The sun. (Fayetteville, N.C.) 1883-188?, 1884-10-07

flushed with hope and victory, but
they were soon in the field again.
My husband was first lieutenant In
a Randolph company.
The year Of 1862 our hearts were
continually cheered with good news
from the army though now and then
some brave fellow from our midst
would fall in battle. In 1868, how
ever,
THE CLOUDS COMMENCEa TO GATHER,
and in that year one of the most
painful and narrowing deaths that
| ever saw occurred at the Wavside
Hospital in Wytheville. A Mr..
Gregory, of Georgia, having started
home sick became worse and stopped
there IA few hours. Soon after he
reached the hospital he was taken
with lockjaw. The Rev. +. A. Good
wyn, Of St. johns Episcopal Church,
my pastor, watched with me that
night. The unfortunate soldier was
perfectly conscious, and that made
it so much more painful for us to
see his great agony. Every how
and then Mr.. Goodwin would repeat
passages from the Scriptures and
pray for him to try and comfort
him, and we could see from his
countenance that he understood all
that was said. Just as the morning
dawned his spirit took its flight and
he was freed from all pain and suf-
fering. We closed his eyes and fold
ed his hands with an earnest PRAYER
to our Heavenly Father that his
sins might be blotted out and that
he might be received in the army of
the Good Shepherd. We laid him
to rest in the cemetery in that place
and | wrote to his mother, giving
her an account of his last moments.
She seemed very grateful that loving
hands performed the last offices for
him.
On the 18th day Of july news
was received that r;,iding party
was making its way towards Wythe
vile by what is called the Big Sandy
Road, led by Lieut. Col. Powell. Thai
same evening my sisters little boy
was so i'll that she had Just had him
baptized. Mr.: Goodwin had not left
the house more than half hour
when one of the servants ran in and
said the Yankees were coming down
the hill. / had sprained my ankle
the day before and was not able to
leave my room. Ny mother was in
the room with me, and my sister
brought all Of her children and
mine in the room with us. There
was no gentleman in the house, and
the children seemed perfectly pa;
lived with fear. To calm them my
sister said: Dear children, we have
no one to look to but God; we will
seek his protection in prayer. Just
as we arose Il servant came crying,
''They are firing into the Other
room,'
Just then Il bli! passed through
the room which we were in. OF
course we were terror-stricken. |
seized a towel, pinned it to my
crutch and put it ont the window.
hoping to attract their attention. IN
IL few moments steps were heard on
the stairs. Nv sister opened the
door and SAID she would like to see
the commanding officer. He stepped
forward and asked what she wanted.
"She said: Sir, ask your protec-
ton. You see my helpless condition
my mother old and intirm, my
child in dying condition and my
sister not able to walk. If your
men are hungry they Will find ev-
erything they need i'll the dining
room. or YOU can take AL yo2 want
out of the house. All we ask is a
shelter" He replied, with an oath,
'CMv orders arc to level this house
to the ground 1t has always been
the headquarters of all the Rebels.
By that time the house was filled
with his men. My sister turned
and said: "Childen, follow me, and
and she went down the stairs, my
mother following her and little ones
clinging to her. My nephew hand
ed me my crutches aud just as |
reached the door a man snatched
them from me, cursing all the time.
| would have fallen, but was caught
bv one of the servants and she and
nv nephew carried me down stairs.
AS we got to the hat rack my moth
er reached out her hand to get her
bonnet and shawl. They were taken
from her.
In that short space of time they
had broken to pieces the elegant
parlor furniture, had it piled in the
passage as high as the wall, and it
was burning. As [ was carried by
they
THEY THEW MY CRUTCHEs ON THE
saw them in the parlor break
ing the mirrors and glasses. My
sister calmly walked out of the
house, without once looking back,
with her children following. My
mother had my little boy by the
hand: the others were ciinging to
the nurse. When | reached the
f,o,4 1oor thou mt mo 1ou-n tO