Athens, Ala., March 5, 1864

 

My Dear Sister:

                        Your welcome letter of Feb. 26^th was received a day or two since. I was very glad to hear from you, as I had received no word from home for about ten days.

 

            A few days since I took a stroll through the graveyards in this place. There are two of them. One is in a terribly neglected condition. Tombstones lie prostrate, graves are sunken in, tombs have crumbled to pieces, and a thick growth of ivy covers the ground. I never saw a more forlorn looking, desolate place. The other burial ground although not quite so bad, was also in a greatly neglected state. In this place I noticed an inscription on a monument which I think worth transcribing. You are informed that beneath the monument lie the remains of Rev. Robert Donnel, who was of "Scotch descent and Presbyterian education". / Aforesaid Donnel was a very remarkable man, if we may credit the inscription on his tombstone. Here it is: "Self-made, of gigantic mind and commanding person, social in feeling, fervent in devotion, chaste in style, graceful in attitude, eloquent in manner, logical in reasoning, convincing in argument, urbane in deportment, uniform in piety, consecrated to his calling, his praise is in all the churches." I have heard of lavish tombstone eulogiums before, but that caps all my experience. Such a remarkable conglomeration of virtues must have rendered Mr. Donnel a famous man. I endeavored to recollect if I had not heard of him somewhere in my life, but I could not. It is probably, however, owing to treachery in memory, as so wonderful a man surely must have had a name in history. But stop. I have not yet finished the inscription. It goes on to recount his public services, and then calls him a "Christian patriot, philanthropist, prince / of preachers"; then as if some sudden gleam of common sense had told them that modesty would compel the man to rest unquietly under such an inscription even in his grave they add, "Rest in peace." A hole under the monument sufficiently large to admit of the egress of a body, inclines one to believe that said Donnel was really modest, and has evacuated the grave.—One or two peculiar names I noticed,—"Mrs. Birdseye", and "Miss Mourning Parrot". "Edleya Hamilton" was the name on one stone, and beneath it: "The last mournful rights of the deaf dead paid by an only sister".

 

            Matters do not indicate a long stay for us here. A detail has been made from our regiment to go to the river and prepare the pontoons for crossing. The rebels have lately been reinforced, and may make considerable opposition, but I hardly think that they can withstand our artillery. It is said that two or three big guns are to be brought down from Nashville to cover our / crossing. A flank movement may be made which will compel the rebs to evacuate.

 

            Trains come through regularly now. Yesterday the cars however ran off the track near Prospect, and smashed up things generally, turning some of the cars completely upside down. Although the train was loaded with soldiers, strange to say not one was killed. How many were injured I cannot say.

 

                        Give my love to Eddie and Fanny.

           

Write soon to

Your aff. Brother,

SOURCES