It  was  my  habit,  while  Congress  was  in  session  during  the
war,  to  ride  on  horseback  over  a  region  writhin  ten  miles  of
Washington,  generally  accompanied  by  some  army  officer.  I
became  familiar  with  every  lane  and  road,  and  especially  with
camps  and  hospitals.  At  that  time  it  could  be  truly  said  that
Washington  and  its  environs  was  a  great  camp  and  hospital.
The  roads  were  generally  very  muddy  or  exceedingly  dusty.
The  great  army  teams  cut  up  and  blocked  the  roads  which
were  of  either  clay  or  sand,  but  the  air  was  generally  refresh
ing  and  the  scenery  charming.  I  do  not  know  of  any  city  that
has  more  beautiful  environs,  with  the  broad  Potomac  at  the
head  of  tide  water,  the  picturesque  hills  and  valleys,  the
woodland  interspersed  with  deciduous  and  evergreen  trees,  the
wide  landscape,  extending  to  the  Blue  Ridge  on  the  west,  the
low  lands  and  ridges  of  Maryland  and  the  hills  about  Mt.
Vernon.  The  city  of  Washington,  however,  was  then  far  from
attractive.  It  was  an  overgrown  village,  with  wide  unpaved
avenues  and  streets,  with  61,000  inhabitants  badly  housed,
hotels  and  boarding  houses  badly  kept,  and  all  depending  more
or  less  upon  low  salaries,  and  employment  by  the  government.
All  this  has  been  changed.  The  streets  and  avenues  have  been
paved  and  extended.  The  old  site  is  now  well  filled  with  com
fortable  mansions  and  business  blocks,  and  a  large  portion  of
the  District  outside  of  the  city  is  being  occupied  with  villas
and  market  gardens.  The  mode  of  living  has  greatly  changed.
