The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1909-03-20
An OLD LANDMARK
Historical Budding Being aSzsd to hsks
Room For hodsrn suuctw,

The building on Princess Aune street
near Commerce. now being rszsd Tor tn.
construction OF az up-tO-dats structurs
Tor ctfce- 10y Judge Alvin T. Embrey 4,
al old one and many memories OF ths
glorious past cluster about IL. In con
sequence OF this there Is a general feeIiou
OF sorrow at ia disappearance.
No one remembers when the honae was
built and there Is no record of the dat
when II was constructed; nor L. it abso-
lute!y known who built It, But Il IL
known 10 have been erected nearly or
quite century ago. IL has been used
altogether for offices. and has been occn-
pied mostly by lawyers So far as we
can ascertain only one doctor was To-
Gated In it-Dr. VIM. s. Browne-who
occupied an Office In the north wing for
quite q number OF years.
One room was long ihs office OF Judge
K l.. & noncurp, the commonwealth
attorney oil Stafford county for wears.
and afterwards "a member OF the Court
oil Appeals and then chief justice and
president OF that court until his death.
In this building was located Judge
John Riley, a law partner Of Judge VIM.
;. Barton, and Afterwards one OF the
Justices OF the Supreme Court of this
state.
~ W o. Nh0 OhAto VI As %. bAFkOn.
ESQ who Tor some thirty years was
Commonwealth attorney OF the town.
which Office be held during the war. He
was a most generous aud kindhearted
Virginia gentleman. and those traits
were conspicuous 10 all his long and
busy lie. lt Is related OF him that dur
Ing the Civil War. when be was the only
lawyer at times In the town, be would
prosecute a criminal and present the
States side In q vigorous speech. and
then turn and present the side OF the
prisoner to thu court
This structure was also the Office OF
Judge VIM. g. Barton while he was read
Ing law with his father, Mr.. Thos. b.
Barton, during his practice and after he
was elevated TO the Circuit iudgeship.
Since Judge John f. Mason, Judge oil
this judicial circuit, has been in town, he
has been located Ia this building.
in II was the Office OF Judge John Con-
way Moncure. who afterwards wac a
member ofthe Supreme Court OF Louisi-
ana, and now distinguished lawyer OF
that State.
Also In this building were the offices Of
Capt e. Wistar Wallace, at one time, OF
Judge A. T. Embrey. who purchased
the building few years ago; Il. =. VIII
lie. F W. Coleman and others
While Barksdale's brigade picketed the
banks OF the river 10 town from Novem-
Der, 1862, to the great battle, Gen.
Barksdale's headquarters were in this
building, where he was visited aud con-
suited by his superior general officers.
He occupied this building much OF the
day OF the most terrific Smelling that oc-
Cured during the Civil War.
In this building was the trial OF ex-
Gov. Henry 3. Foote. OF Mississippi,
while be was endeavoriDg t. reach
Washington from Richmond 10 1868.
His home was then 10 Memphis and be
was desircus, he claimed, OF returning
home He was arrested and taken be-
lore Capt. Hugh &. Doggett, provost
marshal. There was much excitement
over the arrest OF Gov. Foote, whose
! loyalty to the south was seriously cues.
toned. and it was feared II he was per.
mitted TO go North he had much inior.
nation that ehould not be placed In 20.
session OF the enemy But after a
lengthy hearing and "a pledge from the
governor that he would divulge nothing
To the opposite side be was permitted 70
! pass the Confederate lines.
| These are some OF the things that max,
this did building q venerable landmark
and how much more history IL attached
To Il i unknown
| photograph of the building has been
taken and will be preserved, with thi,
reminisceDce attached thereto.