Dayton daily empire. [volume] (Dayton [Ohio]) 1850-1865, 1860-08-03
TWO HOURS SIEGE.
REVOLUTIONARY SKETCH


1t was past midnight of the thirteenth of
August, commenced my grandmother, but
though the river was in front of us, and the
forest stretched for miles behind us, and away
to the right and left, / could not catch even
the sight of leaf or the ripple Of the water,
so sultry and heavy brooded the darkness
around us.
/ had not been in the best of spirits that
day; for it was the time when we dreaded
every hour to hear of the bombardment of
New York; and though in the house Of
Thomas Oakley, first cousin to my father, j
had nothing to fear, there had hung over me
such terror and dread that day, that | could
not help fearing lest some evil had hap
pened to my parents who were still in the
city 0
As usual with the sleepless, all sorts of fan
cies teased my brain My room, like all the
others, was large and furnished in the style
that now seems SO quaint to your young
eyes.
The chimney-piece was tiled with porce.
lain, curiously wrought into illustration OF
Scripture. The bed and furniture that had
all been brought from England, was tall, dark,
stiff and carved while the walls were hung
with sombre family portraits. And as | lay
and wished for day, the tiled figures seemed
to move and glover at me in the uncertain
light that came through the loophole of a win
dow; while | thought the eyes of the portraits
we're, one and all, fixed on me with solemn
and warning stare; and so it happened, tha
had heard the old clock strike one two
and three, and was just falling off into {
doze when there came light step along the
hall; aud cousin Grace called in strange
scared voice, outside the door "Helen
Helenl"
was up in moment, and out to where sh'
stoOd, looking like spirit, with her ashy face
and fair hair all about her; and remember the
thrill of astonishment with which, spite of m.
fright, saw that she was already dressed, an'
held in her hand powder'flask
Put on your clothes as quick as you can
Nellie, said she, in voice that trembled
little, though she was doing her best to b.
calm Brants men are coming, and fathe
wants us all down stairs.
Brants men 1t is difficult to make yol
understand the horror with which that nam
was pronounced and heard or to express tn
terror with which, as hurried on my clothes
| thought of Grace and myself in the powe
of tose merciless savages. No wonder tina
| trembled in every limb, or that Thomas Oal
icy anu ms NY s'H'|"' I nv" i'oI 80 90
daunted-looHeu Enie, "S '"ey "o'eu "po"'
the ann morning nsn"
i don't know as nave spoken 10 you Deior
of Thomas Oakley, man over six feet
neight, ana VI noo'o ~; ;L, WI ha han
lace, that lookeu as "isns n"rJ Dee
chiseiea OUT ol iliarpiei anu nai % S;r w
snow tnough ne was se"tceny pSss ms Pr,m hn'
we nave no such iu' nen' n1m,a.uays nov
his portrait IN my nI'le c"p.ne. yoIuer a"
you may see there 'nu' ne 'ooN' 10 i' ""'
N'hu'y anu 'o''0 -,
As for his sous, they were ike hlm-ta
strong-limbed, fearless, and deyoutly attaoh'
to their stately mother, who was .preparir
breakfast, while they fastened the iron shu
ters of the lower windows, and barred Il
heavy doors -.
It's shame 10 rout you OUT so carry relil
- said Mr.. Oakley as he noticed my PALE frigl
ened face but five don't eat our breakia
now, those rascals may not give us chan'
TO get it at ALL and to my mind, after goo
cause, there's nothing like good breakia
before going into fight
~ - : n =. N.