heads of defenseless women did not comport
with his idea of warfare and he made the
terms of his mission rs easy as he could in
consequence Arriving at the house shortly
before noon he left the detachment of sol
diers in the road guarding the entrance to
the park which surrounded the house, and
the remainder galloped up the gravel path
way 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 vicin
ity were to be sacrificed. Their hearts told
them only too we'll the errand of the blue
coats.
Madam" said Capt Martindale, refining
his horse before the porch and doffiug his
cap, 81 am under the painful necessity of
communicating to you the orders of my SUI
periOr officer that your house shall be
burned to-day. l am permitted to give you
one hour for preparation. You shall be al
lawed to take from the house the wearing
apparel of yourself and daughters, but moth
ing else. All but these articles must 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 man
of her own kin to advise her, she was at
first at loss to know what course to pur
sue. She realized that unless aid could be
summoned the orders must lie carried out
and that her home would the next day lie
smoking and ruined Soldiers of her own
cause were far away Even we're they at