Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1897-05-25
ON TO RICHMOND.
The First of a Series of Articles of
Personal Experience to be Written
by Old Soldiers of This
Vicinity.

Under the escort of General Forest
we were camped at the base of one of
Tennessee's prominent mountains, and
Thursday, the 25 of March 1868 we were
invited by Gen. Forest, c. S. A, to ac-
company him to Richmond, being
promised entertainment at the hotel
Libby. The invitation was so generous
and urged with such force that we ac-
cepted and started out without much
ceremony by the way of the Duck
river; and the bridge we crossed upon
was about five feet below the top of the
water. We Jared sumptously with the
long, cared gentry on the way to Column
bus, where we arrived Sunday morn
ing; we had breakfast at the street hO-
tel, and resumed the march toward
Talahoma, arriving there Monday
evening, where we got the first rest on
the way. General Forest having other
fish to fry we were turned over to the
care of General Bragg, G. S. A. He
thinking We were too much burdened
with clothing, relieved us of our blank
cts and overcOats. From there we pro-
ceeded on our way to Richmond in
palace cars with slat slides, under the
escort of Captain Watts and some other
gents of the G. S. A. Arriving at
Knoxville, Tennessee, Wednesday
evening, we were entertained on the
side hill just below where Fort Saun-
ders was afterwards built, where Burn
side and some Othergents of the U. S. A.
gave Longstreet and his southern gents
of the c. S. A. warm reception.
Leaving Knoxville Thursday morning,
again in palace cars without windows,
in all the pomp and glory of the south
ern confederacy we proceeded to Lynch
burg, Va, and stopped over night at
agricultural headquarters on the hill
one-half mile south of town. One COM
rade being sick did not relish the fare
that the society furnished and once. L.
White and myself got an escort to show
us around the city; we took walk
and found a colored lady selling goodies
called hoecakes and turnovers, the
price of each being so cents in Lin
cum" money or $500 in "Davis"
money. On Saturday morning we
started in our special train for the
capitol of the Southern COnfederacy
Passing through the beautiful scenery
of old Virginia where the works of art
and nature were striving for mastery,
we could see that the Southern Con-
federacy had done its share toward
throwing up ridges for promenade
grounds. Arriving at Petersburg about
200 p. M, we were delayed some time,
so as to take the ride from there to
Richmond in the cool of the evening,
and as we We're especial visitors" from
the "nof," they wanted to show US
especial attention. We arrived at the
capitol of the confederacy about 200
"a. m., Sunday morning, and were
escorted to the Hotel Libby and passed
examination as to our luggage and sur
plus cash, for these southern gentry
had great love for "Lincum" money.
Then the elevator took us to the third
story by degrees, where we one and all,
400 in number, were assigned to one
bed room. From the north windows
we could view the city and capitol
buildings; to the west the noted Bell
island, and to the south the James
river and the canal. These southern
people held us in high esteem, for they
kept some men walking around the
hotel all night to keep watch lest some
thing should happen to US.
l.. L.. COUSE.