Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1885-07-09
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UNDER FIRE.
. -. sorasr story d me var.

ct az his health. He purchased
,;,,,a farm in Virginia, about three
.;,ss from Washington. ID. c., access
! vb;ch was had by the way Of George
80 and the Aqueduct Bridge. He
! ..dually failed in health, however,
u a;ea leaving widow-Mrs. Cages
y and two boys and two girls. AT the
4 ,...tipe out of the war in 1861, Mrs.
y Cos and her elder daughter who was
~ -, TX wears Of age, took decided
~ Ia IN favor OF the Union cause. 1t
,.oured not little moral courage to
A. tbis: but there was no element of
y a. IN the makeup OF any member of
FH ~ family. At first their home was
-;.h;n the confederate lines, and COM
~ .,ncation with Washington was very
Vi, nsicult and hazardous. Mrs. Cages
pc u. r;diculed, and sometimes threat
Iaa .,aa but il availed nothing.
Alter the Confederate lines were
,.;rop hack a few miles in 1861, forti-
~ scations were constructed around
: Washington for the protection of the
National Capital. They consisted of
ID ,h.;p Of forts arranged in nearly a cir
pas j. The line crossed the Potomac near
Chain Bridge above Georgetown, ex-
,sodiug thence down to Arlington
tlst u,;.hts and some distance below, re-
hon tossing the river about half way be-
mon tween Long Bridge and Alexandria,
lanl "a 90 on around until the circle was
~ complete Within this line, and about
amile and half from Fort Smith,
: .;,nated ON little eminenee, was Mrs.
a Gaves's modest home, protected now
,rom the enemy, but suffering more
bs,s ,eybaps from her friends. Many
. hals regiments we're encamped near by;.and
seua rttla Inv little her timber and fences and
stock and crop disappeared, until there
q ga vas scarcely anything left save the
y, y house and the land Even the cook
supe stove was missing one morning. Very
!. freduently she was aroused by the
IN hating of the "long roll" the shout
! INC Of words of command, and the
-. tsmping of regiments as they swiftly
- formed in line OF battle, to meet the ex-
L
ss;a. members of the family would hastily
n dress, secure about their persons what
- yaluables they had, and patiently wait.
Daring all these trying years she and
rner bsr daughter were devoted friends of
nei !, Inc Union cause, aud their willing
!. I,u- hands were untiring in doing something
for the soldiers
~ II was midsummer morning in 1864.
as Don Out in the fields and over in the city it
=, arg was scorching hot But in Mrs. Gayes's
itoa house. protected as il was from the rays
reesIa1 II the sun by the abundant foliage of
irees 1.-The great oaks which surrounded it,
tofe y the heat was not oppressive. Mrs.
ha Caves was in the sitting room'r reading a
aR PAPER. The elder daughter was in
Washington CHARLOTTE elder SON
Of Tan who was then nearly IL years of age,
H., 1 was playing with the dog on the porch.
:, Twas peaceful quiet picture of Var
"A eSd gina country life Suddenly there
Il fra came a loud, whistling, screaming
orignsz k,und followed by a terrific explosion
Of "a directly over the house,
mAnlRs e'Why calculated Mrs. Cages, as she
va ~ started from her seat "what heavy
udsf Jap Of" thunder, she was about to
Iarenn kay, but the unmistakable humming,
vanging sounds which followed close
n ths u pom the explosion, with the falling Of
caves and broken branches from the
ress, told her ii was q shell from some
lfs f3z bsyy gun.
med N is it possible the rebels are making
ole an N attack p she said.
.aL.s The children now came running in
rom their play, and one of them cried
pit @0h, mammal the lightning has
smoke truck the trees" Mrs. Caves went
ne gent4 lt on the porch and looked and lis
With tned, but nothing unusual could be
Baathz zen or heard
losed q IT was a shell, said she, II expect
y and un at one OF the forts went of acct
her al entallvn
ld has well" said Charley, "when they
", aeo, pad their gun wish they'd point them
IN thef pxard Richmond They ought to be
= pfssa Ihamed of themselves
I'D thsr Il don't think we shall be troubled
That's by more" said the mother as she re-
less ~ Prned to the sitting room, followed by
sht y "a be children. She had just resumed
" cold er seat when another shell buried it
elf in the earth a few rods from the
rads Il ouse and burst, throwing up clouds of
nst and dirt
What can it mean2" said Mrs.
Scuts VI hayes
b st Rds Il know what it means, mammal"
IA ru, led Charley. THAT New York regi-
NJ ent which has just been sent over to
:, OH Smith, has put up target in our
his hkAe eid, and the fellows are firing ut it.
black nsn sh was general. ia put every
bv Ia . Of them in the guard -housep
80 !. ihe boy was right in his surmise, aud
Anew minutes another missile thrown
rousm ON one OF the huge siege guns with
nie Sef nch the fort was armed, struck, a
rood stot nar'er Of mile away, and came
him. bax unding or ricocheting toward the
4 her au ase, striking the ground at short in
ne 10 essi rails IN its mad course, something as a
,orss VI one when thrown violently upon the
IA staIla ser skIps along the surface With a
time ia mex IKE ademon it plunged through
was Pre- garden, destroying everything in its
pennies ~ hiied the air with dust, gave two or
services 4 rec more skips and screeches, and
50 wei d .Aly burst over near the road Mrs.
~ kH ayes turned pale.
besides Ia ZONE dowr into the cellar with me,
vas sall = ~ you, she said; and they obeyed
aimed \ "a aiacrty. After she had quoted
Ala ,he negro servant, who was al
mare ID lasely praying to "de good Lord"
kerboeig y Missus Cages" to save her, she
lion sEs ar,
eutt SM onaiiey, you must run up to Mr.
,ftsr trcs 'soas Just as fast as you can, and
on 8 i've nun TO SO around to the fort and
is horssh = 'ae iirIng stopped And you re.
third ~ w Mr. Persons until send for
farm nH Don't come back. You are not
ieh he ~ ~. sla 70 go. are you?"
a sl2M 40 mamma; I'm not afraid. answer
: two eob NE brave little fellow as he clasped
- ban .laI A.