Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1900-11-14
Y|S|T HISTORIC RICHMOND.
THE OLD CONFEDERATE CAPITAL TEENS
WITH INTERESTING SIGHTS.
Mr.. GIBSON WRITES OF HIS TRIP.
Looking Over the Seven Pines Battlefield. He
Is Reminded OF the "Times that
Tried Mems Souls"

lege and pleasure recently to visit tho
historic old city of Richmond, Va.
near whose borders in the COS SO
many tragic scenes were enacted,
where blood was poured out like
water upon the soil, and the dead
lay by the thousands; where the
slain on both sides fell upon the
same field of carnage, mingled to-
gethcr, having fought sometimes
three or four times over the same
ground. Every old soldier knows
this to be true.
In going to Richmond first went
to Columbia, S. G. On the Roth of
October, at 5.45 A. NJ, boarded the
Seaboard Air Line train at Colum-
bia for Richmond, a vestbule train
in charge of Conductor Walter
Gibson, who is my son. 1t being a
vestibule train, very few stops were
made on the way. The Scaboard
Air Line Railway system is one Of
the best, if not the best equipped
railways in the South. The passcn-
ger coaches are of the latest, best
and finest make, with all modern i'm :
provements, right up to date. No
pains have been spared to make trav
cling pleasure and comfort on said
road. The engines are of the very
best build that modern skill and
ingenuity can devise, being very
large, with six feet driving wheels.
The speed is all that could be desired. !.
Engines are equipped with electric
headlights which throw light OH
the track ahead Of tho engine almost
as bright as day, enabling the
engineer to see objects on the track
at long distance, thereby initiating
very much to lessen the danger of
accidents, making it just as safe to
travel on this great railway by night
as by day. These engines are truly
marvels of mechanical art, and the
track is of the very best construction,
being laid with heavy steel rails.
The system has built 1S9 miles of
new track within the last year,
which have been open to the public
since the 3D. of June, 1900.
We arrived at Richmond about
$50 Z. NJ, distance from Columbia
800 miles. In passing through
Petersburg, or rather through the
western side of the city, the railroad
crosses the old canal--not now being
used for boats. Twenty-Five or
thirty feet above the old mills run,
supplied by the canal, and which
many an old soldier will remember.
These old mills were about the only
objects that seemed to have under
gone no change since the war. They
look just like they did thirty five
years ago-no better no worse. The
old waterwhecl was just "grinding"
on and looked just like it did then,
and for aught | know never has
stopped.
The next morning after arriving at
Richmond we (Waltcr and myself)
took the electric railway running
from the city to the "Scvcn Pines"
battle grounds. Arriving at the ter
minus of the roadway we took
stroll through the woods out to the
old brcastworks, which, to my sur
prise, were in a remarkable state of
preservation. The forest still re-
mains and looks very much as it did
when it was lighting ground.
AS | walked on top Of those old
brcastworks my mind was carried
back to the times when to have
walked there would have meant
almost instant death; and then again
when thought Of the blood that has
been poured out upon that rv
ground by those giving up their lives
battling for the cause we all believed
to be right, baptizing it with their
hearts precious blood, ! felt that I
was standing upon hallowcd ground.
] did not have time to 90 over as
much OF the old battle grounds as
would like to have done.
We returned to the city, and in
the afternoon visited the jeff Davis
mansion, now used as a Confederate
museum, in which are found many
war relics. TO enumcratc would be
SIMPLY out OF the question. had
no idea that such n vast collection of
war relics could ever have been oot-
ten together. Among the most in
tcrcsting is the uniform of Gen Lee,
when he wore at the surrender at
Hrpomattox, his sword, pistols and
saddle and camp equipments; also
the unlIoims Of Gen. J. t.. I5. Stew
"rt' ncn. jackson and others, with
camp outfits, consisting of yarious