SKETCHES FROM THE SEAT OF WAR
by A Jewish Soldier
VI.
On the Virginia side of the Potomac, opposite Washington, is the city of Alexandria,
or, as it was originally called, Belhaven. It forms a pont d'appui to the left wing of our
army, and is protected by a chain of strong forts, of which Fort Ellsworth, so-called
after the first victim of this war, a well- constructed earth work, protected by ditches
and abatis, is nearest the city, and completely commands the approaches to the city from
the South. The roads from the camps to Alexandria, are here called "excellent,"
and so they are when compared with others I have travelled over in Maryland and Virginia,
but, in rainy weather, they would be designated as impassable by Northern travellers, who
are accustomed to their graveled and macadamized roads, and are not in the habit of
walking a foot deep in the mud, with a fair proportion of pools and pits to relieve the
monotony of the march. From the city of Washington, Alexandria is reached by wretched
ferry boats from the foot of Seventh Street, where military officers are stationed to
examine the passports, an operation which is repeated on arriving at our destination. In
Yankee hands, this passage would be made both pleasant to the traveller and profitable to
the proprietors, as owing to the immense armies on both sides of the river, the traffic
between these two cities is great enough to tax the capacity of large steamboats every
fifteen minutes, instead of small propellers every hour, and on Sundays every five minutes
instead of every two hours as is, at present, the case; the fare, which is now twenty-five
cents, would then not exceed six cents, the distance being about the same as that from
Staten Island to New York; but it is in vain to expect "sacred soil" people to
understand these matter-of-fact calculations, and we have, therefore, to wait with
something like Job's patience until these benighted regions shall have been colonized by
Northern men.
 The city of Alexandria, is, in these latitudes, considered quite a large city, with
probably twenty thousand inhabitants, as I judge from its size, though none of the
citizens could satisfy my curiosity on this point. Its streets are well laid out at right
angles, containing some fine stores and private dwellings, with manifest evidences of a
moderate prosperity, which, I am informed, is principally owing to the Northern merchants,
who established themselves in that place years ago, and who are said to have monopolized
all its commerce. Two of the principal hotels are at present used as Military Hospitals,
another one, "the Marshall House," as barracks for a company of soldiers; the
latter is a great point of attraction to strangers, and is very likely to be, for many
years, an object of interest to the loyal citizens of this country, on account of the
tragic end of the young and gallant Colonel Ellsworth. Judging from its dilapidated
condition and location, I should think that this hotel could never have been frequented by
a respectable class of citizens, for, although pretty large, it is just the kind of corner
house facing two mean streets, that any one would point out as a meeting place for
pot-house politicians, gamblers and conspirators. I visited it, of course, for the purpose
of seeing the spot where the young soldier was murdered, and ascending the narrow steps up
to the third story, found myself in the entry where that lamentable scene took place. The
steps, on which he was shot whilst descending, have been so cut up by patriotic visitors
anxious to carry home with them a memento of that interesting spot, that Government has
been obliged to remove them altogether, and cover the vacant space with new boards, which,
nevertheless, bear also marks of frequent depredations, and have evidently furnished many
a visitor with "genuine relics taken on the very spot," Strange to say, the door
behind which Jackson was concealed whilst firing off his musket, though quite close to the
staircase, has been left unmolested, as if that relic had been preserved for the
edification of Madam Tussaud's patron's, and was to be removed to England to add to the
attractions of the "Chamber of Horrors," or is one day to be worshipped by Jeff.
Davis & Co, as having protected a murderer whilst perpetrating his foul deed.
Alexandria became part of the District of Columbia in the year 1790, when Maryland and
Virginia ceded to the United States, for a seat of the National Government, hundred square
miles lying on both sides of the Potomac, 36 square miles being given by Virginia, which
constituted the city and county of Washington. Since then, Alexandria having outgrown the
limits of the District of Columbia, many complicated conflicts of jurisdiction, arose
between the part belonging to the National and that belonging to the State Government, so
that Congress was induced in the year 1846 to return this county and city to Virginia,
but, notwithstanding this retrocession, it is pretty certain that, on the reconstruction
of the Union, the original limits of the District will be restored.
