Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-02-06
BY w. n. ANDREWS.
Observation-Disclosures

I lington, and the Potomac river at one
point.
There, too, we saw OR first blue Jackets
1 at Bailey's residence about onc-haf or
three-fourths of a mile to our left. They
were a great curiosity to the boys. they
| having been told that the Yankees hao
! horns, some of them having tails like
monkeys. We could hardly realize that
they were humen beings like ourselves.
! The hill had breastworks near the top,
| and on the enemy's side some quaker
/ guns, all shat l cav during the war. They
were logs about ten feet long mounted on
| two wheels of a wagon and projecting
] over the works. One day the enemy's
! skirmish line advanced on the hill; our
| quaker guns We're brought to bear on them
and they hurried back in a run. Colonel
]. Z. b. Stewart, of the famous BLACK
| Horse" cavalry regiment, was in COM
/ mand of the post, and Brigadier Cen
| eral James I.ongstreet in command of
! the department. September the oath the
regulars we're relieved by the Ninth Geor-
| gia and we went TO Falls church, about
1 two miles distant. said to be one of the
oldest churches in the United States. 1t
| seemed like sacred ground to me when l
1 was told that General George Washington,
| the father of his country, who was first
| in war, first in peace and first in the
| hearts of his countrymen," had often at
/ tended worship there. 1t seemed almost a
4
1 ground that had once received the foot
prints of Americas most illustrious son.
/ He was my ideal hero and in my child
\ hood days the name of George Washing
| ton caused my little heart 10 thrill with
pride and love of country. don't remem-
Der that ever played George Washington
: with my little hatchet and the old gen.
| tleman's favorite cherry tree If 1 had, /
| think ] would have a feeling recollection
| of the event 1t is strange, but nevertheL
less true, that Americas two most Illus
| trious sons, George Washington and Rob
| ert z. Lee, were born in the same county
/ IN Virginia, and married In the same fam
| fly George Washington was victorious
and honored with the highest Office in
( the gift of tho American people. Robert Z.
| Lee whose portrait now adorns the hall
J of fame. was defeated and lost every
thing except honor. He was great gen.
/ eral, but greater still as a perfect man. A
man evenly balanced in all of the attri-
/ butes that 1t takes to make one great
4 and good. He had all of the virtues but
none of the viees. Ambition or the wealth
1 of the world could not have swerved MIN
/ one hairs breadth from what he believed
/ TO be his duty.
| When he sheathed his spotless sword at
| Appomattox and turned his famous bat
tie horse Traveller" in the direction Of
| Richmond, he was like thousands of
\ his battlescarred soldiers-homeless. His
| splendid Arlington estate on the Potomac
| had been conflscated by the federal gov
eminent and turned into a national Gem
( etery. The white house on the Pamunky
river which belonged to him was burned
during the seven days fight around Rich
mond In 1862, after being used by General
| George b. Mcclellan for his headquar-
tiers. The white house was a noted dwell
ling; there George Washington first met
the charming and wealthy widow, Mrs.
1
| his wife. The only time George ever
surrendered or was out generated. but
/ then he ought not to be blamed for that,
/ because when a charming young widow
J lays siege to the citadel of a fellows
| heart he had as we'll haul down his colors,
| and the quicker the better. General Lee
| passed his declining years as an humble
school teacher teaching the young ideas
TO shoot" and If he was as successful at
that as he was with the army of Northern
| Virginia, many of his pupils will make
their mark in the world. The
year 1898 added two more names
to the list of American heroes,
George Dewey the hero of Manila
| Bay, and w. s. Schley. the hero of
Santiago. Cuba. George Dewey added an
other leafiet to the wreath that already
encircles his brow a few weeks ago when
he stood fat looted and alone for his
comrade in arms. The American people
| will place the names Of Dewey and Schley
slue by side on the scroll of fame as two
of the greatest sea captains of the 10th
| century, the naval court of inquiry to the
| contrary Notwithstanding.
| But am depressing. On the 24th the
| long roll was beat and the regulars fell in
| to line ready for any emergency. Mounted
orderlies could be seen dashing in every
direction. General Longstreet, whose
! headquarters was near by mounted his
1 horCa ha aorYnIor ri OFF Of MD
| gait In the direction of Townsville in
company with the Second South Carolina
Ninth Georgia, Thirteenth Virginia, Stu
| arts Black Horse cavalry, and Captain
| Rosseau's battery Of Washington artil-
lery from New Orleans Scared? Not
a bit of f.! We were spelling for fight,
| and II we could get up with the boys in
blue we would show them thing or two.
As to myself / had II all nicely planned
out. 1 would distinguish myself and be
| called a hero. If / should be killed
would fall with my face to the enemy,
| shrouded with the flag and buried with
military honors.
1t all seemed just as easy as falling off
| a greasy log. After going several miles
the column filed to the right through a
gate into field, leaving one section of the
battery with company NJ to guard it,
| About 200 yards from the gate there was
a dwelling house which some of the cav
| airy mounted to look out for the enemy
who spied them and opened on the house
| with artillery.
We saw running from the house a wo-
man with babe in her arms and four
| or five small children making for the
| woods to our right. She was a sister of
| the first southern man killed in the war
between the states. His name was Jack
son, proprietor of hotel at Alexandria.
Jackson, the story goes. had on his no.
tel a secession flag, which Colonel Els