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

whole of what followed was one of the
most indefatigable and useful. She was
one of many; even children did their
part.
1t became grave question how to
feed SO many unexpected guests. The
news spread rapidly, and the people
from the country neighborhoOds came
pouring in to help, expecting to stay
with friends who had already given up
every spare bed and every inch of room
where beds could be put. Virginia
houses are very elastic, but ours were
strained to their utmost. Fortunately
some of the farmers wives had been
thoughtful enough to bring supplies of
linen, and some bread and fruit, and
when our wants became better known
other contributions flowed IN /; but when
al was done il was not enough,
We worked far into the night that
Monday, went to bed late, and rose early
next morning. Tuesday brought fresh
wagon. loads, and would have brought
despair, except that they were accom-
panied by an apology for eommissa-
riat; and other and more regular
sources of supply were organized among
our country friends. Some doctors also
arrived, who-with a few honorable ex-
ceptions-might as well have staid
away. The remembrance of that worth
less body of officials stirs me to wrath.
Two or three worked conscientiously
hard, and they did all the medical work,
except what was done by our own town
physicians. In strong contrast was the
conduct of the common men detailed as
nurses. They were as gentle as they
knew how to be, and very obliging and
untiring. OF course they were uncouth
and often rough, but with the wounded
dying about us every day, and with the
necessity that we were under for the
first few days, of removing those who
died at once that others not yet quite
dead might take their places, there was
no time to be fastidious; it required all
our efforts to be simply decent, and we
sometimes failed in that.
We fed our men as well as we could
from every available source, and often
had some difficulty in feeding ourselves.
The towns-people were very hospitable,
and we were invited here and there,
but could not always go, or hesitated,
knowing every house was full. re-
member once-probably this Tuesday,
but / cannot be sure-that having
breakfasted upon single roll, and hav-
ing worked hard among sickening de.
tails, about four o'clock l turned, per-
fectly ravenous and wolfish, and ran to
a friends house down the street. When
| got there | was almost too faint to
speak, but my friend looked at me and
disappeared in silence, coming back in
a moment with Il plate OF hot soup.
What luxury! sat down then and
there on the front doorstep and devoured
the soup as IL had been without food
for week.
1t was known on Tuesday that Har-
per's Ferry had been taken, but it was
growing evident that South Mountain
had not been victory. We had heard
from some of our friends, but not from
all, and what we did hear was often
most unsatisfactory and tantalizing.
For instance, we would be told that
some one whom we loved had been seen
standing with his battery, had left his
gun an instant to shake hands and send
a message, and had then stepped back
to position, while our civilian informant
had come away for safety, and the
smeke Of conflict had hidden batter7
aud all from view. As night drew
nearer, whispers of great battle to be
fought the next day grew loud, and. we
shuddered at the prospect, for battles
had come to mean to us, as they never
did before, blood, wounds and death,
The seventeenth Of September looked
down from cloudy skies upon the two
armies facing each other OH the fields OF
Maryland. IL seems to me now that
the roar of that day began with the
light, and all through its long and drag
ging hours its thunder formed back
ground to our pain and terror. Ii we
had been In doubt as TO our friends
whereabouts on Sunday, there was no
room for doubt now. In the thickest of
the fight, where the "Old Stone-wall"
was ever to be found, there was 1t now
and they with il, and here were we, not
two miles away, listening in anguish rs
beyond the river the tide OF battle surged
10 aud fro. There was no sitting At the
windows now and courtiDg discharges
of guns, or watching the curling smoke.
We went about our work with pale
faces and trembling hands, yet trying
to appear composed for the sake OF our
patients, who were much excited. We
could hear the ince:sant explosions OF
artillery, the shrieking whistles of the
shells, and the sharper, deadlier, more
thrilling roll of musketIy; while every
now and then the echo Of some charg-
ing cheer would come, borne by the
wind, and as human voice pierced that
demoniacal clangor We would catch our
a Gnla
and turn back to tie forlorn hospitals,
to the suffering at our feet and before
our eyes, while Imagination tainted at
thought of those other scenes hidden
from us beyond the Potomac.
On our side Of the river there were
noise, confusion, dust; throngs of strag-
glers; hoIsemen galloping about;
wagons blocking each other, and team