Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1863-12-17
A Virginia Family Scene.
From the Amy oi the Potomac Consspoudsnsso Of ibs
y. y. TnDune


n. y. Tn0une
While on our recent march the "a Corps
and the Sd Division Of the 9th Corps halted
ON Sunday. the goth, l3 miles from Orapgs
Court House, for the night, and improved
the opportunity to visit log house. which
stood in full range Of the enemy's guns, and
over whose lonely roof the solid shot hum
med and the ugly shell screeched a. they
tore through the air on their errsnas Of
death. Upon knocking at the door Of the
gloomy habitation, which had . deserted
appearance, wss met by atremblinE youth
Of fifteen years, who stood motiopless and
pale as ghost at the side Of terri6ed md
weeping group Of children. Entering the
door found clean and tidy, but comfort
less and poverty stricken apartment, whose
| furniture consisted Of an ancient loom
draped in cobwsbs and covered with dust, .
speaking picture Of the sad changes Of war.
whose harsh tones had sileBccd the hum Of
the implements Of peace, and beat the plov-
share into tho sharp sword Of desrh. An
old bedstead covered with clean eonfortsrs.
silent clock which refused to tick, an cid
l looking glass bslf dozen antique chairs,
Il whose venerable forms carried one back TO
the time Of the Pilgrim Fathers, with .
barrel, and few primitive cooking uieDsils.
com plet-d the stock Of earthly goods with.
: in this cherries dwelling. One snNl win.
) dow Of four panes Of glass emitted q feeble,
gloomy light, too weak to psnstrnts 10 all
the corners of the room. The rough-bewn
logs we're celnented with clay, or, more pro-
II perly speaking, Virginia mud, and the In
terror Was whitewashed.
nl l found the tears coursing down The
" cheeks Of eight orphans, two boys and ak
girls, ranging in age from Ave to twenty.
{ two years. The three youngest were bare.
footed, aud the eldest girl informed me that
d they had never worn any shoes. Affer
y had quoted their fears - much as possible.
Brig Gen. W. d. Terry, commanding Sd
Division, 9th Corps, came in, AID. Hpon
beholding their destitute eonditios, he very
humansly ordered Capt. Davis, his Efficient
Provest-Marshal, to placs . strsns guard
around the house. and not allow rail or
any portion OF the property to be disturbed.
He generously detailed several men to chop
, quantity Of wood for ths use Of the family,
/. and our soldiers volunteered to do it freely
when they learned Of tho deplorable situa.
lion Of the family. While sitting there be-
fore the log fire which burned brightly on
the open hearth, casting its weirdlike shad-
!, ows on the wall We veDtured 10 AK some
I. questions, Is usual with Yaakees' whose
l. inquistiye bump is acknowledged TO be con
siderably larger than the res. Of the human
family. ,4.,,t..!,
:, Not book or newspaper could BE- sesn.
| aud upon inquiry We learned that not ons
. of the family could read or write. We ssk.
! cd them how they managed to occupy their
4 time, and were told in spinning and seving.
/ Not one of the family knew what We meant
Y by the American flag and not until pulled
i from my coat-pooket small illuminatsd
: almanac, adorned with the STAN and
: Stripes, had they ever beheld the emblem
y oftheir country. The eldest boy, Of ffteen,
u who performed oil the hard labor Of the
small farm Of thirty acres had never seen .
y locomotive, and did not know what lemon
WAS When askod If they ever hssYd Of 9
God, they replied they had-but none sould
tell where He Was. Mest they had not
:! tasted of any kind for two months, Tea,
coffee, butter, rice, sugar, and molassss
,thsy had not tasted for over two years -
/. George Washington thsy never heard oi
, until We informed them As the family
i huddled together in one corner OF the rosui
N casing at the strsnge snd war-iiks 6. IA 4
~ around them, while the artillery hosr.ely
doomed, and the muskstry along our plcks
lines ratified, it vas tableaux whea dis
m NAL shades tinted the stselsd hearts present
n with compassion and deep pity. More than
m ono ~ Yankee" eye glistened with the mois
mr. turs Of the briny tear, which unnotioed
,v stole slowly down from the windews Of the
h. soul. A tomb-lks silence prevailed for {
% +. moment or two, broken only BY the ~ pi
= , the terrified children and the poal 81 Che
ON suemy's cannon. -.n dz !" gsH. s[s,s
~, W The mother had been dead tto ysArs
~ and the father had been goonsoriptsdA into
ia the Rebel army. whore disease ovsrtooh
aJ , him and laid him in his grave. The lexl
=. ~ morning as daylight We broke camp and 70
y - sumed our march. Bsfoss leaving, Gen
y Terry and Capt Tillsy, Quartermastsr Z o
A his division, gave the family 500 In psy
i, ment for few split rails whish oar troop,
a had burned. t5s7.o % iais5 5.a. fa.sy,-sr