National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1885-01-20


"but when began philosophising about
tho men, 1 bulged clear off my story Of
how tho mon, and some officers Pm sorry
10 saw, cleaned out DIR. Demands house.
Tho men wore mischievously destructive,
but tho fow officers that took part should
have SGT better example, even IL they
did not interfere to prevent the destruc-
tion.
"Dr. Bornards homo was q square,
roomy, we'll arranged franc house, two
stories high, and having standing outside
at each end those picturesque, huge,
broad brick chlmnoys that are peculiar
to the south, but more especially to Vir.
ginia. These chimneys always made me
Imagine tn at they were forgotten SEN
tries that had petrifed into brick, as an
Irishman might say, with astonishment
at seeing Yankees SO noar the homes
they were SGT to guard. The house stood
on q high bluff not many yards from the
river, at tho place known as The Bend
and was surrounded by fruit orchards.
Inside, cosy as we'll as elegant furniture
and magnificent library of choice and
evidently carefully selected books showed
the owner to be man not only Of wealth
RANT taste.
'In an hour the interior of that lux
urious country residence looked us though
q Kansas cyclone had been shut up in 1t
aud had rushed around some time like
scared fee dog before escaping. A cyclone,
numerous in bulk, had been there, but it
was
CLAD IN BLUE AND WORE A FORAGE CAP.
"a large mantel mirror had been taken
out and fitted very nicely q chicken coop,
the recent occupants of which had already
become acquainted with tho invaders.
Not book of the hundreds remained.
A hat rack stood out in tho orchard laden
with cartridge and waist bolts. A roomy
wardrobe had found its way outside, and
formed q convenient arms rack for the
Springfelds. Richly covered parlor
chairs accommodated frames that for
year had thought bareback
box an excellent seat, and lounging
and rocking chairs held occupants
that must have thought of homo as they
lolled in one or swung with satisfied air
in the other. A mattress held half dozen
men, with twice that many ranged round
it, where they could pillow their heads
on its edges. One fellow had sofa, over
which he had perched a piano top to keep
off the dew, which ho told his comrades
was unhealthy, while in his neighborhood
another cautious one who had heard the
dewy hygienic advice, and had secured
another sofa, spread his blankets on the
ground, and, upsetting his prize over his
resting place, ordered comrade to tell
the clerk of this hotel to put me down for
call in time for tho morning train, and
to send up
FOUR CHAMPAGNE COCKTAILS
hau fnr
health One was wrapped gorgeously in
a Observation-Disclosures piano cover,
while others had spread over their blan-
kets handsome silk bed covers. Rich car
peting had found its way outside, with
heavy floor rugs, and covered scores OF
men rolled close together as If under
huge bed quilts, and before morning those
furthest away from the edges found little
to complain of from cold.
mo fires were allowed that Thursday
night, and tho sharp atmosphere drove
all but the watchful guards and pickets
/, to their blanket beds, and at an early
hour after night set in everything was as
still as If in established winter quarters.
The frost was very severe during the
night, but the sun rose in a clear sky ON
Friday morning, shedding abroad such
warmth that the frozen ground Of the
night before WAS replaced long before
noon with thin bed Of black, sticky
mud.
"All day Saturday most of the troops
composing the 9th corps, then under
Gen. Badly Smith, lay quiet behind the
breast of ground near tho river road,
Newton's division being massed in the
orchard near DIR. Bernards house. To the
left there was considerable manGuvering
especially by cavalry command, and
there was some, but not much light fight.
ing along the whole line of Franklin'S
grand division. Onco in while drop
ping fire would begin on the picket line
beyond the road, and once or twice 0
brigade was showed up in sight, while q
battery would open up, but all would be
quiet again and the troops resumed Their
waiting.
Away across to the right, fully three
miles away. the ground sloped away VI
foot Of Marye's Heights, which was the
STRONGHOLD OF THE CONFEDERATE po
sITIoN.
From tho railway cut and the cemetery
back of town every inch Of the grount
was in full view from tho spot wher,
Newton's division lay, and over tina
ground we could see much light SIX irmish
ing all day, Early on tho morning o
Saturday, the 18th of December, the gunt
began rapid firing on the right. and the
heavy pail of powder smoke that soor
settled along the slope back of town tolt
us on the left that the work for which
we were on the south bank of the Kappa
hammock would speedily begin.
The guns flashed faster and flstor OF
the right, and before great whilo-l
don't know how long--the artillery fire
slackened, and right after line of blue
s.I oh IA a Al.
curtain of smoke and dashed away with
ringing cheer that was distinctly hearC
by us for the rebel works The artillery
on Marye's Heights played furiously oil
the advancing line but all else was quiet
as though the guns above were merely
practicing, until our line was almost a
the foot OF the hill.
by this time our men on the left wer,
lending back cheer for cheer to GU
charging limo, and every officer and mai
vas watching to sec the line sweep up tn,
hill. In another instant II universa
grOan ofshorTor succeeded to our cheers
for that charging line disappeared a
though swept from tho face of the eaTtl
0y the long line Of red flame that burs
forth into the very faces of our line o
blue. 1t seemed as If tho line was swep
utterly away, but as we looked, after tn,
smoke, that seemed like q plying veil
drifted away, we could see mon here an,
there along what had been that rushing
line pick themselves up out OF the mas
and sCurry back across the sloping plain
"Over and over again, through tina
long bright December morning Burnsid
hurled limo after line against that sunke,
road along the foot Of Marye's Height
only to be
CRUSHED TO ATOMS OF BLuE-CLAl
HUMANITY,
1t was cheering 10 us, wholly watche
the needless slaughter, when every office
and man of the sixth corps, who watche
knew well that few more hours a