The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1862-08-08
A Terrible Story Of the Rebellion.


A correspondent of the the New York
Times. who dates from Springfield, Missou-
n, tells the following sad tale Of the conse-
quences of rebellion -
"The tender mereies of secession are cruel.
l have Just heard the sad story of a widow
who has buried two sons and a daughter
since the outbreak of the rebellion. He r
three children all fell by the hand of yio-
lence.
She lived in the White River country,
land of hills ard of Ignorance. In that
country, she and her family stood almost
alone upon the side Of the National Union
Her neighbors were advocates Of rebellion,
and even before the arrival of our army IN
Springfield, all loyal citizens were warned
that they must leave their homes or die. 1t
was little that the poor widow had to leave
miserable log cabin and small patch OF
hillside-but such as it was, she was prepar-
ing to abandon If, when her son Harvey left
her, in search of employment. She packet
his bundle with heavy heart, took a silk
handkerchief from Ter neck, gave If to him,
and kissed him goodbye, never expecting to
see him again.
He had not been gone many days when
her persecution began. Her little boy was
one evening bringing in wood for the FIRE,
when a shot was hearG-a bullet struck the
log under his arm, and he dropped it with a
scream. The bail had Just missed his heart.
JOY at his escape from death was hencefortt.
mingled with gloomy apprehension.
Next, she heard the death of Harvey. He
hs d found home, and fancying himself Sc
cure, was alone at work in the field. The
family with whom he lived we're absent
When they returned al noon they found his
dead body in the house, pierced by bullet
His torn cap and other signs witnessed to
the severity of his struggle, before he YIELD
ed to his murderer.
From this time the family of Mrs Willis
lived in constant fear. One day gun was
fired at them as they sat at dinner. Ofttn
they saw men prowling about with guns,
looking for the young men. One man was
bold enough to come into the cabin in search
of them. At night they all hid in the woods
and slept. The poor woman was gathering
corn in the garden and William was sittirg
upon the fence.
Don't sit there, William said his mother,
you are too fair mark for shot
William went to the door and sat upon
the step.
William said his sister, you are not safe
there. Come into the house
He obeyed. He was sitting between two
beds, when suddenly another shot rang upUn
the air, and the widows second son, Samu.,
whom she had not noticed sitting by another
lonr 70 he faa. e,,noorol
toward his mother, and fell corpse before
her.
4 never wished any one in torment befors,'
she said, but did wish the man that killed
| him was there
Her three Oldest sons at once left the cab
in and fed over the hills. They are all in
the National army to-day. Samuel's sister
washed the cold clay and dressed it for the
grave. After two days the secession neigh
bors came to bury him. At first the frantic
mother refused TO let them touch his body
At last she consented. The clods were fill
Ing upon the coffin, each sound awakening
an echo in her aching heart. when a whip
poorwill futtered down, with IFS wild, melan-
choly CRY, and settled in the open grave. The
note so terrified the concienoe-stricken, su-
perstitious wretches, that for a moment they
fed in dismay.
| Two of her children were now in the tomb.
Three had escaped for their lives. The I'M
happy woman was left with her two daugh-
tiers and three small children, helpless and
alone. She was obliged to go thirty miles
upon horseback to the mill tor food, and at
terward to return on foot, leading her iorse
by the bride, with the sack of meal upon his
back. On her return she met her children,
about mile and half from her own Louse.
In her neighbor's yard her two boys, aged
ten and twelve years, were digging another
grave-the grave of an old man, murdered
in her absence, for the crime of loyalty to
the Union. Together with white headed
patriot, who to,tered with age, they placed
the corpse upon board, rolled if, unpIepar
ed for burial and uncothned, into the shallow
l,it, and then covered it with earth. Such
are the trials of loyal citizens in the border
slave states, and wherever rebellion has been
|. in power.
The widow now escaped for refuge: this
city. And here, to crown her sorrow S, in
the absence of her three oldest remaining
sons, a drunken soldier of the Fifth Kansas
| regiment shot her daughter Mary, as she was
standing in the door of her house. Is it any
wonder that this woman's hair is gray, her
forehead full of wrinkles, or that she should
say, with tremulous tones, 4 feel that | shall
r not live long. The only thing which sus-
tains me is the love of Christ
Northern people know nothing Of tie hor-
rors of war.