The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1903-08-19
Plunkett.

"Breathes a man with soul so dead,
Who never to himself has said,
This is my own, my native land"
I forget who it was that said
this, but it is fine sentiment, and
espe ,ially appropriate to use on
the Fourth of July. Everything is
promising to a most glorious
Fourth" this time. and that is as
it should be. It is comfort to an
old man to see friend of patriotio
feeling for the day that was always
glorious in the olden time. The
recent troubles had their dark sides,
bat they have had the effect of
binding us all together in links as
strong as the revolution's ties, and
Iat us hope that it may be as gold
en- in rasul.s as the deliverance
that was accomplished when the
o ,lonies shook off the yoke of
King George III.
The old time "Fourths' are q
pleasing msmory to all old people.
aud, as for me. 1 like the best to
forget the dark four years that
made us cease to celebrate the day
here in the South and feast upon
the pleasures we used to have on
the occasions then so common.
But an old man is sure to re
member that we have had some re-
markable occurrences in the month
of July other than the occurrence
which makes the Fourth day to
celebrate. ALI old soldiers of the
Virginia Army will think of the
fret. second and third days of july,
1868, at Gettysburg. aud the
Fourth" of that year Vioksburg
fell, and what fall was that. 1t
perhaps, sealed the doom of the
oonfederacy and was the making
of General Grant 1 remember
those starved confederates of Vicks-
burg as well as if it was but yes
terday, and / remember how Gen.
eral Pemberton was blamed for
surrendering on the Fourth" but
if you had been there. or If you
will only listen to the soldiers who
were there, you will not feel 30
ready to blame any one. The
truth is that the Fourth was the
day selected by Grant to have the
surrender take place, and he would
have put it on that day or have
slaughtered every confederate on
the grounds.
By way of diversion allow me to
tell of some of the doings of those
paroled men of Vioksburg-more
for the righteousness than other
wise, and to spice the story of the
Fourth.
When the soldiers had been fed
after the surrender and received
their paroles. there was general
hurry TO get out of the place where
they had suffered SO much. Among
the men were some negroes with
the contederates as servants. These
were allowed to take their choice.
remain with Gen. Grants troops
or to go with their masters back
into the confederaoy and to slavery.
To the faithfulness of the negro be
it said, they were almost unani-
nous in going out with their mas
ters.
This may seem strange but ii
was not any stranger than great
many other things. Of all the
curious freaks of these or any other
soldiers, was the notion that long
Iank north Georgian took to pro.
cure some of the waste iron there
about. When the man learned
that he was to go home. nothing
would do him but that he must
carry some of the iron along. To
this end he secured a wheelbarrow
loaded it with the scraps of iron
and rolled it all the way from
Vicksburg to his home in the
mountains of Georgia. Another
one of these Vicksburg soldiers
after much suffering on the way
home, had the nerve to swear that
he was going to take dinner at tn,
next house whether they wanted
him or not. I expect he ha6
arrived somewhere in Tennessee
by this time. snyhow the mex
house happened to be a most
prosperous farm house and / expec'
it was a most excellent lady tina
perished there, for it was no trouble
} for the soldier to gain her promise
she made the explanation that I