The Washington weekly post., 1899-06-20

there Is plenty Of interesting detail TO
furnish sufficient excuse for occasional
diversions. The famous charge upon the
Mexican stronghold of Chapuitepee- al
ready referred 20 By Gen. Longstr"st Is
told IN dramatic style TIE almost for
gotten story Of how Capt. Pickett, with
fifty American soldiers. def1ed the whole
British feet Of FIVE vessels and nearly
2aao men and held the disputed Island OF
san Juan. on our northwestern bOrirr. II
told in detail. with all the correspondence
between the brave young American officer
and the British Admiral whom he sue
cessfuliy bluffed Had he been less firm
he might have precipitated a war with
Great Britain. which at that time might
have changed h story. for II was here that
Capt. Pickett resigned his commission.
after the trouble was over. and went south
TO join the confederscy. In a letter writ
ten az this time he said:
Dearly as ! love the Union. and proud
as / am Of my country and the great
name OF American citizen. ] cannot in
vade my oWn nreside | cannot raise my
arm against my own kith and kin All my
ambition and patriotism shall henceforth
live only in the defense o: nv beloved
state. which has the first claim upon ms
return TO her | hope the South has
thought 20 keep our flag, the Stars and
Stripes for the star Spangled Banner viii
be worth more to us In the coming cor
fiet than the people of the South. who
only know their own State flag. have any
idea Of
Here the author INDUCES In a discussion
of the doctrine OF State rights. ana
brings out prominently point which ex-
plains why so many West Pointers re-
Gil sCd FrCrV hA nit cd a fac n
fight with the Confederacy. After show
ing how nearly every section of the coun-
try had a different times claimed TIE right
OF secession. she shows how the govern
ment itself ineculsted this idea. For years
the text book at West Point had been
"Rawle on the Constitution in which
the doctrine of State rights was forciblv
set forth. so that the young warriors ao-
sorbei the idea of secession at the same
time that they were learning the art Of
war. Her historical review OF slavery
also brings out some points in justice to
the Southern people which are not gener-
ally understood
The BATH. of Gettrsburr.
or course tie feature OF the book 1. the
description OF the battle of Gettysburg.
where Pickett and his brave Eirginians
made their desperate cnarge IDUn the
impregnable Federal position, and Out nf
5000 men left $500 dead on the field. Other
battles and campaigns. some Of which
Mrs. Pickett saw herself. are capabiy de-
scribed, but this il the most dramatic
chapter of the book Again she quotes
the words of Lincoln. when he stood at
the foot of Cemetery Hill and looked up
ward to where the frOwning cannon had
so short time before sent its lea0en
death 10 the valley below. and some one
said TO him: Think of the men vino held
those heights"
Yes he replied. but think o, the men
who stormed these heights Sne also re-
lates the story of Gen. Pickett thai when
road 10 Gettysburg, little girl waved the
Stars and Stripes. The General took off
his cap and bowed to her, and his whole
division followed suit. Being asked aft |
erward how he could bring himself TO
salute the enemy's Nag, he replied: Il
sauted the heroic womannoo1 in the
heart of that little girl, and the glorious
old banner under which | won mY first |
laurels."
In the concluding chapter, entitled THE |
Blue and the Gray" this woman niztori- |
an, not without sentiment but ;ull of
charity for the past, again quotes LIN |
eoln-his immortal Gettysburg ora-lOn. |
and closes her book with a benedictiOn |
upon the brave men, living and dead, |
whose sons have since fought side bY side |
against a foreign foe Inder the glorious |
emblem of a reunited and insepardble "a |
ton The book is printed by the Foote |
& Davies Co, at Atlanta, Ga.