The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1906-02-15

by the thumbs awhile shall be salts
fed This raised laugh and closed
the incident far better than had dared
hope. 80 The rain soon began TO fall,
and il was ten O'clock before drove up
To n most mi erablr hotel in Strasburg.
but the people gave me aud my papers
such "a welcome, could but rejoice with
them. They had bad no Southern news for
months had to talk nearly all night,
and the next day, which was Sunday, it
rained all or most ol the day. Some OF
my most devoted adhprents, took time
to look out for some way To get me To
Winchester the next day, and they found
one
There was no man in town. they told
me. but a woman offered TO take me in Il
conveyance that would hold me and my
baggage. She told me her husband was
deserter aud hd in her cellar. | do not
think she told me what side he was on.
The agonics OF that trip ! shall long re-
member; every turn of the wheel ielt like
a stab IN my side
LETTER 10 CONRAD.
had letter 10 Holmes Conrad; de-
Iiycred IT, lie put me in the way to get
a carriage 70 take me 10 Martinsburg.
That eased many pains; also "a good din
her at the hotel IN Winchester, cake and
Ice cream which | had not seen since left
StauntOu.
reached Martinsburg the next day;
drove up tO the rectOry of the Episcopal
misister. Mr H. An aunt OF his, two sis
ters and "a little boy-his only chid-com-
posed the family, all dear friends ofmine
Though they were veritable prisoners,
they gave the warmest welcome To the
rectory Ills church. a beautiful build
ing. was being used "a a hospital for
wounded or sick.
Alter staying with friends a few week,
an uncle OF mine in Atchison, Kansas,
sent Tor us to make him visit
was there for months, hearing so
much sad news through Butler at Old
Point found the [ 5. Senator Pome-
roy good friend. He got me pass to
return To fredericksburg. II ran out
before could get TO Washington He
then thought it best should be in Wash
ington before he got another. Gen.
Algpr got one from Lincoln at last.
stopped at the Metropolitan Hotel
when / reached Washington. As soon
as Senator POmerOy heard OF my arrival
he came in a carriage and took me to his
house found his house full OF com
pany-all of the same stripe. Many OF
them said openly they wondered Senator
Pomeroy should entertain Secesh.
He answered that he should entertain
whom he pleased. and he stood my friend
through il all There was his nelce from
Rochester, NY who kept hOusefor him.
She was very Jealous of any attentions
10 me: said at the table when the
Secesh visit the North, they are treated
with the utmost distinction; when we
20 South we are Ostracisedl
looked at her and said, "les; not all
the blood OF all the HOwards could give
a Union man or woman any social posi-
ton with Us s" One OF the gentlemen
said in an undertOne, 'She has a
sweetheart in Fort Delaware. SO the
table was often enlivened by pleasant,
etc. (?) little. talk. When | secured the
pass. Senator Pomeroy drove me over
to Alexandria, where | had better
opportunity oi getting to Frederieks-
burg
When left Kansas | had the name on
my trunk Some one said take 1t oil.
said no and that card preserved me from
a search in my baggage, for we found
Kansas regiment on guard outside the
city of Alexandria, and they had a regu-
lar iollifcatiOn over Us; could not do
enough To make us comfortable in the
wagon. for il was bitter cold. We had
four big. strong horses, but had to walk
most Of the way to keep from freezing.
/ did not get over the frost bits for
many years The roads were indescrib-
able paid $40 in greenbacks Tor the
sixty miles from Alexandria to Freder-
icksburg. To get check cashed on a
st. Louis bank for $4,000, we received
$2,S00.
In the parlor at Senator Pomeroy's
one evening, there was a Major Dodge
from Massachusetts. Fredericksburg
was spoken OF. He said: Eyes, that is
one OF the places we ought to have ami
hilated: there was only one man there
who voted against Secession" ! look
ed up quietly and said: yes, there was
but one; he was an undertaken from
Washington named Williams" As Fred
sricksburg was my native place, ! did
not like to hear it spoken against. Maj.
Dodge left the room soon after, and ask
ed the Senator how it was he entertain
ed such rebels The Senator answered,
because he liked TO.
Written from memory by
Mrs j. II. Henry,
Houston, Va.
L.. d.; bp,ond Tinoa nianatch