Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1912-06-06
shall always be proud of every effort

/ Snail always NC Piooo Va S'SA1
| 1 was instrumental in giving thes,
who wore the grey. The world ha
never, and will never see drawer o,
more loyal men than the soldiers o.
| the southern states.
! II have letters from twenty-five
men who were confined in the Fedora
prisons, after giving many, many let
tiers away.
81 was known to the soldiers a:
Aunt Kate The only way in which
could be of service to them was ir
the role OF relative. l believe was
related to more southern soldiers than
any woman in the south. l received
letters from those l never knew, adj
dressed to Aunt Kate enclosing
rings, bracelets, etc. The poor fell
lows had made most of these them
selves. | would sell them and send
the money which they needed very
badly. Had I space in this article l
would like to publish a few of the let
tiers. have thought many times,
should l be able, l would have the let
tiers published in book form.
would make one of the most unique
and readable little pamphlets ever
placed upon the market. Three of
these from whom I have letters be-
long to the famous Six-Hundred.
met three of them in Virginia and one
in Batesville, Ark. The one in Bates
vile, Gen. Robert Neill, was honored
and beloved by the people of Arkan-
saS.
The following is a communication
furnished by Mrs. Hooper to the Ark
ansas Gazette for its special reunion
edition published at Little Rock last
year, on Tuesday, May 10th.
Following the communication is a
letter of reminiscence written by Mrs.
Hooper and given to the Guard as an
additional record of her experience
during the Civil War:
A Letter of Renaissance.
(By Mrs. Kate Hooper,.
On May %, 1861, the Alexandrians
raised a flag over the Marshall House.
There was speaking and music. The
Seventeenth Virginia, nearly all Alex
andrians, and the Fairfax Cavalry,
made up of young men from Fairfax
county and Centreville, were with US.
We were up late and when day dawn
ed our city was filled with United
States soldiers, and man of war at
one wharf with her assistance captured
without firing a gun. Col. Ellsworth
marched his regiment right up to the
Marshall House stairs, tore down the
flag. AS he came down the proprietor
Jim Jackson, shot him dead, and one
of the soldiers ran his bayonet through
Jackson, and pinioned him to the floor
at the feet of his wife.
There was intense excitement and
during that time the Seventeenth and
the Fairfax Cavalry passed out of the
Old Dominion road and escaped, all
but one of the Centcrvile boys, who
had gone home with us. We conceal
ed him that day. After supper some
one Of the neighbors walked with us
to West End, where we passed with
him and he made his way safely to his
company.
The people quoted down. The
United States troops threw up forti-
fications around our city, as it was a
very important point, only eight miles
from the capital. and they determined
to hold it at all risks. They marched
thousands of men through there fully
equipped with ammunition, horses and
provision, camped them around and
sent out body of men towards Fair
fax Court House. Our men retreatcd
from there to Centerville. They advanc
ed the United States army up
near Centerville, and camped near
there, continuing the advance
and ours retreating until ours had
reached the place they had fortified,
where they halted. On July 81, Gen.
Wingfeld Scott and family passed
through with flags flying, bands play
ing and shouting on to Richmond, as
they thought they had the key to ev-
erything, and intended to wipe out the
entire south, expressing contempt for
our fleeing army, as they called it.
When we viewed it all and realized
how few we had, and how poorly equip
ped we were, to cope with such a host,
our hearts were heavy indeed. All
day long and into the night we listen
ed to the roar of the cannon. Some
would sleep while and get up so 9th
49,. Tbo bo1a oit1-