Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1886-03-25

companions and set out to find home
for myself and children. But wherei
That was the question. Somewhere
| in the mountain strongholds, as a
matter of course. There were already
eighteen children at the house Of
Mr. Ayre, so / felt com pelled to de-
cline kind invitation to remain.
A POSSIBLE REFUGE.
Mr. John Marshall, son of the pres
ident OF the Manassas Gap railroad,
was slightly connected 10 me by mar
rage. He resided in the neighbor-
hood Of Piedmont, and though it
seemed a great imposition upon a
kind and generous heart and a severe
tax upon his hospitality to drive
Up TO mis- door and request him to take
ia destitute family Of refugees; yet
no other place occurred 10 my mind.
Mr.. Aver most kindly furnished me
with fresh horse and negro bov as
guide to pilot me across the Lost
Mountain" Once safely across that
| lonely barrier and in the neigbbor-
hood OF Piedmont there would be no
danger of losing nv self. | began to
feel like the lonely Indian who, when
he was asked, WAS he lost3" answer
ed: Me most; wigwam lost" /
packed my carriage with its living
freight Cthey were all my worldly be
loneings) and with many regrets bid
adieu TO my late travelling compan-
ions.
1t was a terribly hot day, that eve
OF the first battle Of Manassas, ana by
the time we had climed the Lost
Mountain" which was completely
destitute Of shade, the heat became
intense. Not a cloud to veil the
SC orcning sun, rot a breath Of air,
and the stiffness was oppressive. The
narrow, stony road before US alone
bore witness that any vehicle but our
own had ever passed over it before
Somewhere on its broad surface we
stopped to feed the horse, and here we
found the largest and most luscious
blackberries | had ever seen. They
were most refreshing IN the midst of
this desert spot. The children gather.
ed them in delight, the little negro
guide spread himself out in the broil-
ing sun for a nap; my nurse, girl OF
fifteen, cried quietly under her sun
bonnet for her NANNY whom she
knew she would never more see, and
/ tried to school myself and to be re.
signed to whatever fate awaited me.
LOST MOUNTAIN.
The Lost Mountain is a lonely,
dssolate spot. 1t stands alone, as
though cast off from the main ridge
by the hands of the great Creator as
worthless thing. II it possessed any
picturesque beauty / could not discov-
err it. saw nothing but its stony sur
face and the arching fiery sky that
seemed to enclose it as tent. look
ed towards the southeast, where |
knew the warrior hosts were gathering
for the battle. / knew the Confeeer-
ates were massing their troops at Man
assas, and | tried to penetrate the veil
OF blush gray haze that hung around
the Southern horizon. | knew not
then that not very far from the base Of
the"Lost Mountain, Johnston troops
were dedling in rapid march from
Harper's Ferry to the plains of Man
assas. Many a stout heart and many
sure foot soldier had succumbed to
fatigue and lay dying on the desolate
stony road below me in the valley.
But | was TO learn more OF them in
the near future. And what was |,
sitting desolate on the brow Of the
Lost Mountain but mere atom in
the huge mass of humanity that was
surging toward the mountain strong
hold for REFUGEE 1t would not have
been worth telling here had | suffered
alone. The pity Of it was that hund-
reds were swept from the amphilheatre
OF war that men might have their till
of blood and carnage.
Well, drove up to Mr.. Marshall's
gate on the evening of the 20tA of July
and found the house TO be a modest
cottage surrounded by fine shade trees
but fairly crowded with refugees from
the neighborhood of Alexandria.
Not one word was said about going
further, however. M Marshall and
his beautiful accomplished wife, re.
ceived us with that genuine kindness
that dwell IN the bosom OF a true Nir-
GINA gentleman.
a HAVEN AT LAST.
Gould we occupy the tool house2'
"Ah, that we could and gladly; it
was soon swept, the tools removed to
the rafters above us, some mattresses
spread down and for the present our
Journey was ended, II would not
probably interest my readers TO know
of all thai transpired during the three
months that we dwelt in the tool
house. But never can l forget the
unweaued kindness | received from
the family. some of whom were then
unknown to us. lingering on the Dor
deIs of another and better land, pass
ing from the turmoil and war that
was threatening around US to quiet
graves under the shadows of the blue
hills of Virginia. Concerning the
battle of Manassas on the 21st Of July
we knew nothing until the day after,
when many were weeping for the
dead The citizens who fingered
on the edge OF the battle field brought
us news of friends and dear ones en-