No city on this continent, except New York and New Orleans, is so favorably situated
for commercial purposes as the city of Alexandria, and we can only attribute it to the
depressing effects of slavery, that its position has not been turned to account. The
harbor is capable of accommodating the largest vessels, and, being to far inland, affords
a good shelter from the severe gales that so frequently sweep over the seacoast. It is the
natural outlet for the products of Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky and
Southern Maryland, and by the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, could also command a portion of
the Western trade; occupying also a central position between those States and New York, it
might be made a commercial depot of considerable magnitude. All it needs to accomplish
those results is enterprise, and it would be well if, at the conclusion of the war, some
of our Jewish merchants would direct their attention to this quarter, which cannot fail to
prove extremely profitable, as there is no harbor between Beaufort and this city that can
afford such facilities for the export and import trade. At the present time, of course,
the large number of men encamped in its vicinity, have considerably increased the trade of
this place, evidences of which may be seen in the continual bustle so uncommon in small
cities, and the satisfied looks of the trades people, who consider it quite a piece of
good luck to obtain one window in a leading street for the display of their goods. In the
principal business street, I could easily identify half the firms as belonging to the
well-known Jewish nomenclature; two kosher boarding-houses are already established there,
which is not bad for a place where a year ago there was not a single representative of the
chosen race, and I was, therefore, not surprised when, on passing Fairfax Street, a man
with an alarming proboscis came up to me, and asked: "A Yehudee!"
"Rather," said I. "Well," continued he, "there is a man dying in
this house, and we want minyan to say Shymas."
The political sympathies of the Alexandria citizens are altogether with the South, and
so violent is the hatred manifested by them against the United States, that one feels
disposed to believe that they had gone stark mad. One of the most singular circumstances
connected with this rebellion, is the fact that the women are the most violent and the
fiercest in their expression of their sentiments, and, I have no doubt, they contribute
considerably towards the spread of treason in these States. A singular illustration of
female character this is, incomprehensible to ordinary observers of human nature: a
Dickens might perhaps fathom its source, but I suspect that, after a close scrutiny, he
will come to the conclusion that this female rage was owing to the long pent-up envy of
their more prosperous Northern sisters, who occupy finer houses and wear better dresses.
An instance, which came under my own observation, will give you an idea of the
incredible reality. A lady and her daughters supported themselves by keeping a boarding
house. One of the male boarders hoisted, upon the top of the dwelling, the American flag.
The young daughters, upon learning that they were moving about under the stars and
stripes, became horrified, and declared that the flag should not float on their heads.
They accordingly, at great personal risk, clambered upon the roof of the house and tore
down the national emblem, trampled it under foot, rent it into shreds, then threw the
fragments into the stove, and ended by taking the ashes and throwing them contemptuously
into the street. This, mind you, was not done in a jocular manner, but with gnashing
teeth, fierce oaths and clenched fists. Nothing but their sex protected them and many
other pretty rebels who daily assault our soldiers, from being shot on the spot. So
universal is that feeling among the Virginians, that any one, unacquainted with the facts,
would be inclined to believe that those people must have been grievously oppressed; but
let him inquire of those very rebels what is the cause of their fury, and he will be at a
loss to tell you, on questioning them on this point, is that they don't like the Yankees;
why, they cannot tell, as was the case with "Dr. Fell." I believe, nevertheless,
that this groundless animosity can be accounted for, to a great extent, by the peculiar
nature of southern society. The fact is, that the institution of slavery has brought about
the same social organization in the south as existed in Europe during the feudal ages, and
nearly as old fashioned as the principle of the Scotch clans in the primitive ages, of
which Macaulay gives so graphic a picture in the "History of England." In every
southern state, the largest slave holders hold the same position in society as the lords
did once among the English and Scotch; they are educated, while the rest of the population
are extremely ignorant; but so dependant ar the poor whites upon the rich slave holder,
and so closely have they been in the habit of identifying their country's honor with the
wishes of those proprietors of flesh and blood, that they consider it incumbent on
themselves to fight to the death for their barons, and without inquiring whether their
lords are right or wrong; they will, like the Scotch clans of the Ossian age, most
obediently carry out their behests. If, at the present moment, the first families of
Virginia (or as they are laconically termed, F.F.V.) were to declare themselves in favor
of the union, all the Virginians would change with them and not consider that, in this
sudden transition, they were guilty of any inconsistency. The more I see of this national
struggle, the more do I become convinced that we are engaged in defending modern
civilization, and let us hope that we may not prove incapable of maintaining so noble a
cause, entrusted to our safe keeping.
The union party in Alexandria is chiefly composed of the Northern merchants residing
there, and the sons of Northern settlers, together with a slight sprinkling of genuine
Virginians who have not, amid the universal defection, sacrificed patriotism to party
spirit. One of these, Mr. Joseph Segar, of Elizabeth city, addressed the other night, the
Union Association of Alexandria. The Lyceum, on Washington street, was crowded with the
law-abiding citizens of that city, to listen to the remarks of that patriot, and I need
not say they heard a soul-stirring speech. The Union was his theme, and he swelled upon
that incomparable work of our political fathers with an eloquence, patriotic doctrine and
logical power, which elicited the most enthusiastic plaudits of the meeting. Although the
address lasted two hours and a half, yet it seemed too short for the delighted audience.
It was truly refreshing in these days of political degeneracy, to find a man in Virginia
who has continued true and steadfast to the principles of the fathers of the Republic.
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