Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1915-07-09
Letter Four.
To the Editor of the Beacon:

trip to Petersburg Crossing the Rap
pahanock on whose banks died many
brave soldier of both the blue and tn
gray, we sooE reached the histori
Potomac, which I had the honor Il
wade three times during the late un
pleasantness. Crossing this river, vi
soon entered Washington. We pro
ceeded at once up the historic Pennsyl
vania avenue. where the grand arm!
of the republic marched proudly by il
review before their victorious generals
soon after Lee surrendered, and tool
up our quarters at the Powhatan no.
tel.
That evening, the first place we went
to visit was the White House and itl
beautiful grounds. We didn't get tc
see Mr.. Wilson, as this was not his re-
ception day. and at the time he was
very much worried over the note tc
Germany and Mr.. Bryan's resignation.
Had it not been for this, l would have
gotten to see him, for I would have
sent in my card, stating that l was ar
ex. Confederate soldier, the only mar
in the south save one. who had contri-
buted bale of cotton to his campaign
fund and publicly stated that there was
no Office in his gift that l desired. l
know this would have gained me my
admittance.
In passing. I will take occasion to
say, that while I don't Ikea "quitter, "
still thought Mr.. Bryan was right in
saying, "that our citizens ought to stay
off those English ships" and I don't
think our country ought to 60 to war
with any nation If our people do not
stop travelling for awhile, or at least
travel on ships bearing the Americ an
flag, and don't think Germany could
afford to quit using the submarines.
But / hope that our differences can be
settled satisfactorily, and with honor
to both nations.
Theie is so much of interest to see in
this beautiful city that it would be i'm
possible for me to tell all that we saw
on our trip.
Of course we visited the Washing
tor, nonun. mt, sta. ding 556 feet high.
and overlooking the entire city and the
surrounding country. The next morn
ing we took an autobus, filled with eth
er sight-seers, and with guide stand
ing on the running board, calling our
attention, through magaphone. to all
the objects of interest wended our way
to Arlington, built by John Park Gus
tis, the step-son of Washington. and
the antebellum home of Robert E. Lee.
Among the beautiful homes, of dis
tinguished men, we passed on the route,
that know my Mississippi readers will
be proud to know was the home of
John Sharp Williams. This is not an
extra fine structure. but was pointed
out as the home of a great statesman.
I believe this is the only home of any
Southern statesman mentioned in the
guide of the city.
We saw where the old Ford theater
stood, where Lincoln was assassinated.
This was sad day for the south, then
drinking the bitter dregs Of defeat, for
this gave the leaders of the radical
wing of the Republican party control,
and they inflicted upon US the evils OF
rec instruction. 1t is right strange
that when we seeded and we're out
of the Union, the Northern people con-
tended that we were in the Union.
could not secede. but after the war,
they said we had seeded, and had to
be re-admitted. Well, we are back
now, in our fathers house, and there
to stav, but l am depressing.
After short stay at the Zoo, locat-
ed on the outskirts of Washington, to
see the wild animals, we soon reached
the his oric city of Georgetown, saw
Washington's headquarters, occupied
vixen he was, with the assistance of a
FreA ch architect, laying out the city of
Washington. We also saw small
body of water that Fulton tried the
HArst steam boat in, before venturing
Ito the Patomac. and we saw the canal
Sding to Baltimore, and "mirable
<ttu" the motive power is still the old
eule pulling up the tow path.
I'VE at last came to the beautiful Arl-
lgton, now the resting place of some
26 900 Federal soldiers, and some $500
Confederate soldiers, these being bur-
led here from the hospitals Of Wash
ington, during the war. This is most
beautiful place and is we'll kept-up by
the Federal government. We were
sbown the room where Gen. Lee mar
ried his bonny bride, and fell heir to
this magnificent estate. This place
was sold during the war for taxes and
bought by the Federal government for
sps 400, but after the war, they paid
tbe Lee heirs the sum of $l5o,0 and
orov;ded that it shall be for all time the
Last i resting place of soldiers of the
Ir.;.od States armv and navy. The