Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1864-11-11
- IA

session OF any OF tnls species OF property We
accept il always with feeling Of astenish-
mcnt that calamity should have found us out
! had this species Of incredulity strong upon
me, the nightmare feeling that this was some
dreadful dream to be shaken off by an effort
of the will. | dressed with q sort Of stony
apathy, frozen into despair rather than mad,
dened 10y the hideous ou,crics without. Alico
wandered aimlessly shout from one spot to
another, incapable OF any exeItion. She was
distracted with terror, mother came to us
calm ss ever, but Cor the trembling Of her
steady tones as she hushcd Susa George
and Philip joined at last. They had been
looking after the doors and windows below.
Though it's useless" said George with
bitter oath, "We'ro fairly trapped; caught
without arms, and not door that those viii
lainS can't crash though in three minutes -
Do you hear them2 They are shooting men
down right and left out there. What the
devil are the soldiers doing ACROSS the river.
while loyal men are murdered here Ike rats
in trapi"
Out on the gray sky of the early dawn
famed now wicked blood red light, shoot
ing up in pointed, climbing fame, and max.
ing all the dim streets as light as noonday.---
They had fred the house just below Eliza
Vaughn's), and We saw her grandfather poor
old man, crazed with terror, run With feeble,
totterng steps, from the shadow into tho
great fare OF the light, and drop on his knees
lifting up his hands for mercy and so kneel-
ing, fall to the ground, hs white hair all
drabblcd in blood, shot with deliberate aim
by ono of the mon of whom the str Gets wero
now full mounted and on foot, their Scowl-
ing faces putting on tho looks Of vcritabls
demons in Tic glare as they aimed at every
heal showed, ei,hersi door or window, and
picking of unlucky fugitves trying to make
good their escape. They worked with sys-
tenn and delibcraton, dividing into small
gangs, and entering tho houses one after an.
other; and everywhere followed tho pistol
shots, and sickcning cries and screams, and
bursting smoke, and mountain flame, and
household goods were tossed out on tho
stones and covered all the pavcn,ents and
there were more bodies row near Mr.. Vaughn
lying with their ghastly faces upturned to
heaven, as If calling down vengeance. Some
we knew. Ono was Mr. Newton, our dear
pastor.
have been long In describing this, yet it
was done with horrible rapidity; and while
scarce out Of our first amaze we vet stood
shudderine and sick with horror, there came
dull blows and crash below. At,hat A lice
ran to George and flung her arms around
him mother dropped upon her knees, still
holding Susa, praying while fel, Philips
arm about mo, and heard his low voice as if
it were in dream:
Courage, dearest; even these brutes will
not harm wcmCn." ...
As il rcmbod for myself, or wished for
life without him remember, TOO .inly. I
saw him offer George a pistol, and that
George motioned it back, saying briefly. "Of
what use p bu, every faculty Of thou, h it.
self, was swamped in a strained intense liz.
tcring-lstcning TO the sounds below. As
George had said, the fastenngs were about
tho worth Of so much straw. There was q
second storm OF blows, a crash and a clatter
Of falling panels, rush and shout, the ing
ling fall OF mirror, n hurrah produced by
their finding the silver, brief pause and
debate and then heavy tramp on the stairs,
sicken even now whom I recall that in.
slant Of dreadful waiting; the wild prayer,
tho utter hopelessness, the sgonized grasp
with which &c held our dear ones in our
weak arms, the dying down Of our hearts M
the ruilians stood in the doorway, coldly
scanning us. Oh, gay girls and happy wo.
men! on that soft gray dawniug, sleeping
securely IN your great peaceful cities Of tho
North and East, and your quiet country
towns, you know Of war but by hearsay and
think on it coldly, or you could never sparkle
In your gems, aud tread out gay measures to
gaycr music, while such deeds are done. -
You ,.ust be ia more solemn earnest, could
you but feel the sorrows OF our land, as Of
your land also, and not a thing far off; il
WAS to stand there whole lifetime Of sus-
pense in chat ins,ants pause, an iastant on.
ly then brief command to Alice, " Out of
the way, weman T. short, stern questioning
Of George.
Z" From what State are your"
"Now York"
" DO you go for tho Union9'
Eyes"
Then you're too good man for this
earth VIC mean 10 make it q slaveholding
concern, the whole Of it, atOre We finish, and
II won bo III for an sboll,onist. Reckon
we'll give you free pass to the upper re-
gions."
Aud then slittering barrel levtled at his
head, and Georges low Good by, Ally,"
and her frantic cry
"oh mol you canno. XII him Oh YOU
do not know-he is so dear, so good-men.
men, have mercy Kill me instead - and
we miserable women, clinging about Lin.
and trying to cover him with our poor bodies
and tho pi. tol close there between us. and
binding smoke and groan, and George, ly-
ing there on the carpet, as did Mr.. Vaughn
ana Mr.. Newton without, and quick, ringing
shots, one after another this time from Phil
ip-as with terrible cry Of rnge and an.
gutsh he lung himself on them headIong,
aud with such fury that for q moment thoy
staggered and gave back. A wild turmoil, q
fearful struggle, and then heaven was mcrc,.
ful to inc aud saw no further.
FIRE ieaping out at windows, and gliding
down The stars and bursting up through th.,
hoois, and curling about tho doorways, and
topping down cbinneys, and crushing in our
roo's, was what our enemies left us-and the
bodies of our dead. Lawrence was free Of
them. 1t was clear daylight now, and tho
country was rousing and they departed in
prudent haste loaded with our spoil. We. AZ
last, could find refuge in tho stree, from the
deNourlng tiamc that swept all before it.
Alice still knelt by the side Of Georges stiff.
en'ng body, but at mothers touch She rose
and followed us mechanically. As We went
looked shuddcring for another rigid. ghast-
ly figure, but neither in hail. nor on stair
way, nor pavement saw what dreaded
Mother diyined my thought.
" BE it So she said. Dom, look, love.
Better remember him as you saw him in life.
thnn-lik like-dcar George"
The streets were full OF wretches like our.
selves. Women distraught with anguish.
sobbng children. homeless families weep.
ing mothers, wives sisters, kneeling beside
bleeding bodies. The suI,ry, heavy air, blue
with smoke of burning buildings, resound
with lamentations True, al last the soldiers
were coming. and men pouring in to the res.
cue in hot haste, with old swords snatched
from the chimney pieces. and guns hunted
out OF The barn, and grief and rage in every
rugged feature as they vowed bitter ven.
geance but vengeance would not bring US
back our dead, and the weeping and waiIina
went on.
My uncle's house had been left unharmed.
and We took refuge there. There too. came
Eliza Vaughn, and in that strange vay in
which the veriest triflcs will obtrudc them.
kkI an ths 4