Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1902-07-25
For the Sentinel.
A Scrap Of Confederate History.

To those who have read Henderson's Life
Of jackson, 1t is perfectly apparent that we
are rapidly approaching the disqualification
Of the events of the late struggle between
the States Into history.
We will have to go little deeper into the
twentieth century, when the truth, pure and
simple, shall reach the world at large
Under these conditions II is important that
every thing connected with that most re-
markable struggle, In '61'65, shall be pre-
served nothing shedding light upon the
characters of the men therein engaged can
be regarded as trivial or unimportant.
The present writer, thirty years ago, be,
came the rector of the two parishes, Rock.
Vile and Silver Spring, Montgomery coun.
ty, Maryland. In making his way from his
home near Grace Church into Washington,
he was obliged to pass long trench or
mound In which the dead were buried dur
Ing Earlys movement in "a on Washing.
ton to relieve the pressure on Gen. Lee ut
Petersburg
The writer recognized the fact that the
noblest were then sleeping in shallow graves,
and he determined that those silent sleepers
on the Lay farm, near Brightwood, should
TO Mesers. Richard T. Ray, Joseph Childs,
oAAoi VOuoct DouJs DoNiot bouJauhtu Oauuyi
and others. A committee Of these gentle
men went into Washington and conferred
with the late DR.. Garnet, Mr.. Watt Drew
and others. Very soon the money was
raised In sufficient sums TO buy the collins.
There was the most active cooperation be-
tween these gentlemen and those OF the city
In reaching the end we had in view.
Where TO bury them was the next ques-
ton; at last 1t was determined that they
should 0e buried at Grace church, silver
spring Parish, the vestry consenting. One
Ol their number, the Hon. Montgomery Blair,
onered 70 pay Tor an eligible ourying lot, IN
curing IN what sum his personal check was
waning Tor the reinterment, remarking that
these gentlemen were entitled TO Christian
burial.
Inc DAY was appointed and DR.. A. Y. +.
Garnett was selected as the orator and the
Right Rev. William Pinkney, ID. D., Il. Il. d.,
Bishop OF Maryland. was asked TO grace the
occasion by an appropriate poem. The day
came and with II large crowd In attend
ance, and with them number OF the clergy,
among whom were the Rev. Walter VIII
liams, OF Chrlst Church, Georgetown; rev.
James Buck, OF ROCK Greek, and hev. John
d. Elliott. u. D., OF Ascension Church,
Washington City.
After the ONCE Tor the burial OF the dead,
the large assembly were invited TO the rec
tory, just opposite, on the turnpike, where
the beautiful poem OF Bishop Pinkney and
the appropriate address OF DR.. Garrett we're
presented from the rectory porch to large
concourse OF people gathered from the Dis
trict oil Columbia and Montgomery and
Howard counties.
The bodies OF the seventeen unknown and
unrecorded Confederate dead were commit
ted TO mother earth in large grave hard by
the turnpike. The occasion was one long
10 be remembered. This mound was kept
green and frequently dressed with flowers
by band of noble women In full sympathy
with the cause for which the dead had 80
willingly laid down their lives Here for
long years they remained Till at last it was
deemed best that they should be removed TO
front lot In the south west corner of Grace
Church cemetery.
Since then the Confederate Camps at Rock
Vile, Nd, and Washington, in the District,
have erected beautiful monument over this
mound, In which movement the Ridgley
Brown Camp 10 Rockville, aided by their
numerous friends, contributed largely. Here
each succeeding August a large concourse
gathers and the valor OF the men there sleep.
log 10 help up, with that of all true Coined
crates who wore the gray worthily, to the
admiration of ell who would know the story
oil the shOrt.lived Confederacy.
After the reinterment in this mound the
writer has been informed by the Hon.
Spencer G. Jones, of Rockville, Md, that
one other body, identified as that OF Con-
federate soldier was found on the estate OF