The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-04-03
Mrs. Rip1ey's Thrilling
Narrative of Experiences
During the Confed-
eraCy.
THE STORY OF AN OPAL.
Items of Interest for Feminine
Reading - Personals About
Women.

Jutt1ng into the Mississippi river, Iour
miles below Baton Rouge. Up the
long avenue of pride of China trees
Mr. Ripley, a wealthy and prominent
Louisianian, had brought his bride
one day in the early tifties. In the
Charleston convention Mr.. Ripley had
been one of the two Louisianians who
would not leave the hall, when to leave
meant secession; and when, after the
wal broke out, he came home n day
to find a home made Confederate flag
floating over his plantation, he sorrow
fully demonstrated at the haste of his
jealous wife. Physical infirmities kept
him out Of the army, but he served the
Confederacy in securing supplies.
Mrs. Ripley, who has told in graphic
fashion the story of a woman's life in
the Confederacy, relates in Flag to
Flag that on the morning when
Baton Rouge was boInbarded by the
Union gunboats she was roused from
sleep by the noise of cannon. With all
a woman's faith in the cause she had
so heartily espoused she was sure that
General Breckinridge must conquer. AS
the morning o. on she saw coming
from the town what seemed to be q
flock of sheep. 1t was not sheep, but
human beings rushing pell nell.
Pouring, painting. rushing down the
hot and dusty road they came
women b~onnetless, some with wrap
pers hastily thrown over nightgowns,
and men trundling children too young
to run. On they came straight for Ar
lington, 500 terrified human beings
fleeing from bursting shells.
The store closets of the house were
thrown wide open, and the bewildered
mistress, with her child two months
old, laid herself down and cried, while
hungry men killed the sheep and oxen,
cut off portions of the meat, cooked it
hastily at fires built of fence rails and
ate it as savages eat. The twelve
pounds of tea that the house contained
was turned into the soap kettles, from
which the ''decoctionn was drunk
faster than it was made as one of the
negroes put it.
One frail woman, clad in a light
night wrapper, came bearing q child
i'll with malignant scarlet fever, and she
was the only person who had aroom to
herself, the fear of fever being greater
than that of bullets. Amid all the
confusion several children first opened
tllGlE eyes III d CIucl WOl10. dluQ ulIC
household stores were taxed to their
utmost to meet these unexpected de-
mands.
At noon came the news of defeat,
and at night the rain which follows
heavy cannonading added to the
misry. Men roasted in the trees
whose broad leaves shed the wet, and
| counted themselves well off until a
Co.. hall, l,O1>N1 ah411t 4hn hn11ca
sent them tumbling to the ground like
ripe persimmons from a shaken tree.
The shells had the effect of clearing
Arlington of its unweicome guests, and
among those to leave was the scarlet
fever patient, The sick child grew
to a beautiful woman, but to this day
she is deaf as q result of that ex-
perience.
Baton Rouge was sacked. Precious
portraits were slashed with sabers,
dainty china was thrown in a heap on
the floor and ground to powder, beau
tiful dresses were ruthlessly hacked to
pieces and private letters were given to
the winds of heaven. Such is war.
Under these circumstances the Ripleys
concluded to escape into Texas, the
husband going on before, and of ne
cessity leaving his delicate wife to
make the best Of her wav bv holding a
nistol at the head of her sulky colored
driver
At Houston Mrs. Ripley tried to get
milk or butter. but was told that those
commodities were cont of season nand
the baby had to content herself with
dry sweet rotate. But Houston was
then exultant over General Magruder's
brilliant eynloit. bv which he had q q
fnred the citv from the Union forces.
and one eyening a charming young
Teyan in .. bl11e silk evening dress,
presented the daring soldier With an
~eelaoant sword. borrowed for the occa-
| sion from a Mexican veteran. to whom
# was subsequently, returned.
Texas. however. became unsafe. and
thew were forced to flee into MEXICO.
which at that time was bnsy with the
| ~st1noole Of Macmillan and his French
men 70 oct control of the countrv. In
Piedras Neeras Mrs. Ripley occupied
the office Of the Confederate customs
onlcer' Why m n NJ ~ puy
- W 5fa fon go 1870
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anu sie smaiI ~, NV - noonau
sPeeulavols Ed t6 Loon On +bai, nas
lney "e ~ aita aro mantbs sha sa 20 On
SOUS Sonnav sIa,,t IN money wa+cbad "