Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1862-05-09
Young I.ndy,s Letter,
ON THE JOY OF SEEING TttE AMERICAN
FLAG IN NASHVILLE.

Rejoice with me, dear grandma The
! glorious star-spangled banner OF the United
! States is again floating above us J Oh, how
we have hoped fer, longed Cor, prayed for
this JOYOUS day am wild, crazed almost,
with delight. am still fearful that shall
awake and find our deliverancs, our free
DOM is all dream. cannot believe that
! il is positive fact, it has come upon us so
unexpectedly, this successful move OF the
Union army. Grandma. ! cannot write
connectedly at all. Forgive me all faults
of composition, for | can see the stars aud
stripes of my own ever-loved flag floating
from the state house. the first time my eyes
have been gladdened by such sight for
nearly year. So great is my ecstacy
cannot sit still cannot keep my eyes on
the paper-indeed, cannot do anything but
sing. whistle, or hum yankee Doodle"
Hail Columbia" "The Star-Spangled Ban
ner," and feast my eyes on those victorious
colors.
| Oh, grandma, you cannot imagine our
happiness at this sudden change in the as
pect of public affairs. The mornu 6 that
Fort Doneson surrendered, there seemed
to be such an intense feeling here against
the Union men The papers chow little
! did they imagine that that would be their
last issncl cane out on Sunday morning
with maledictions and threats the most in
human against them, saying that il any
such feadish ai{tatR yet remained in our
midst he must and should be dealt with in
stantly as a traitor of the deepest dye.
We have had so much to bear since
wrote you My father and brother have
been tainted, sneered and Kissed at, threat
ened by every one, until endurance was be-
coming impossible. But nothing q am so
proud to say it, and thank God for it)--
nothing could make them play the hypo-
critic They believed the Federal cause
was Just and right, and they would in spite
of our prayers and tears, express their opin-
ions openly, and denounce secession boldly.
| We have been warned, since Zollicotier's
death, that there was imminent danger here
| for them; and the hatred toward Union
men was becoming so intense that both ma
and have been in an agony of suspense
We could not leave home, as we never did,
without being insuled. | have had to sit
quietly by and hear my father and brother
denounced as traitors. My temper is quick,
and the curb that have been obliged to
keep upon il has been calling one-in-
deed, saSetimes have thought all that was
gentle and womanly in me was turned into
bitterness and hate.
For my idolized brother have felt more
keenly than for anything else. He is nat
urally sensitive, and of such delicacy Of
feeling that he has suffered deeply. Being
drafted he procured substitute; and,
though displaying SO. much moral courage,
he has been Kissed at as a coward ever since,
until he would vow to escape and join the
Federal army, and several times endeav-
ored TO do so; but pa, discovering his plans,
9 prevented him from it, by showing him the
ruin he would bring upon US all by such a
: step. The cloud was lowering over us,
, growing darker day by day, and | thought
the silver lining never would appear; but
It is here !-even now beaming upon US SC
brightly that ! scarce can credit the realty
!, Can you wonder that in the state of feel.
: ing that was in that Sunday morning
, dear grandma, when Tom knocked at the
door, and called out to me that Fort Donei-
son was surrendered, and the Federal army
would soon be in Nashville, l became per-
fectly frantic with joy?
| ran screaming over the house, knocking
down chairs and tables, clapping my hands
and shouting for the Union, until the chill
dren were terrified, and pa and ma thought
] was delirous rushed into the paflor
, and numbered Yankee Doodle" on the pi-
ano in such a manner as had never done
before. caught little Johnny up in my
arms, and held him over the porch railing
;. up stairs until he hurrahed for The star
S spangled banner, Seward, Lincoln. MeClel-
Ian The little fellow thought his sister
was going to kill him, she looked so wild
and would not come near me again for sew.
4 eral days.
!. ~Just in the midst of these rejoicings, in
d telligence came that Johnston's army from
> Bowling Green had evacuated that place
and was even then passing on the turnpike
to Nashville. Could it be possible? Yes
indeed They were retreating most val
4 family. Grandma, you never saw such q
, frightened looking set of men They could
not get over the river fast enough / new
er babe the Southern army "God-speed'
n but that once and then / did it with my
+ whole heart. May their present advance
!. be successful even TO the Gulf of Mexico
" itself!
If you could have seen Breckinrilge the
1t meanest, most downfallen looking specimen
Il of humanity imaginable. The army die
4 not stop in Nashville one dag, but went OF
as swiftly as possible. The citizens were
mortified and exasperated to the quick by
N this surrender. Floyd remained in Nash
lie vile few days after his brare escape from
n Fort Donelson. After the army had gone
and the city had sent commissioners to sur
. render, he had both bridges destroyed
at though he could give no reason for it, an
lie though II was against the prayers and pro
testations of the citizens. He is a wicke
wretch. Is it wrong to wish that he ma
y, soon meet the fate he deserves?
he 1t was not until week after Donelson'
Nv fall that the Federals came in. We, who's
all depended upon their speedy arrival, ha
begun 10 think that they were not comm
Fl. alter all, and our freedom was not yet q
:, hand, but on Sunday afternoon, my brolhe
a. came in the picture of happiness, with tn
od intelligence that Buell. would be here in
an few days; that he had ridden up and mt
his advanced guard, and that Roc at la
we could rejoice. Buell. came in at nigh
Nc The troops were in perfect discipline, an
to- completely amazed the poor duped peopl
here For the people really believed tina
.