The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-03-27
A RATTLE-sEARED CITY.
Life in winchester During the Late Civil
war.


No non-combatants saw more OF the shift
ing panorama Of the civil war in the United
States than did the citizens OF Winchester, IN
the valley OF Virginia. Held as an outpost
by the Confederates the first, year, it after
wards served as shuttlecock between the
gray and blue battledores. 1t thus changed
| hands eighty-four times, and when the game
was over the shuttlecock was denuded OF
feathers, velvet and tinsel-a poor, useless,
ruined thing. The best houses In the town
had served as hospitals, barracks, and even
stables. A lady after the war, upon taking
possession Of house newly painted and re-
paired, was informed by her neighbors that
they had many time seen the heads OF cav
airy horses at the windows from which the
children OF the family now gazed. 1t Is need
less to say that her relish for her new home
was slightly disturbed, as one does not like
the idea Of living in stable, II it is newly
painted.
OF course. in common with the rest Of Vir-
| gnia, the town was almost q unit in it's
enthusiastic loyalty to the Southern cause,
and such being the case, suffered accordingly,
heroes; their approach was, the signal for
wild JOY, their retreat for bitter tears. 1t
seems wonderful in looking back, that ordin-
airy physiques could SO long have stood the
ment of battle followed by an occupation by
the enemy; OF weeks and months during
which time communication was utterly cut
off with friends; the terrible depression thus
caused to be obliterated by another season OF
excitement and exultation; this constituted
the war life at an outpost. Nor was it with
out its effect. There never was time in the
history OF the town when 80 many young
girls and old people died. 1t took very little
disease to. result fatally; the system sank
all the terrors of that time, there was
charm in the life which was 50
much more and so much less than life ever
was before or ever will be again. We would
none Of us part with our war experience, bit
ter as it was; when hope and despair followed
each other as the minutes in the hour; when
the issues Of each day were so imminent, con-
tanning in them often m ore than the measure
of joy and sorrow which is the ordinary allot-
ment of a lifetime. bare narration Of facts
would hardly be credited. have seen the
town change masters four times in one day.
First a battle, followed by a triumphal oc-
cupation by one party for q few hours, the
first greeting Of long absent friends inter
rupted by another battle, followed by
the gloom of defeat and while our
scene OF Joy, and so on through the day. One
never knew what an hour would bring
forth. Too often we would rise IN the morn
ing to find different flag floating over the
town from that which blessed our vision when
we retired to rest Sometimes this change
was quietly made, one army retreating before
the other, without disturbing the slumbering
citizens; but far more often was our rest
rudely disturbed by the booming OF the can
non or the more terrible crashing Of rnusketry
opened upon the glare Of burning buildings
or we would be stunned by the explosion OF a
monster magazine, while the crashing win
dow glass and falling mortar attested too
surely the reality OF the danger, and we
thanked God far one more miraculous escape
from sudden death. This was invariably the
precursor of an evacuation OF the town before
the COnfederates entered.