The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1885-08-05
UNDER FIRE.
New York Tribune.l

went south With his IaLnIIy 1OI InC OC.ioI1V
of his heath He purchased little IarIn
in VIRGINIA. about three miles from Wash
ington. ID. C., access to which was had by
the way of GEORGETOWN and the aqueduct
bridge. He gradually failed In health,
however. and died, leaving WIDOW
Mrs Gayes-and two girls ana TWO BOYS.
At the breaking out of the war IN 1861,
Mrs Caves and her elder daughter, who
was about Is years of age took decided
stand in favor of the Union cause 1t
required not a little moral courage to do
this; but there was no element of fear in
the makeup of any member OF the family.
At first their home was within the Con-
federate lines, and communication with
Washington was very difficult and haz-
ardous. Mrs. Cages was ridiculed, and
sometimes threatened but it availed moth
ing.
After the Confederates were driven back
few miles, in 1851, Notifications were
constructed around Washington for the
protection of the national capital They
consisted of chain of forts arranged In
nearly circle The line crossed the Po-
tomac near Chain bridge, above George
town, extending thence down to Airing
ton heights and some distance below, re-
crossing the river about half way between
Long bridge and Alexandria, and so on
around until the circle was complete.
Within this line, and about a mile and
half from Fort Smith, situated on little
eminenoe, was Mrs. Cages modest home,
projected now from the enemy, but suffer
inc more perhaps from her friends.
Many regiments we're encamped near by,
and little by little her timber and fences
and stock and crops disappeared, until
there was scarcely anything LETT save the
house and the land. Even the cook-stove
was missing one morning. Very frequently
at night she was aroused by the beating of
"the long roll. +" the shouting of words of
command, and the tramping OF regiments
as they swiftly formed in line of battle to
meet the expected enemy. On such oc-
casions all the members of the family
would hastily dress, secure about their
persons what valuables they had, and
patiently wait During all these trying
years she and her daughter were devoted
friends of the Union cause, and their will
ing hands were untiring in doing some
thing for the soldiers
It was midsummer morning in 1864.
Out in the fields and over in the city it
was scorching hot But in Mrs. Cages
house, protected as it was from the rays
of the sun by the abundant foliage of the
great oaks which surround it, the heat
was not oppressive. Mrs. Cages was in
the sittinng-room reading a paper The
elder daughter was in Washington.
Charley-the elder son-who was then
near II years Of age, was playing with
the dog on the porch. 1t was peaceful,
quiet picture of Virginia country life.
Suddenly there came a loud, Whistling,
screaming sound, followed by a terrific
explosion directly over the house.
WHY" calculated Mrs Cages, as she
started from her seat, what heavy clap
Of, thunder she was about to say, but
the unmistakable humming twanging
sounds which followed close upon the exs
plosion, with the falling of leaves and
broken branches from the trees, told her
it was a shell from some heavy gun.
10 m an
attack" she said
The children now came running in from
their play, and one of them cried out:
"Oh, mamma! the lightning has struck
the tree" Mrs. Cages went out on the
porch and looked and listened, but
nothing unusual could be seen or heard.
:" 1t was SHE'LL said she. Il expect a
gun at once of the forts went off acct
dentally. :"
swell, /" said Charley, when they load
their guns l wish they'd point them
toward Richmond They ought to be
ashamed of themselves.
Il don't think we shall be troubled
and. more, said the mother as she
returned to the sitting-room, followed
by the children She had but just
resumed her seat when another shell
buried itself in the earth few yards
from the house and burst, throwing up
clouds of dust and dirt
What can it mean?" said Mrs Cages
Il know what it means, mamma" cried
Charley. "That New York regiment
which has been sent over to Fort Smith
has put up target in our field, and the
fellows are firing at it. / wish | was a
general I'd put every one of them in the
guard house.
The boy was right in his surmise, and
in a few moments another missile thrown
from one of the huge siege guns with
which the fort was armed struck quar-
ter of a mile away, and came bounding or
ricocheting toward the house, striking the
ground at short intervals in its mad
course, something as a stone when thrown
violently upon the water skips along the
surface With a shrek like demon it
plunged through the garden. destroying
every thing in its path, filled the air with
dust gave two or three more skips and
screeches, and finally burst over near the
road. Mrs Cages turned pale.
Come down into the cellar with me,
all of you, she said, and they obeyed with
alacrity. After she had quoted Eliza, the
negro servant. who was alternately pray
ing to de good Lord" and to "Missus
Cages to save her, she said
Charley, you must run up to Mr. Pier
sons's just as fast as you can and ask him
to go around to the fort and have the
firing stopped. And you remain at Mr.
Persons until l send for you. Don't
come back. You are not afraid to go, are
+ YOu-
mo, mamma, I'm not afraid.
answered the brave little fellow, as he
clasped his mothers hand a little tighter.
81 knew you would not be; and now as
soon as the next shell comes I want you
to go. when it came she kissed him
and said. Now. my brave boy, rum"
She would have gladly gone herself,
but she thought it better to remain that
she might be with the other two children
In ease the house should be struck and
burned 1t cost her struggle to send
her son forth on such perilous errand,
and her face was very pale as she kissed
him. Away sped Charley through the
garden, glancing with wonder at the
great burrows the shells had plowed
climbed the fence and started to run with
all his might toward Mr. Pearson's house.
which was half a mile distant He had
scarcely left the garden fence, however,
when another shell came tearing through
the shrubbery lie had just passed, and
Il