The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-09-06

between. 1t seemed specially prepared
by nature for a gigantic struggle OF
armies. The disastrous defeat when
Burnsides sustained, in which ne tost
upwards of $4,000 men, and the superb
fighting Of Lee and Jackson. with thelr
slight losses. are known to every stu
dent Of history.
/ smn,rose the very last spot where
the 4res Of sectional feeling will die
out Is fredericksburg. 1t especiaaS
suffered during the war.
RAing midway between Richmond anu
Washington. ii was a pivotal polnt
abnnt Which armies hinged. The people
did not complain Of che legltdn9te
.ha,xlSh}ps az war. but the wantoh de-
sfr,,etian az china and rare old paint
,nrs ami the personal indighUles they
~ tg.,,s>1 ,>ben. afterwards, the Yam
lstas ,,.n,,,,an the South. These stuhg
mann so l,ecnlv that they viii hardly
eyer wholly forgive them.
The Yankees economy and tntit
are nroyerhial They tell story here
tbat forx,ibly illustrates the former
Some years after the war a wluoW
oan,e here i'm search of her husband
Grave. with the intention OF removing
she remains to her mothers home.
She EXPRESSED the intention carrying
the homes in her satchel, whereat the
horY3fied natives demonstrated, urging
that she get coffin for deceney sake,
"Nnn insisted the frugal lady. Il
guess can get him home this way just
As handy, and il is less expensive than
4 coffin"
n WAS possibly due 10 critical re-
nAsAJshltA
slabs now mark the graves of the Con-
fe3rrats dead buried here. After this
lasiv had gone through the beautiful
National cemetery on Marye's Heights,
where th,, $4,000 Federal soldiers lie
buried. she passed through the grounds
where the Confederates lay in their
neglected graves. 4 brave Southern
woman Was trying To set mp the fallen
half-decaysd boards that marked
where they slept.
And this is the way the Southern
crs care for their dead" the Northerner
sneeringly observed.
The Nirginian. who had lived IN the
hosnitals aud had witnessed every an
crush known 10 warfare, Strengthened
ap. the old tire flashing i'm her eyes, and
renarkeS}s Madam. the South has to
pay taxes towards keeping mp your
soldiers graves. there is no such pro-
vision for ours. Bat If YOU viii visit
this plaoe q lietle later YOU shall see
new order of things. This lady imme-
diatelv set about raising money for the
purpose Of marking with a marble
slab each soldiers grave. She was
eminently successful. having raised up
wards of 5000. and now the Confeder-
ate cemetery IS beautifully kept; life
size soldier in gray, mounted upon 1
lofty granite pedestal keeps perpetual
watch over the "bivouac of the dead.
1T is claimed that more men have
fallen in battle within a radius Of
twenty miles from this point than
eyerfell elsewhere upon an area of
equal size. The two battles here, that
OF Spottsylyania Court House, Chancel-
louisville. and the battle of the Wilder
ness. besides numerous lesser engage
ments. all are within this territory.
How MANY mothers hearts throughout
our Southland feel again the old ache
at the very mention of these names.
But I had not intended to put so
much war into this little contribu-
tion My only excuse is that it is diff
cult to keep it outwhen speaking upon
this subject: for when here, if you will
listen, like Aldrich, you can say:
again the shrill-lipped bugles blow
Where the swift currents of the river
flow
Past Fredericksburg: far off the heav-
ems are red
With sudden eonfiagration; on yon
height,
Linstock in hand, the gunners hold
their breath:
A single rocket pierces the night,
filings its spent stars upon the town
beneath:
Hank! the artillery massing on the
right,
Hark! the black squadrons wheeling
down to DEATH"
HENRY JEROME STOCKARD.