Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1910-03-16
SEVEN PINES.
Cor espondence Of the Alexandria G .zette }
Richmoud, March Is.

Rchnoud, March Is.
As boys many t ns In the lat
forty years have we sal With mouths
wide open listening with rapture and
trembling at the hair raising stories Of
the deeds of valor oil the OonfsdeFs'e
soldier ss Exhibited oa the fields oil battle.
When We have looked into The eyes OF
the old Confederate snd have seeo them
moisten IS he himself resiized The sad
truth connected With bis story and
beheld bis gray locks, indicative OF
service, piigatioD, age and trouble, We
naturally remembered what history has
taught as and came to the conclusion
that the bali hiss never teen told. IL
Was my pleasure on last Sunday to get
on Clay street car in Richmond and
start for Seven Pines, every foot OF
ground OF which-s distances OF nine
miles--has been bsthed 10 humsn blood.
The day wSs beaut fol one, tis
SUI shoue brightly, the birds
sang sweetly, and the budding trees
gave evidence of coming spring and
sweetened the air a. It sgreeably re-
frssheDed the visitors on the very warm
day. About hall way from Richmond
to the poiut OF destlnston is ita,ion
called Bsth Elou, 1T which Is located
the MssOuic Orphans Home Of Virs inia.
This Is magnificent building OF stone
aud gIsuiie, surrounded with spscion
lawns, and numerous concrsle wslka
Al the station when the trsin arrived
were a great many bright faced lassIes
dressed neatly in blue awaiting psrhsps
the arrival OF some friend or relstgs.
II was a besutI I'll sight, representing
IN all truth the brotherhood of man.
Tdeir isoes belmed with delight and
showed concu lively that whoever COZ
trolled the working d.siines OF the Co..
eiven institution were masters 10 their
respective loc5t Gus. About Ave miles
farther and Seven Pine Station
was reached. This Is at the JUNG
ton OF the Williamsburg aud old
NiDe.mlle road, and The U. s. govern
ment 10 The year 1866 commenced the
cemetery which nov besusi6es this
memorable spot. During the year seven
small pines were tTsDspanted by the
government along the vail OF this city of
the dead and today they tower toward
the great Ruler OF the Uniyerse ss proud.
lY IS do The mighty oaks loca.ed it
Far 0sks, about mile distant, a, which
really this great 5stte had its inception.
The Seven Pines spoken of 10 war lines
consisted Of Que lsrge slump from which
seven small pines grew. At the time Of
tho battle thls place was almost WI
dernesS with only nine houses between
Seven Pines and Richmond. It was
swampy apd a great deal of land was
covered with wafer. Near here, at Fair
Oaks, there is an oak tsee It'll s,auding
which duriDg TIE battle hsd the top
tskeu of OF 1t oy a LUCE cannon bali.
When oae realizes that there we're from
10000 to 10000 men engaged In this
bat tie, often la hand 10 hand coz flct, he Ia
filed With wonder that any escaped. In
the betu iful Cemltery, which is In
charge of Capt. l.. w. Osllsghsn, q
genial ThOle-sC u|ed 6x.uuion soldier.
who always delights telling bis expert.
ence and bearing lei mOny to the bravery
OF the southern soldiers, Is buried l, 1898
union soldiers, |. 2S0 Of whom are un.
know. The captain says thst the
mott pleasant experiences of hIs war rec.
ord wss when he was 10 camp abe ut
months 10 1861 90 the hills overlooking
ALEXANDRIA Ha vas formerly sssittint
superintendent q. tho Arlington ceme-
terry 10 Alexandra equity, AID has an
extensive acquaintance 10 Alexandra
city aud Washington. Tais ia a Zoe
trip aod it only costs five cents each
Ssy-l8 miles going aud 90 ming. II.