Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1862-08-14
looking horseneD, riding three abreast, the
sun shining Oh long steel blade at their

ioohlnk noT5emcD, iiutDB tHfee bUTeasr, tnt
sun shining on long steel blade at theil
sides
The servants thought they we're our sol
diers, and ran down to meet them, poor fool
ish things, little knowing as we did wher
we had nearer view, that they we're Nor
gan's Texan Rangers What happened il
the next few moment is all confusion to me
L remember hurrying into the house to tel
the others as soon as saw the horsemer
turning into our gate, and finding them pal,
and anxious, knowing it all, and then watch
ing group Of ladies and children Those who
were in special danger) creeping down stair
and out to some hiding place. remember
coming back to the porch and hearing one
OF my cousins asking for her baby, and theI
rushing down the hill almost among the men
where they had stopped q. the spring hou e
70 take the child QUITO danger. Then on,
LOT the Secession ladies' caass ont and sale
she would go down and talk to the men, anc
so my cousin turned back with her and wen
down to the spring. 1t was evident at once
that they knew the lady to be one of thei
own party, and, though they had been try
ing to persuade the servants they were Unior
soldiers, there was no doubt they were come
TO arrest Uncle Robert and to carry out thei
threat to hang him, but they said they
meant no harm to us, and whether they re
spected the house on account of the Seces
sonists in it, or whether they pitied de
tenseless group of women and children, SC
1t was that they turned and rode away. ter
OF them who had ridden up toward the
house turning back with the rest. They left
horsemen at each end Of the yard as pick
cts, and forty of their number There were
near one hundred in al) camped that nigh,
in wood just at the side of us, waiting still
for odd Bob Breckenridge" as they called
him. They were wild looking set. hone
| may never look on their like again, anC
that have my last glimpse of Texar
Ranger.
As soon as they had left the yard, thre,
messengers were sent, by different roads
to turn Uncle Robert back, and it was moi
till they had been turned back and threat
ened with shooting by the rebel pickets, who
caught them several times, that one, taking
wide Gil cult, got past them, aud by Cod
mercy reached the turnpike just as Uncle
Robert was passing it, and so saved his life.
From that time until we returned to town
two days after, we sent and received constant
notes to and from town by these faithful ser
wants, but under constant terror of detection
There were spies all about us, and if it was
known that we were sending information tc
the headquarters in town, We should never
send any more. That night force was al
ready to come out from town and take thes,
men OF whom we had written them, ant
just at the last minute the officer in command
at Lexington refused to let them go, anC
when men whose wives and children wer,
out with us implored him to give them men
or let them collect the men themselves, h
refused 1t is whispered that he was
traitor, and the next day new commando
was sent, but the men had escaped frop
our neigh hborhood and Joined the band fur
ther on |; but all through that night we wait
ed and listened for our troops from town
while from the wood came the oaths an,
shouts and pistol shots of Morgan's men
who had us at their mercy.
We made our preparations for fight o
hiding, stitching our money in our clothes
burying our valuables, and burning ou
notes then we tonk all the guns that wer
in different parts of the house into our owl
rooms, that at least they might not be use,
against u.s. and locked ourselves into ou
rooms. That night and the next want t.
forget. We knew that we'were watched
aud heard footsteps and signals all aroun
the house till the morning dawncd. TIL
door of one of our rooms ION the groun
foor) opened on the yard, and hands wor
cropping about the window shutters all nigh
long. / knew this. as sat at the windo'
doing picket duty, listening and watchin
with despairing, dogged feeling that,
they killed us, at least we should know
when they were coming. Both of the ladie
,, in the rooms with me were invalids, an
slept from time to time, overcome wit
5 fatigue and excitement, and cannot tel
you how cruel it seemed to have to awak
them every now and then, to let them kno
Of some new sound or intimation of danger
that they might be prepared. O! the
were nights to drive person crazy, and
: was thankful that did not know, till man
days after, that our worst fears were true
$ that four pickets were in the yard one nigh
: and six the next, watching us, and comm,
as we knew, close up to our doors and vii
s dows.