Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1861-1862, 1861-09-21

hs sudden Hmonl lwpsssbll, ~ 6swhan hsd
ofsn sad ,hH In esn tf direct alsssh up,n his bouss
and family, In no extremity, however blaer or bloody,
would be leave hi, mother surrender hi, home. And
certainly hi, word and bi, courage could not be subject
10 any stronger proof He remained In tho houie -
did ais, his wife and Attendant during the whole time
Of tina. terrific bombardment when grape shot, thirty
two Founders, and taelvench shells we're shivering
nearly every chamber in pieces. Seventeen Of those
horrible ifesstksrs pissed through and on their way,
but alter all they must have been well directed for NOT
life was Lest; they passed and fell harmlsssly -
sew nteen dew drops from Heaven.
About twenty minutes before the engagement, step.
ped iao mother Gre,hams chamber snd found her COM
p,sed AID happy, in prospec. Of battle. Twas
hsllowed interview. Knowing her devout spirit, said
to her, aud said nothing more, "hoher Gresham, Gcd
will preserve you not hair Of your head will be hur;."
She replied, ~ have been through two ware" then init
mating the thought "and God will bring through this
aso" It was even 90, for soon ball passed within
few inches of her head snoter pssssd under her bed
beariog away part of the sackenbottom, aad while
seated in chair, shell burst by her sid, but not
hair of her lead was hurt. We remembered, wi In.
'ense and adoring s,sfscioD, that holy scripture.
"7Aou hat covered my heal ia the day of 6aa,s" YVES
there ever family history Of an hour 50 terrible so
blessed so vic oious over base enemies Was there
more exalted ex mp!e of ili,l Election!
MEETINGS. AFTER BATTLE.
Finally, leaving the place made terribly sacred to
me, was crossing fell when the last gun vas hred,
and the last shell bursting and smoking in the air
company Of servants informed that the steamer
had Just left and gone down the river. With sppshen-
sions somewhat painful, l now commenced seeking my
family. Meeting another servant, said to her, where
my wife and our child and are they vslli And she
said they are near BY aud they are well. Then said l.
all ID well; and in moment We had met with unspesk
able joy we'll and upipured Itsppesrs they had cheer
ed themselves and the servants with them BY repeating
the comforting lines,
"Under the shadow of thy throne
Sill may We dwell secure;
Sufficient is thine arm alone,
And our defence Is sure"
We now ventured cautiously to rerace our steps to the
house, ignorant Of the result, Of the engagement but
With abundant to believe that many of friends
and our soldiers bad been numerically slaughtered
And really required effort to believe the account
gwen tuht pesu eApO5cu " uhngcf
not single person was killed or wounded The angry
spirit Of Mars was now pac6ed The watersof The greft
Rappahsnnook no longer troubled The place Was
silent the grave. We entered the house which had
been vainously assailed, and reoned the devoted
family, with emotions of heart entirely new and unuter
able.
TROPHIES AND RELICS.
We had met two Of the soldiers still lingering upon
the field where they picked up several trophies which
examined with strange interest," consisting Of two
rles aud four swords small boat had also been taken
and IL may be added that next morning superior pistol
found b. Colonel Downing and still later some one
picked up cap supposed to be the worn BY Sur.
geon Smith, containing several significant letters We
now began to sIsnine the ruins Of the household,
some Of which very curous-ga shsands bureaus,
chairs and even umbrella and we're strangely Grip.
pied and uudone besides broken walls spintered beams
aud ghssty shell holes The aid Family Bible was shot
10 pieces small Bible, owned BY Sophia Mitchell,
which she had Just been reading, and had but recently
laid aside, completely stripped of both s Ids
ceviag no other pjury-the scar Of ball found on
one of the lids Late in the evening supped In
of the shattered chambers from table the top of which
had been deeply scathed BY ball That night wor.
shipped the Lord God BY reading the ninety6rst
Psalm, aud then kneelng and returning thanks at the
bedside Of mother Gresham, whose ls above all others,
had been so marveously preserved To the overriding
God ever with Us, be the glory.