The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-06-02
"ole Figinny Nuver Tircv

fultor OF Tho Times-DispAtcli:
Sir,--The words of the refrain to the
city Of Richmond. Its splendid hospi-
tally to the old soldiers indicates un-
firing zoal in well-doing. She never
did grow weary OF doing we'll.
/, In IN the The, OLD times nigh half-century
ago, when tho old lady's blunder was
Jeems.' like Nlobc, ali tears for her
daily Falling sons, was also all heroic
devotion. II was then that Hugo's Les
Miserables" came out in Wallpaper
The cause. had read the title in The
Dispatch, and the name OF one OF the
volumes, "Fantine," struck her forcibly.
She called at West &c Johnston's and
asked for Lees Miserabies A-faintin'"
They were, indeed, n-fainting in those
days. Wounded and Just out of prison,
l was discharged from tho hospital
Sunday morning OF the evacuation, Just
in timo to take part in the last opera
lions between Richmond and Appomat-
tox. a day or two before / Witnessed
a scene shall never forget One OF
Lees ragged brigades OF dirH, hungry
heroes marched through the city, on
their way to the Southside.
For four long, weary years the poo
pie Of Richmond had been be-
had heard the constant roar OF artil-
lery. They. too, were ill-fcd. hungry
and harassed. and yet they had never
lost heart or hope. When news got
abroad OF the passing of veteran reSt-
ment. the people crowded to Main
street and greeted them with cheers
and tears. and gathered bits from their
own meagre stores Chiefly they We're
women and children who thus crowded
to do honor to the thinned ranks OF
their defenders. with all the enthusi-
asm with which they had greeted the
full regiments OF 1851.
Only three or four days after that
scene was to see the beleaguered city
accept tho inevitable as quietly, as
calmly, as II 1t had been paralyzed by
news too good to bear. instead OF t"at
awful message flashed from Petersburg
upon this worshlping city that fatal
Sunday morning.
had occasion to see much OF fich-
mond that night. before l left upon an
old horse barebacked. to join my com
mand for the last -"Eschata'
of the war. Except the dreadful orgy
of cary Street, from Sixth to Rockets.
through which I rode twice. with
boys curiosity, watching deserters,
skulkers, "moss- backs" thieves, bur-
glars. murderers and harlots. drunk
and drinking from cutters that ran
with whiskey, the city was appnr-
gone to bed tired with celebrating VIC
tory. 1t lay dark. silent and calm. APP
parently asleep In all It's length and
breadth, except upon Main, where men
fitted along upon various duties; wax
ons drawn by tired mules were urged
on by tired men; in front of the various
government buildings, where, foolishly
piles of public papers were burning.
and down upon Cary, from sixth 10
Rockets. where scenes were oeins
enacted such as have only been descrio-
cd by the great Dickens In his descrip-
ton OF Lord George Gordon's mo-
popery" riots. in "Barnaby Rudge." and
there accurately described. as IL he. too,
had ridden along that compressed nell
OF Cary Street that fateful night.
have been moved to recall these
incidents illustrative OF heroic ken
mond because want to thank you FOR
your editorial. in which you express
my own view as to the feelings of old
Confederates as to that hard. but glori-
ors. past in an article In yesterdaJ
naper. entitled Success or Failure
In tho West and In the East i se>t>ed
four wears and thirty DAYS. i THINK i
nm ma lovai and as patriotic as any
YANKEE II need were, would nSht
tn.day for our country and for It's nag.
AS TO the past. it Is not in mutllai y
nature to love q cause and TO follow q
DAG for four wears, to the measure or a
rev horn national air, like Dixie, OF
q new. born nation, and to be glad u
failed. The man who says SO IS
hvpocrite and liar or a cur. "a DC
banked If I'm glad IT failed
"cedarnwold." Nashville. Tenn.
Murphy's Hotel. May 81. 1905