Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1886-07-16

tears; only silence, and drawing
close together, rs if for comfort. We
were almost hopeless, yet clung with
desperation 10 the thought that we were
hoping. But in our hearts we could
not believe that anything human could
have escaped from that appalling fire.
On Thursday, the two armies lay idly
facing each other, but we could not be
idle. !rhe wounded continued to arrive
until the town was quite unable TO hold
all the disabled and suffering. They
filled every building and overflowed
into the country round, into farm
houses, barns, corn-cribs, cabins
wherever four walls and roof were
found together. Those able TO travel
were sent on TO Winchester and other
towns back from the river, but their
departure seemed TO make no apprecia-
BILE difference. There were six church
es and they were all full; the Odd Eel
lows Hall, the Free MasOns', the little
Town Council room, the barn-like place
known as the Drill Room, all the pri-
vate houses after their capacity, the
shops and empty buildings, the school
houses-every inch Of space, aud yet
the cry was for room.
rhe unfinished Town Hall had stood
in naked ugliness for many long day.
Somebody threw few rough boards
across the beams, placed piles of straw
over them, laid down single planks TO
walk upon, and 10, it was hospital at
once. The stone warehouses down in
the ravine and by the river had been
passed by, because low and damp and
undesirable as sanitariums, but now
their doors and windows were thrown
wide, and, with barely time allowed to
sweep them, they were all occupied; /;
and even the ''old blue factory" This
was an antiquated, crazy, dismal build
ing of blue stucco that peeled off in
great blotches. 1t had been shut up for
years and was in the last stages of di-
lapidation. The doorways were board
ed up; its windows looked through eye
less sockets; boards were missing from
the floor, leaving only raf;ers TO bridge
alarming gaps; while, in one place at
least, it was possible to LOOK down
through successive openings, from the
upper story to the basement, whence
came back the sound of rushing water,
for the stream, that hau once turned the
machinery dong since departed), still
ran under archways in the foundation
of the building.
On Thursday night We heard more
than usual sounds of disturbance and
movement, and in the morning we
| found the Con federate army In full re-
treat. General Lee crossed the Potomac
under cover of the darkness, and when
the day broke the greater part Of his
force-or the more orderly portion OF
it-had gone on towards Kearneysvillc
| and Leetown. General Mcclellan fol-
lowed to the river, and without cross
ing got battery in position on Doug
lass Hill, and began 20 shell the re-
treating army and, in consequence, the
town. What was confusion before
grew worse; the retreat became n
stampede. The battery may not have
done very great deal of execution, but
II made fearful noise. 1t Is curious
how much louder guns sound when
they are pointed at you than when
turned tie other way! And the long
drawn screeching Of shells, though no
doubt less deadly than the singing Of
mimic balls, has a way of making ones
hair stand on end at times. Then, too,
every one who has had any experience
in such things, knows how infectious
fear is, how it grows when yielded 10,
and how, when you once begin to run,
il soon seems impossible to run fast
enough; whereas, If you can manage TO
stand your q ound, the alarm lessons
and sometimes disappears.
Some one suggested that yellow was
the hospital color, and Immediately
everybody who could lay hands upon a
yellow rag hoisted it over the house.
The whole town was hospital; there
was scarcely building that could not
with truth seek protection under that
plea, aud the fantastic little strips we're
soon Haunting their Intellectual remon'
strance from every roof-tree aud chim-
ney. Ofcourse they did not stop the
firing; but when this specific failed, the
excitement became wild and ungovern-
able. Itwould have been ludicrous had
IL not produced so much suffering.
The danger was less than il seemed, for
Mcclellan after all, was not lombard
ing the town, but the army, and most
of the shells flew over US and exploded
in the fields; but aim cannot be always
sure, and enough shells fell short to
convince the terrified citizens that their
homes were about TO be battered down
over their ears. The better people kept
some outward coolness, with perhaps a
sort Of ''noblesse obhgev feeling; but the
poorer classes acted as If the town were
already in blaze, and rushed from
their houses with their families and
household goods to make their way TO
the country. The road was thronged,
the streets blocked; men were vocifer-
atlng, women crying, children scream
ing; wagons, ambulances, guns, Gals
sons, horsemeB, footmen, all mingled
nay, even jammed togefher-in one
struggling, shouting mass. IL was Pan
demonium. The negroes were the
worst, and with faces Of gbastly ash
color, and staring eyes, they swarmed