Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1882-03-01
CHASTITY HORRORS.

! GHAS1LE HOR ROkS.
1t was the night before Christmas
1868. Our brigade had been in camp
on the Rapidan for fortnight and
everybody thought the campaign had
closed Winter quarters had been
erected, cold weather had come, and
those who had marched and fought
the long summer through, congratula-
| ted themselves on a season of quiet
and rest.
The picket lines were about half a
mile apart, and the Confederates be-
yond the river were also settling down
in winter quarters 1t was Stonewall
Jackson's old brigade in front of US,
backed by that of Walker and fanked
by other Confederate troops For a
week there had been no firing by the
pickets. Wars cold-bloodej murders
had been replaced by spirit Of peace,
and the men who had felt the tigers
thirst for blood now asked no more
than to rest undisturbed.
Such was the situation, when just as
the gloom of the night before Christ
mas settled down over friend aud foe,
my company was ordered out under
arms 1t afterward appeared that in
formation had been received to the ef-
feet that Gems Lee and Johnston were
at farmhouse just within the Confed-
crate lines, and our mission was to cap
ture them Therefore in the gloom of
the winter evening, with dark banks of
clouds racing across the heavens, and
snow squalls skurrving down upon US
at intervals, we mounted and set off on
trot for ford seven or eight miles
above camp. The lower one we knew
to be heavily guarded the upper one
we hoped would be open. And so it
was The cold, swift river, already
covered with floating ice, was guarded
enough, the Confederates thought.
The water was breast high to the poor
horses, and most of them shivered like
man with the ague as they reached
the opposite shore. 1t was only mer-
cy to them to let them indulge in an
hours gallop.
Afar off we saw the light of farm
| house---not one light, but every win
dow toward us was illuminated, prov
ing that even in the shadow of war; S
| ghastly horrors some one was remem-
bering that Christmas would come
the morrow. That house was our OBJ
jective point. The highway led straight
past the door and sudden dash must
surprise all who had gathered there. |
knew what our men were thinking OF
as they formed in column quarter OF
mile away for the charge. Every
fathers thoughts went back home to
wife and children and Santa Claus and
little stockings hanging up for presents,
and | believe that every man truly
hored that we might not fire gun or
shed a drop Of blood on this night,
which belonged to peace instead of war
AS the word was given to sweep
forth at a canter, in three minutes we
had encircled the house. was one OF
the dozen troopers ordered to dismount
and dash in to secure the prisoners
and / was the second inside. This was
the sight we saw as we poured into
the big room. A gray-headed grand
father and grandmother, q soldier with
his arm in sling, wife and mother,
a halfgrown daughter and three oil
four men and women who must have
been neighbors There was an open
Bible on the grandfather's lap, three
little stockings hung beside the chin
ney, and in the room beyond was the
table at which all were about to sit
down as we entered 1t seemed O
whole minute before any one moved
We bad surprised them, and in turn
had been surprised. Our information
had been false, and we had made ride
of dozen miles TO burst in on q scene
of peace. We were still standing there
-speechless with surprise, when there
came sudden pop! popl popl Of mus
kerry, followed by shouts, orders, and
the clash of steel. / had no sooner
mounted my horse than saw we were
surrounded by infantry. We charged
straight at the mass in the road before
us, but were driven back. Then we
charged up the road and run upon O
battery of three pieces. AS we were
forced back the fight whirled round
and round the farm house There were
a dozen to one, and though we charg-
ed again and again. ten minutes put
an end TO the fight. OF the eighty-fve
men who had left camp ten had broken
through, fourteen were prisoners and
the remainder lay dead on the trampled
snow, along with score of Confeder
ates.
The stark corpses of men--the agon'
lied groans of wounded horses--tht
snow melting with the warm streams
of blood-that was wars chances.
! looked into the house through d
shattered window The grandfather
lay stark and stiff on the floor, bis
blood staining the Bible as it poured
out. The grandmother was lying a
his feet, her snow white hair matted
with blood, and her eyes closed in
death as / looked upon her. The sol
dicr and his wife were unhurt, but they
had better been dead The three littl,
stockings hung as before, but one b,
one they brought out the three curly
heads who had brought them there
and they were three corpses +! Bullets
meant for enemies had sought out these
little innocents as they slept and dream
ed Of Heaven, and men who had gazet
upon thousand dead unmoved, shet
tears as the little bodies were laid or
the floor just under the stockings SAINTS
Claus was to fill and bring joy to thei
hearts II was midnight now Christ
mas had dawned upon white hairs
stained with blood-childish heart
stiIlcd by murder--men grooming il
angush-women with breaking hcart
Gods mantle of purity bIotched AM
dabbled and crimsoned, until the win
ter moon crept behind the darker cloud
to hide the unot with aha1owa III