The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1917-06-15
KELTON

ram on laSC saturday ana more Sun
day evening. l think now that all
replanted cotton will come up to
stand. All crops are in fair state
of cultivation and if we'll worked with
good seasons we will yet make a fair
crop if we have good stands.
l returned last Saturday from the
Washington reunion. There was a
good crowd of jovial Veterans; they
all seemed to enjoy themselves the
very best. There are many South
erners at Washington who are en-
ployed by the government or who
have moved there since the Civil war
and are doing business there. You
can almost tell every one of them as
soon as you meet them by their kind
greetings, especially the ladies. Ev-
cry evening our camp was thronged
with their smiling faces. We were
treated with much respect by all the
people, both North and South. Those
who had the reunion in charge did all
they could to make us enjoy ourselves.
What I saw and heard would take
hours to tell. I will only tell of
few places visited. went into the
literary building where several mil
lion of books and pamphlets are
stored. 1t is said to be the finest
building in the world. l went to the
Smithsonian building; it would take a
week to see only part of what is in
lit. Every species of animals, fowls,
insects, fish, the skeletons of animals
on land or in the water from the
least to the great whale. Jonah could
have stood erect in the one they had
in there. The Australians are black
er than the Africans. I went to Mt.
Vernon, the home of George Washing
ton. went all through it. In one
room is the bed Washington died on;
another room the bed his wife died on
and the room and bed of Lafayette.
There is his old carriage, his gun
powder horn like my father used to
have, farming implements and the
fax wheel, spinning wheed, loom, reel,
etc., his flower yard with the beanti-
full flowers. How I was tempted to
pluck one of them, but it is positively
forbidden. 1 went to the barn where
his old war horse was kept. I tried
to take it all in. I can not express
my feelings while passing through his
mansion when my mind was carried
back to the time that the great hero
and father of our nation who had
walked in and out on the very floors
that / was walking on. went to his
tomb and took a view of the vaults
of him and his wife, Martha. The
mansion is built on hill right on
the banks of the Potomac river. From
his home is a beautiful view Of the
river and the capital. In conclusion,
l will say he was much better fixed
up than any of the Pea Ridgers. The
next place I visited was Arlington.
The Custus Lee mansion built 1902
by George Washington Parke Custus,
adopted son of George Washington.
Here Robert E. Lee was married. In
the grounds is now a national cem-
etery and many of the great men of
our country are buried there. I went
to many of the monuments erected to
their graves. One of them was Gen.
Sheridan, a cavalry commander of
the Union army in the sixties, the one
that Wade Hampton and M. G.. Butler
and our boys gave him and his men
good thrashing today and tomor-
row 53 years ago. I stood the trip
very we'll. aimed to go to Gettys-
burg but backed out. J. H. Foster of
parade and saw Wilson.
The unveiling of the nanument to
w. H. Barnes, w. o. w., at Foster
Chapel, last Sunday was attended by
a good congregation. Rev. Mr.. Little
john of Lockhart was the orator of
the day. =
Children's Day was to come at
Foster Chapel at night but was post
poned until next Sunday evening on
account of the inclcmency of the
weather. G. T. G.