Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1868-08-06
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Written for the Yorkville Enquirer.
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BY ]. WITHERspoON ERWIN.
CHAPTER I

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CHAPTER ]. 32!0E" ! ~ 3;o.. .-.,.f. .
sHerad Of battle, fa,e, and fearsy ,,,g,sf - frpg
Tas wounded hind g sioa asss lssiss Io. now ,
< Pansusss 70. maid through green, wood Dossh' y :!
t Wnh rivals In the mountaln races; :. = E'.s
Are In Thy course Speed, Mailse, speed.nI ..G
It vas still in the early days of Nay, AnhoD Dom
I'M, one thousand eight hundred and SIXTY Our,
when the iron horse, with its long train Of cars,
few painting along the road from that wretched
station called Weldon-the discomfort Of every iH-
starred traveller whom unpropiious fortune compels
tolineer there-to the pleasant and hospita-
blecity of Petersburg, the manners OF whose KIND
and courteous people inger 50 gratefully in the the
memory. -, 81, i,s....g -rs.:.rt a,-I! /,
Trains pass over the road Of which We are speak
ing, several times day; but what rendered this
train so noticeable was that it was running out OF
schedule time, and was flying on at SO mad rate
that one might fear it was managed BY some reck-
less conductor, whose brain was fired by insanity.
The engineer wore face of anxiety and con ,I !
Germ He had the troubled air. of one who knows
that danger lies in his way, while he yet must go
desperately onward. AS if fate lay in his speed,
he rushed wildly on, over many mile, past pleas.
ant farm-houses, waving fields, and through deep
woods, rushing by station after station, pausing
only here and there to take in wood and water and
again to dash on with Wild velocity that seemed
very madness and desperation.
Perhaps it might be the fearful speed with
which he was running, and the danger which 1t
involved, that caused his troubled and anxious
look, as wah his fiat cap drawn over his face and
a wooden scarf bound around his neck, he tighten
ed here and there q screw, utsin peered anxious
ly forward, through the glass window IN front to
scan the road ahead of him, as though each mo-
ment fearing to meet some train rushing down
upou him from the direction toward which he was
ayine, with all the velocity which steam can i'm
part. A loosened rail, rotten timber, or an OBJ
struction in the way-as he well knew-might, in
moment of time, reduce to horrid and undistn-
euishable wreck, the flying train with its precious
freight of human beings whose safety was en-
trusted to his skill and care, and whose blood would,
with ready and unreasonable rashness, be required
on the spot, at his hands, in case of one Of those
appalling cstastzophes, such as he had but too
much reason to spprehend in those times OF war
and disorder, when enemies were skulklng through
the country inAicting every evil which the most
malignant hostility could suggest; and when cars
and roads alike were going to ruin and decay, rem
dered frightful catastIophes imminent, every hour
Apart from these considerations it was an irregular
and extra train, which he was running, and the
danger of coming in collision with some OF the
many freight trains employed upon the road, was
very great. And yet he was not permitted to a.
vail himself of the ordinary cautions usually a.
dopted under such circumstances His orders ad-
mitted of no delay. The long train, crowded with
soldiers was fastening to the relief OF city upon
which the legious of the enemy were pouring
down with rapid step, and be was ordered to carry
them through at the highest rate OF speed which
it was possible to make. With lips pale and com
pressed, but with steady and firm hand, he stood
at his post counting the miles, counting the min
utes silent, watchful, and absorbed in his work,
only lifting his cap now and then, to wipe from bus
brow the sweat that burst through in great-drops.
Should he fail to reach the city in time, would
henot be held to immediate responsibility Gould
the soldiers behold city in the hands Of the ene-
my, and realize that the population were given up
to pilage and insult, and not look around for some
victim on whom to visit their wrath? 1t would
be fearful thing to bring his train in sight Of the
city, only when the insulting foe were already IN
possession of its streets And yet, again, what, II
endeavoring to make the most of time, the train
should lie shattered by the roadside, mass Of
broken wood, dismembered limbs and mutilated
forms, from which pale and distorted faces peered
with their walls of agony, appealing to the sympa-
thies of the survivors and stirring up their hearts
to terrible and prompt inquest, held while dissev,
cred limbs were still quivering, and pale lvld lips
were still gasping feebly around2 The manly face
of the stout engineer was pale twas not the pale
ness of fear but it was the fear of brave and de-
termined man who had the nerye to act boldly,
promptly and resoiltely, while fear and danger lay
on either hand. ..'o.
The train seemed some terrible, living, animated
monster, as it hurried, reeling and rocking along
its path through the varied country, and the pale
stout man who directed its motions, seemed the
soul, the life and intellect of the awful creature
giving impulse to all its motions; now mitigating
its wild speed, and now bidding it thunder on, like
some huge animal rushing afterits prey.
Behind him were borne some six or eight hun
dred human beings, oppressed by none Of the pain
full anxieties that visited him. Every class of the
sterner sex and eveyage, from the beardless youth
to the hoary grand sire, had its representative
there. These were all Fastening to the battlefield
many of them to look upon the flashing and brist
ling ranks of the foe for the first time.
A few hours previously and the electric message
had flashed along the wires to Wilmington, telling
that the enemy, in large numbers, were marching
down upon Petersburg, an undefended city, where
old men and children, sober matrons and beautiful
maidens, sat in their pleasantand hospitable homes
mute and pale with terror, hardly able to realize
theirsituaton- startled by every hurrying footstep
and each moment fancying that they heard tht
tramp and the shouting.
1t isa sad-a fearful thing-to listen, to wait, tt
watch for the coming of the ruthless and merciess
invader There are other agonies in life, but there
is none ike this to proud people who have beer
free, and whose strength is broken. ...I.
At the fash Of the spark along the wires, telling
of the danger approaching to desolate the hospit
able homes of noble Virginia, few hundred o.
brave men, aleager for the post of honor, raised
shout of exultation and defiance as they were
marched up to embark for the scene of conflict
and long before the news of the impending conaic
had had time to spread through the city which
they left behind them, they were on their way Il
meet the invader '