Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1895-12-07
A LIBERAL DONATION
For the Proposed Ex-Confederate Soldiers
Home for West Virginia.


To the Editor of the Register:
Beverly, W. Va, December 5.-An
enthusiastic meeting of ex-Confederate
soldiers of Randolph county was held
at the Court House yesterday for the
purpose of taking action upon the prop
ositiOn of Hon. Thomas Jackson Arnold,
TO donate thirty acres of land in the
heart of Tygarts Valley for the proposed
home for disabled Confederate soldiers.
At a meeting held last week, a COM
m..tee consisting of Major w. ]. Arm
strong, Dr. / II. Weymouth, A. Col
lett and c. c. Hart was appointed to
NEE. Mr.. Arnold at the proposed site
Yesterday morning and report upon its
eligibility and the location Of the land
at the meeting held yesterday after
noon. The committee met, and after
going over the whole ground, they
unanimously recommended the accept
ance eff Mr.. Arnold's proposition. And
The meeting, which consisted princi-
plily of Stonewall Jackson Camp, No. /,
Confederate Veterans, accepted the
same, and ordered the same committee
to tender the proposition of Mr.. Ar
mold TO the various camps throughout
the State
II was the pleasure of the writer TO
be present with the committee when
they visited the proposed site, and it is
one Of the pye;tiest sites that could
have been selected in the famous Ty-
CARTS Valley. II is situated midway be-
tween Elkins and Beverly, on the line
OF the W. Va. c & p. railroad, near
YOlium Station. and contains about
thirty acres of land, part of which is
improved. The site selected by the
committee for the buildings is on a
knoll overlooking the valley and sur
rounding country, and backed by a
great deal of fine timber, which with
very little labor could be converted in
20 a magnificent grove. Mr. Arnold's
proposition is considered a very liberal
and patriotic che, both by Union and
Confederate soldiers, and no better Sc
lection for the proposed home could be
made than in Randolph county, who
contributed as many, if not more vol
Unteers to the Southern cause than any
other county from what was known then
as Western Virginia. Therefore, such
home would be situated among peo-
pie who sympathised with the lost
cause. and would give it their cheerful
support No prettier section could be
selected in the State than the Tygarts
Valley.
Gen. Geo. B. Mcclellan, who had seen
most Of Europe and Travelled over the
greater portion of the United States,
gained his reputation here as a COM
mander. in the early period of the war,
and in his book Our Story in let
ter of date July 18Th. 1861. written
from Tygarts Valley, says: The val
ley in which we are is one of the most
beautiful l ever saw, and | am more
than ever inclined to make my head
quarters at Beverly Beverly is a quiet,
oid-fashioned town. in lovely valley;
a beautiful stream running by IL. per-
fectlv pastoral scene, such as the OLD
painters dreamed of but never real
lied" And again. of July 14-h, 1861,
ne saws: "Our ride to-day was magnl-
icant. some of the mos. splendid noun
tain views I ever beheld' Such is the
oDiniOn Of all who have ever visited
this famous valley AS there IS no
State organization of the various camps,
Fl will be some time before any definite
point will be selected for the proposed
home Ye, Mr.. Arnolds proposition is
a munifcent one. He is a near relative
of the late Gen. T. J. (StOnewalD Jack
son. was reared in Randolph county,
and has large land interests in this and
adjoining counties but for the past fiji
teen years has resided at San Diego,
california and was collector OF inter-
nal revenue for that district under
Presider- Cleveland's former admins
tra.i0n. We trust that his proposition
NAV bs accepted by the ex-Confeder-
ates throughout the State in the same
Datr.o-ic manner in which It is ten
derod. and that the home may be even
tugry located in the beautiful Tygarts
y-olrsv W.