Mexico weekly ledger., 1896-04-02
EX-CONFEDERATE MEETING.
Address by Capt. c. T. Allen Before
the Local Camp Night
Scenes During the
War"

T. Alien. The speech by Capt. Allen,
a prominent Attorney of this city,
was as follows:
"Thirty- one years ago, from the
14th OF next April, at 10 O'Clock p. m.,
MIR. Lincoln was assassinated by John
| Wilkes Booth in Ford's Theater in
! Washington City. The editor of the
Banner was there-not in the theater,
but in Washington City-and he will
never, never forget it. He was not
there by invitation of Mr.. Lincoln or
of any member of his Cabinet, nor was
he there in the capacity of Congress
sional lobbyist or Office seeker. He
arrived in the city that evening (Fri-
fine steamer from City Point-Grant's
base of supplies on James River He
did not put up at the Ebbitt or take
rooms at the Riggs House but content
ed himself, as best ne could, with an
humble place on the floor of the Cap
itol. He and his accompanying friends,
some 800 or 400 in number, received a
good deal of attention on their arrival
in the famous and splendid city. At
| the wharf he was met by full regi-
ment of handsomely uniformed SOL
diers with flags flying and bands play
ing national airs. He and his friends
were not so well clad. Some had shoes
and some had not; some had hats and
some had not; some had coats or
jackets and some had not, but all of
them had a big appetite and a long
face.
Washington was then enjoying a
smile that covered its whole face.
Everybody seemed to be gay and hap
py. Everybody, it seemed, had on
his or her holiday attire men, women,
boys and girls were all out on the
street glad and rejoicing. Lee had
surrendered. The grand old army of
Northern Virginia, which, for four
long, weary, terrible years of battle
and blood, had stood as a stone wall
between the army OF the Potomac and
the Confederate capital, had gone
down in defeat. The clouds of war,
black and dismal, that had hung like
a pail of death over the national CAPT
tai for four years, were flying in all
directions, and the sun of peace, full
orbed and CHEEKY, was shining in glo-
rious splendor. The great national
heart was beating regularly and hap
PLY and sending healthy blood to the
utmost limits of the national body, land
brought in its backward flow tidings
of gladness and joy from all parts of
the great Republic. Many and joyous
were the congratulations given and
received. The beardless boy who had
for years bivouacked on many atenu-
less field, threw his arms in ecstasy of
his joy around the neck of mother and
brother and sister, and wept what
words could not tell; and father and
mother and sister, in silence that
spoke volumes of gratitude to Him
who holds all in the hollaH OF His
hand, hngSeeat ttks boy to their trob-
ing bosom. Everybody was glad and
happy, except the poor, detected,
ragged, footsore and almost heart
broken Confederate prisoner. Yet he,
as h1 tramped along the streets to the
old Eapitol prison, catching now and
Tthen sight of the glad and joyous
faces, and witnessing occasionally the
happy embrace of mother and her re-
turning boy, felt grateful that his life
was spared during the most terri
BILE and bloodiest of civil wars.
He sighed deeply as he looked upon
these scenes and thought of the loved
| ones far away, and of the time when
he, too, could step in the front door of
| his old home in the distant sunny
South and receive the sad welcome
| that awaited him. But when he re-
called the fact, as many poor Con-
federate prisoner did, that his old
home had been destroyed by the re-
| lentless waves of war; that the loved
! ones were gone he knew not whittier;
| that one or more of his brothers and
| scores of his friends had fallen in the
last heroic struggles around Peters
burg and along the line of Lees re-
| treat, he bowed his head in silence
and wept as he never wept before
| Who can tell how a Confederate
prisoner felt on the streets of Wash
ington City on April IA, 1865? Wit
Messing scenes of Joy, hearing shouts
of final triumph, looking into faces
that spoke 4 gladness that words
could not express, he looked, nc
doubt, as he felt, the very picture ot
despair.
| Alas! what a dreadful, what a ter
rible blow was awaiting that vast con.
gregation of happy people who
crowded the streets of Washington or
the ever memorable day-April IA,
1865! The hand was raised which
that night at 10 O'Clock was to strike
the blow that would stagger the whole
nation: that would cause a shrek o.
woe to be heard throughout Christen
dom; that would send sorrow an6
mourning throughout the length and
breadth of the land; that woult
awaken mingled feelings of sympathy
and rage wherever civilization haC
left footprint
| And the blow was given.
That night at 10 O'Clock, in the
midst of a crowded theater, Mr.. Lin
coin was assassinated, and in his OWL
home in the same city Mr.. Stewards
throat was cut.
The news spread rapidly, not only
over the city, but over the whole
country. In the city the shock must
have been terrific. 1t is said that mer
staggered as if intoxicated, and womer
screamed when they heard it. 1t was
late, after midnight, before the terri
BILE deed became known among the
masses of the people, but when it was
known they came out upon the streets
gathered upon the corners, discussed
the situation, and the more they dis
cussad it the more excited they be-
came. The city was moved to its very
depths, and it was evident that the
mob spirit was uppermost.