Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-05-31

-re letter that follows. a distinguish
,f confederate. visiting the old southern
l.,..I aea.n after an absence Of thirty
o,. wears. draws a vivid contrast be-
....r he Richmond Of to-day and the
,.,...s i, appeared both during the war
,.f ..st after the great evacuation fire.
thousands Of old soldiers will recognize
.. realistic description that is given Of
.,. wartime capital and Of the scenes
t,t met their eyes and were burned into
.... hearts as, on the retreat they
,.E.I back and saw being consumed
r. cty they had fought long and nobly
,.l.renl. And Of these thousands. these
vt1 may come 20 the approaching reunion
,om.nrle with their old comrades in arms
,.l help lay the cornerstone for a grand
,..,aaent 10 tie Confederacy's only
PRESIDENT viii fN.d that the Richmond of
to-day is an that it is pictured IN the
letter. and more.
ris letter from one veteran TO another.
calls attention briefly TO many subjects
~ interest that are treated more fully in
other articles in this issue. and win bo
read with eagcrness by all Confederates
into whose hands to-day's Dispatch may
lU The letter follows:
Richmond, Va, May 26. 1876.
Ert1rI Berlley. Esq:
Nr Dear Old Comrade.-As you could
not come TO The reunion. 1 promised to
vra you some of the things / might see
and hear. especially about dear old Rich
r9nI. the home Of our boyhOod and our
lcse.
have purposely given myself a few
ws.ts here before the great reunion, in
order that l might thoroughly see the
Cv before the immense crowd snail
c-tar ANA pack IT,
W.ui ] have come. ! have seen, /
have wondered: ! have been completely
c.rmed ly the beautiful city, and its
noble people. ] know. OF course, that
many changes had taken place since
Ir.. lsJ. when. after lingering awhile
or.r the surrender. 1 determined TO seek
ur fortunes in the Lone star state,
anl babe adicu 10 scenes Of my boyhOod,
and friends of my youth. But 7 confess
rat the changes have been far greater
than ] supposed. and I would not have
r.1crzoI old Richmond I'm the mag
rHc.nt now city. still sitting upon her
uur!vaued hills. beside the beautiful
james. tut spreading out in every di-
Iocuol. ana adorning herself I'm Queenly
beauty
IIRE-SMITTEN RICHMOND.
You remember the sad sight We wit
r,arl when We came back from Apo
ratt1x Courthouse. The very heart OF
te business part Of the city was but
heaps oi biackoned ruins, fit embiems OF
ua huehtoa hopes and ruined fortunes
o. rur people. But they aid not sit down
toi.he iu the ashes Of the past or spend
rs.r time in weeping for what might
have l.ea." They took off thoir coats
arl went TO work. and. az / gaze on the
results to-day ! am prOuder Of Rich
moaI and her people than ever before.
. wis proud OF her during the four
yo8r5 of the war, when her ahle-b0died
mon were mo the front battling for con-
Flutols. freedom. and her old men, her
vom.a-ful bless them.-aud even her
boss and girls. were nurses In the hosp-
GALS aud were ever ready TO I'll their
private houses with sick and wounded sol
C..r. 90 share their last crust with the
luueiy ana 20 do everything In their
power 20 help the cause Of the Confede-
ucy. 90 which they hal pledged their
lges tlc.r fortunes. and their sacred
l.lor" was proud of Richmond when
She -.t omil the wreck Of her fortunes,
rE.l upon her blackcue1 ruins with the
Crs rusncss that she had lost ell save
l.a-r" and went 20 work with no crins-
!.e no tle feet of Gcspotic power. but with
brave determination that she would
preserve her integrity and yet succeed IN
itOHauc her waste places. / look back
over t1s years Of her struggle; l gaze
u0l tne proofs Of her splendid success
a.l am prouder Of Richmond to-day
Ran frtr before.
TWICE SWEPT BY FIRE.
Yo1 remember that Richmond was
rarf lv fire In the Revolution. when tho
Ia.-g Benedict Arnold made his RAID into