The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1903-09-24
AN INTEREST LETTER.
REV r. n 5EAzLEY, EDITOR OF
THE SOUTH BOSTON NEWS.
VISITS TIE HOME OF HIS
YOUTH
"Reminiscences OF War Times -Tne
Changes Noted Tribute TO Com .
rades Etc

South Boston. Va, sept 18th, l9n3
90 lhe Free Lance.
bear sif A recent visit To the scenes
sd iny childhood recalls To mind many
incidents oi the long ago. some OF which
begy0u will give mespsce tOmentioni
yOur valuable paper which i5soextensiye-
IN read through hat section and which ]
nope will be Oi interest Ia some NJ least
lt was At sparta. Caroline county. Va.
that was born. IN the year oi ISL,
and ms home WAS there until April ~.
1861. when with the rest Ci the mem
hers OF the Sparta Orays. bade adieu 20
the dear loved ones and went forth todO
hattie IN defense of Southern rights
This company was composed oi the
very flower Of the youth and young man
hood of sparta and the surrounding
country. and well did the boys discharge
their duties a. soldiers and patriots IN
every condition aud under all circum-
stances. until the last gun was fired at
Arn0mattnN This ran say more
rhecriully, because | was detached from
the company in lNG! and served else
where ii the close OF thu war.
must. however beg 10 refer 10 some
0f the incidents that occurred during the
time / was with the command We lett
sparta about noon. April 23.Rnd march
ed under the command of Capt. J. Milton
Gouldin. reaching Milford station via
Antioch church al about nightiali. We
stacked arms and made ourselves ~
comfortable a. circumstances would per
nit. sleeping. or trying 10, IN the hutei
porch. next 20 the railroad which ! no
ii "a has been removed mean The
porch Early the next morning, in r.
spou-- 70 an invitation. the entire com
uany marched 20 the hospitablr home oi
Nr. James I Carneal where that gentle
man mai proviied for ~ sumpiuous
breakfast. which was pRrtaken Ot with
a regular soldier relish and ] ieel sure has
never been forgotten 10y the gray jacket
rnests IN early train took W 10 Fred
-rirk Ahurg where We were regularly
mnsteredfntn service and IN day or
TWO. after being supplied with TIN cups,
cooking utensils and ratlOns, we were
ordered on board the steamer Virginia
and taken 90 Port Conway on the hRp'
uahannOck riger. lnst opposite Port
Roygi There were some vacant houses
m the village and in these we were quar-
tered. and. with r Humphrey BrOoke as
our commander. We entered upon soldier
lle ia earnest Our captain had Deen
trained al the y. NJ !. aud was thorough
tv convinced that ~ required great
iesl o. drilling 20 make "a good soldier
and az "a consequence we had 10 march.
rounter-march. double quick ana go
through all the evolutiOns Tor about ses-
IN hours day. I MS was TOO much Tor
Humphrey Brooke, who had way oi
making poetry in style calculated 10
rizpel dun care. and he gave vent L. his
pent-up feelings ia something Ike this.
let me roam here 'er ! viii.
stlll hear Baldwin, drum tor driiii
And COyingtOE old equeGllDg HE
destroys all my peace in life.
They wake me at the early dawn.
Al midnight when the churchy avn,
rhev greet my ears at break OF day,
And Danish all my peace away.
The company remained at Port Con
WAY for several weeks, during when tlint
A detail OF ten men, i think it Wa. under
the command Of First Lieuteuant Julian
Rronddus. now Rev DR.. brOaddur, Oi
Berrvville. Va was made 70 act ss
marines on the steamer Virginia To keep
p sharp lookout Tor the enemy down Oh
the lower Rappahannock. This was
lat snap and the writer was one oil the
detail. The boat was under the CON
mand Of Captain Lewis, naval officer,
and we ventured on one occasion near
enough 70 the Chesapeake Bay 10 get Il
: ,nmpse Of one OF two boats belonging
/ 10 the blockade squadron.
The occasion OF driving the first spike
and Of throwing up the first spade Of DIRT
In the erection of Fort LOwery,' few
miles below tue town OF Tappahannock 4,
was quite an event, in which the ma
rines took acOnspicuOus part. II mis-
take not. NJ. ". COle had the hOnur ci
throwing % the first spade OF earth IN
che erection OF the tort
II space permitted would be glad to
teli of camp lie on the Potomac and at
Matthias Point where the Spartans had
their first engagement with the enemy
and were among the yictOIs. lhis may
attempt TO do at some future time.
GA a visit TO my brother AT Beazley, in
Essex county. during the last lew weeks
II was nv privilege 10 spend a few hours
at Soarta. my old home. On how
changed Among my early companions
and tellow-sOldiers that greeted me at
IA Salpm church on the 18th we're Geo.
Havnes Mock Puller and Nm. Moore
tbare were perhaps others, but cannot
recall them As looked upon the large
roogrepation thought OF the grand old
men VINO have passed over the river, Du'
whose lab0rs and example still i've
amnng these was my dear old pastor
anI friend DR.. Andrew Br0sddus. II
,ves a seDedictiOn to live in a communi
asi,h snch men as Reuben Is. Richardson
Nathaniel Motley, Robt. s. Broaddus
Iohn Broaddus, Phillip Green, VIM. /,
unrrav. NJ. Il. Broaddus, James An
Idrsws' f.. +. Broaddus, Robert Sale
Willis Pitts. James l. Broaddus. Andrew
Btoaddus and others, whose names
do not occur Just at this time. These art
ALI gone. but many OF them have ieitson'
worthy of their noble sires, aud who are
batting for high standard OF religion
ana moraliry. IL was indeed pleasure
to orasp the hand OF my old friend, Dr
Iohn d Bptler, who. although past hi'
four score years, yet qui.e active II
the practice of his profession. and promp'
and efficient az chairman OF the Board o
Supervisors of his comfy.
For the first time in forty two years
attended court, l. e was on the cour
Green Monday last. It was a pleasur
IN Grasp the hand of old friends and com
rades and brisGg chat about old times
int was painfully reminded that tn
rircl. was getting smaller and smaller
and that ali th- boys that wore the gra,
viii soon pass nyer the river to Join tn
great majority that have gone before
A. looked Into the face OF Geo Wright
wbose armlsss sleeve bangles at his side
the Grand. gray and invincible column Q
the Rowing Green Guards, with Capt
" D. Onesenberry a8d afterwards tb
brave and chiv8lOus Capt. John NJ
Hudgine commanding, loomei np befor
me What a noble bsDd OF soldier boys
the patriotic citizsps OF Caroline con bu
ieel nroud of such true heroes, many
, whom sealed with their lies blood thei
4 devotion to the cause they loved 80 much
). Az we think of these how sppropriat
are the lines Of Florence Hartland in
noem to Virginia referring TO her illu
f frous dead
"Thy soil, Virginia, thine TO guard
Through circliog years their saere
4 dust;