Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-02-12
By CASSIE MONCURE LYME.

A 81 am nearly 80 years old. have
n been urged to set down some OF
"A my memories associated with
4 y the Civil War: for I personally
witnessed the disbandment OF
Grants army, Sherman'S army, Sheri-
dams army and Lees army. also
came to Washington to witness the oiS-
bandment of pershing'S army. ana ule
general greeted me most courteouSiy az
the time.
I also witnessed the unfurling OF the
first Confederate flag that ever noateo
over Acknowledgement from the Rlcn-
rond Female Institute, which l at
tended--by some girls from Souti
Carolina. who became rampant With
secession after the news of Sumter:
NV opportunities for touching ELBOWS
with the great drama of Civil War were
many: for my father, Senator Moncufe'
was auditor Of the State OF Virginia
when Gov. Henry A. Wise executed
John Brown at Harpers Ferry. l WISH
to state right here that Gen RooeIt
Z. Lee was most violently opposed 10
this: and counseled: III you put MN
in a coffin. you will never nsn MN
Gown" But, if there ever was man
who was set IN his views. 1t was Gov.
Wise one of the most irascible crea-
Ing spirit that he doubtless inherited
from Gen. John Chopper. his ancestor
In the Revolutionary War.
NV family blended its BLOOD with the
Lees Of Chantilly and Of Ditchley-
who were cousins Of the Lees OF STRAIT.
ford. The signer of the Declaration oil
Independence. Richard Henry Lee. was
MY great-uncle - and one OF my
brothers, Judge EuStace Conway Mon
cure. was a scout for Gen. Robert e.
Lee and served under Gen. w. II. F.
Lee, ('Rooney." SIS he was called the
great cavalry leader.
merely mention these items in pass
tng, SO that readers may know that
mine is first-hand knowledge. and that.
at receptions and meetings, I was
thrown with the inner circle of the
very heart of the Southern Confed-
eracy-and attended all the levees
given by President jefferson Davis and
his wife. Gen. Grants army. for near
~ two weeks. camped at my mothers
home near Fredericksburg. Va. I also
attended the funeral Of Stonewau
jackson.
zen. GRANT came to our home
~ after the battle of the wilderness
and vas there for two days, having
many conversations with my mother,
who was a great-granddaughter OF
William Byrd, the founder of Rich
mond.
Mother Moncure," as Grant called
her, was a woman Of great spunk, with
FIVE sons in the Confederate service.
Our home, Ellerslie, was on the plank
road that led from Fredericksburg TO
he
the Civil War
We had a colored girl, named Phyllis.
who would run out. put her ear to the
ground. and come back, saying. Il hear
q Yankee drum,.-then we would walt,
terror -striken, for what we could not
conjecture Silas, colored man. was
kept busy. hiding our little handful OF
COWS and horses in the swamps.
Grant told my mother he intended
big ball when he reached Richmond TO
celebrate mis- victory. She replied. THE
people Of Virginia will give you many
o ball before your arrival"
Capt Fred D. Grant had typhoid
fever in our par!or, and to show the
little knowledge We had OF any idea as
to the germ theory. my sisters kept his
sponge as a souvenir and we hung It
up in the parlor after he left.
Other officers OF the Federal Army
who had become personally known TO
us were young Capt. Nelson Miles, Col.
Eumphries. Capt. william Mckinley
(afterward President) and Gen. Meade.
Gen. Grant advised Nelson Miles TO
ealk with my mother. saying, "She Is
the smartest old woman I ever met"
Mother Moncure always wore fancy
lace headdress, because high tortoise
shell comb. used in her youth. had
pulled out her hair, but she was ex-
ceedingly pretty-like the lovely Evelyn
Byrd OF Westover, whom she strongly
resembled. But, as the Civil War made
It impossible 10 have false teeth, Grant
spoke of her as an "oid woman, yet
she was erect. rosy checked and dressed
neatly In calico, for often she went In