Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1867-06-13

/ that they rode up and down
) watching the troops closely, an
n exerting themselves to maintain
s order and restraint. Many a ma
who would have strayed out Q
e the lines into the houses, or VIII
scowled or jeered at the pale, care
e worn faces, that occasionally show
ed themselves at the windows
1 was summarily driven back will
the fiat of sword, or sternl,
; called to order. Discontinued re
marks were overheard as they
passed along. 81 thought we were
, to burn the city," said a cor
, poral of a Massachusetts regiment
and huge misshapen negro ex
claimed fiercely, as he shook his
naked sword, "What de use OF
desc, if we amt lowed to use 'em
now we's got dis rebel hole!"
And now a new horror broke
upon the doomed city. For some
hours after, even before the Fed
erals had arrived, the lower quar-
ter OF the city had been in flames.
This was occasioned by the burn
ing of the warehouses in which
had been army stores and pro-
visions, and also (by Gen. Ewelps
order of the bridges across the
river, to prevent or retard pursuit
of the retreating army.
In this quarter flames did not
extend, but by some means or O.
ther, which could not be ascertain
ed, flames had broken out in other
parts of the city and in every di-
rection. Soon every house in the
vicinity Of the fires began pouring
forth its inhabitants, each bur-
thened with what little property
OF clothing or provision they pos
sessed. l was among these. Ex-
pecting soon to see our house in
flames, hastily collected bum
die of clothing, while my maid
secured about her person the little
bag of corn meal and the bottle
of sorghum which formed our
whole stock of provision. And
thus prepared, [ clasped my baby
in my arms, and she leading her
little child, we went forth. not
knowing where in all the wide
world to direct, our steps. On the
hill to which we finally repaired,
hundreds of women and children
were collected-some in widest
despair-others calm and resolute
many with faces of vacant hor-
ror and desperation. And thence,
looking down upon the city,
spread like panorama before
me, and upon the streets lying at
my feet, l beheld the widest and
most awful scene of horror that
my eyes had ever rested upon.
Far away, on the level plains on
the other side of the river, appear
ed a broken, dimly-seen, dlngy
line of some moving objects, fad
ing away into distance. This was
the rear of the retreating Confed-
erates--belatcd wagons, and woun-
ded and crippled soldiers, from the
hospitals, and from their homes in
the city-scores of whom | had
seen the night previous, and even
SO late as day-break, with their
little bundles on their arms, pain
fully vending their way on foot,
or with the assistance of crutches,
in the track of the retreating army.
Close to us, on the left, q huge
pyramid of fame was glaring, |
while now and then an explosion of |
ammunition stores, such as had at
day-break aroused us, would cause
the earth on which we stood to
quake and tremble. In front, on
Main street, for a distance of half |
a mile, extended one living, surg
ing sea of fire, creeping slowly up
on both sides, and meeting over
head in a horrible arch of glaring
flame and dense black volumes of
smoke. And through this awful
vista were rushing hundreds of .
gaunt men, and wild, half-clad,
halffamishing women, snatching I
at and dragging forth from the
devouring element everything /
they could lay their hands on in
the shape of food or clothing
Some fought for fragments of burn
ing cloth; others knelt down in
groups and scraped up from the
earth and ashes, with eager hands,
the meal that had escaped from