THE TABLEAU.–

28. June 2008 by admin.

A correspondent describes a tableau, given at Murfreesboro’, Tenn., for the benefit of the soldiers, on the 22d of January, 1862, as follows:

“We should not do justice to the tableau, unless we were to describe the first scene. A young gentleman, representing King Cotton, sat upon a throne resembling a bale of cotton. Down on one side of the throne sat a representative of the ebon race, with a basket of cotton. The king held a cotton cloth as a sceptre, and one of his feet rested on a globe. Around him stood young ladies dressed in white, with scarfs of red and white looped on the shoulder with blue. On their heads they wore appropriate crowns. These represented the Confederate States. Missouri and Kentucky were guarded by armed soldiers.

“While we were gazing on this picture, a dark-haired maiden, robed in black, with brow encircled by a cypress-wreath, and her delicate wrists bound with clanking chains, came on and knelt before his majesty. He extended his sceptre, and she arose. He waved his wand again, and an armed soldier appeared with a scarf and crown, like those worn by her sister States. He unchained this gentle girl at the bidding of his monarch, changed her crown of mourning for one of joy and liberty, and threw the Confederate flag across her, raised the flag over her, and led her forward; then Kentucky advanced, took her by the hand, and led her into the ranks. Need we tell you whom this maiden of sable garments was intended to represent? We leave that to be understood. If your readers cannot divine, it is owing to our description, and not to the scene. The ceremony was performed in pantomime.

“We will gratify the pride of the F. F. V.’s by saying that their representative had inscribed on her crown, ’Mater Heroum.’ After this attempt to praise you, dear Express, you will surely pardon us if we tell you that North Carolina were on her brow a white crown, on which was the word ’Bethel.’ Both of these States were represented by their own daughters.”

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