The National tribune., 1901-02-28
VISIT TO HISTORIC SPOTS.
Connecticut Veteran FINDS That Old Land
marks in the South Have Disappeared.

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EDITOR NATIONAL GfRmUNE: On Christ
mas | left home for II "trip in the South
! On arriving at Washington ! purchased :
holiday excursion ticket to Richmond fol
S4.S5. The time required f"r the trip wa.
about three hours. Just think of it; il
1861 over 100000 soldiers started TO 9,
! to Richmond. II required fpur years time
cost hundreds of thousands Of lives and {;
sea of money. 1t is plain to be seen that
our troops made mistake in not sticking
excursion ticket. The trip is Il very pleas
ant one.
Fredericksburg looks almost exactly as
II dld 40 years ago, only worse, if any
thlng. The houses have become dilapi-
dated; no repairing has been done. A
drummer told me that somebody had open
ed hotel there during the Summer. but
he did not know whether it was still run
nlng or not. A short distance from Fred
eerIcksburg l saw pyramid of stone. On
inquiry l was told by some of the boys
on the other side that they had intended
to start cemetery for the soldiers who
were killed or died on their side in and
around fredericksburg
On arriving at Richmond / heard can
nonadiDg, but as | knew the war between
the States" was over long ago, | innocent
entry into their city. / wondered how on
earth they could have known that | was
coming, but L presumed some one had teIe-
phoncd from Washington that | was on
my way. On arrival | was somewhat hu-
INFLATED to learn that the supposed cele-
bratlon of my entering the city was blast
ing for canal. Thus our earthly hopes
are blasted. They are dammng. up the
James River, turning the water into this
nf limo fltttn oil
tricity. They are building a bridge there
three miles and 800 feet in length.
L went to visit Byrd Island, where many
OF our soldiers were entertained during the
war, and what was my surprise to find
that L was not allowed upon the island. |
managed, however, to get both feet over
the bridge before / was ordered off. How
dlHerent from 3S years ago. The boys ION
the other side" were very much pleased to
snow our boys the place, and allowed them
TO stay there as long as they wished, pro-
viding they did not die in the meantime
L next visited Belle Isle, where | re-
ceIved better treatment. On entering the
place L saw man with a dog; but as /
have great confidence in my ability, /
marched up to him without fear and asked
him some questions. He informed me that
he was too young to know anything about
the war, but very kindly referred me to n
carpenter. who was employed on tie island
in repairing buildings for the iron works
He gave me considerable information
about the island, when the boys were So
journers there; also introduced me to an
other soldier ION the other SIDE" and | can
assure you L had very pleasant time
asked if all the soldiers bodies had been
to the soldiers cemetery, and was
told that many of them still remained
buried on the island.
l visited the Jeff. Davis Mansion, and
beautiful place 1t is, too. The shaft of the
Merrimac is in front of the house. The
mansion is used as a Museum at the pres
ent time. l went to the Capitol of the
Southern Confederacy, and also took a
good look at the beautiful hotel; think 1t
is called the Hotel Jefferson. 1t is a
grand building, beautifully furnished, and
The citizens of Richmond are justly proud
If it; even in North Carolina / was asked
several times if / had seen that hotel.
From Richmond i went to GOldsborO, |
md thence east to Newbern, place where !
we were encamped about a year / was
member of the 10th Conn, consequently |
z member of the first regiment that en-
ered Newbern at the evacuation, March |
IA, 1862. Talk about the ravagcs of war, |
he ravages of war are not greater than |
.he ravages of prosperity. l thought |
could visit the old campground on being !
placed in Newbern blindfolded, but never |
was mortal more mistaken. The NGuse |