The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1899-11-24
Historic Ground.

E0UOf Htfntd.- well nigh tW
decades had come and gone since I ha,
visited historic Appomattox. This wa
my privilege again on last Saturday
however, when ! was hOnored with al
invitation from Mrs. J. X. Atwood {,
accompany a party Of her guests to tn,
well nigh sacred spot. The drive on
that bright November day, was a de
lightful one. and for the first time
with an intelligent guide to aid me.
examined the grounds carefully.
Strange indeed, is it, that the Govern
ment, so careful to write the history
Of Gettysburg in stone and bronze. 10
preserve the ebb and flow Of Chicka-
maugas bloody tide, to mark the bat
tie lines Of Sharpsburg, should so neg
lect, to it, the browning point of the
mighty conflict. True some tablets
have been erected, designating the
headquarters of Lee and Grant, the
point from which the flag Of truce was
sent out, when the commanding gen.
erals met where the last gun was flied
and where the immortal farewell of the
immortal commander was read 10 his
devoted followers, aud these are OF sub
stantial and enduring form, but they
are pigmies compared with what
should have been done. And this is
written 10y an ex-Confederate who does
not fear that history shall truthfully
tell all that marked the struggle from
Bethel to AppomattoX. Lee surren-
dering scared to the front ranks Of
gods of battle, and sits and shines eter-
nally enthroned there
was surprised to find that the old
McLane house had been removed from
its foundations. This was done not by
government but by grabbers, not by
sovereign but by sharks. A syndicate
some years ago bought the mansion,
and pulled it down with the purpose
Of rebuilding it as curiosity shop in
Chicago For some reason the unpa-
riotic scheme fell through, and the
timbers which made up the structure
are piled up in the yard rapidly going
to decay. The government should
even now undertake the work of re-
building the house, and there are those
living who remember it so accurately
that they could suggest a perfect repro
duction. Is the neglect due to the fact
that the spot is on Southern soil
While the nation has thus failed Of
Its duty the ladies Of Appomattox, as
far back as 1866, organized an associa-
ton with the holy purpose Of at least
caring for the Confederate dead, who
fell just as the curtain was falling Oh
the bloody drama. They collected
eighteen bodies of the braves, buried !
them side by side as they had stood in
line Of battle and enclosed the sacred !
dust with a substantial wooden fence.
When some years ago Mrs. J. r At
wood became president of the Apo
mattox branch Of the Daughters of the |
she found this enclosure |
going to decay The sight first sad
dened ner and then stirred her patri-
otto ardor. She at once addressed her
self to the holy task of still further |
guarding the resting place Of the noble |
dead, and it was not long before she |
had secured the sum OF 500, with |
which She purchased an attractive and
most substantial iron fence which now
encircles the holy ground. Each grave
bias been carefully made into slightly
shape upon which the grass grows lux
flowers are blooming there
and soon shade trees will stand guard
about them. OF the number fourteen
are marked with the ever touching
unknown" while the names and COM
mands of six are preserved. Among
these last that of Ashby, 2nd Va. Cav
airy, appears, and as | stood by it /
my head in presence Of
name made resplendent and radiant
with halo Of glory. In that same
cemetery 50 carefully and tenderly
cared for by Daughters Of the Confed-
aracy, one Union soldier sleeps too, and
from his grave the grass is as green
aud the flowers as fair a. DER the graves
Of those who "wore the greyp Ami
mosities and differences are all buried
there and the angel Of goodwill and
charity keeps constant vigil.
The Appomattox chapter Of the
is one Of the leaders in pre-
serving from forgelfulness a dead but
dear past and have the respect and love
Of all who know Of this good work, and
who followed the leadership Of the
peerless Lee. EX-REBEL.
Present-Day Thoughts.
BY "NEMO."