Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1889-11-28
CAMPFIRE STORIES.
GENERAL HUNTERS RAID.
A Touching Incident of the War In the
Shenandoah Valley.

storehouSe of the Confederacy, must be
crippled. General David Hunter was,
therefore, hidden to take Is, 900 men and
make a raid up the Shenandoah and
ruin the growing crops and grain stores,
destroy the railroads, mills and found
ries and do all possible damage to the
resources of the enemy as far as he was
able to go. 1t is with one of the earliest
| incidents of this remarkable campaign
that have to deal.
| General Hunter belonged to a family
whose ancestral home was on the Low
er Shenandoah, and he was related to
many of the old families there, among
others to the Botelers.
| The head of the Boteler house was
! Colonel William Boteler, now in the
Department of Justice at Washington;
! then a staff officer of high rank at Rich
mond. His estate was short distance
| from Shepherdstown.
When Hunters corps entered the valley
at Shepherdstown the sky was Obscured
| by day with the smoke and glowed at
night with the glare of burning barns,
mills and haystacks.
Mrs. Boteler and her daughters, with
/ one or two faithful servants, were then
in the house. So often had their farm
been fought over by both armies that
there was nothing left on it for these
newcomers to take or destroy that could
be of any value as munitions of war.
The house, itself, however, had been
little hurt, and it's valuable library and
! pictures and furniture had been protect
ed by both armies as each in turn was
in possession. Moreover, David Hunter
was Mrs. Boteler's own cousin, and the
playmate of her childhood. Surely she
thought, she had nothing to fear in her
poverty and loneliness-rather some
thing to hope for from her long ago
cousin and friend.
Cheered by these thoughts, it was
with no terror that the ladies sat upon
, the porch and watched the long blue
column come undulating over the low
hills and march hour after hour along
the road that ran in front of the estate
The well-hOuse was conspicuous, and
almost at the first squads of men ran in
to drink and fill their canteens. but all
were courteous, and the first officer of
consequence who appeared placed
guard at the well to preserve order and
keep any evil-disposed men out of the
house.
At last the great army had passed,
save struggling followers, and the sun
was low over North Mountain, when a
squad of cavalrymen came gallOping
back from the departing host, with
young Lieutenant in command. They
turned into the yard and the officer dis
mounted. Lifting his cap, he said:
This is Colonel BOteler's house?"
'It is. and l am Mrs. Boteler. We
have nothing left about the place, ex-
cept a little meal and bacon for our
selves. L hope you won't deprive US of
that
Il only wish 1 had no worse to do;
but, madam, L have General Hunters
orders to burn this house and all its
contents to the ground at once. You
must believe me-" he went on. with
genuine sadness in his voice, that
hate it from the bottom of my heart. l
would cheerfully resign if that would
save it, but there is no help. The Or
ders are peremptory, and admit of no
delay. All can let you dol can not
believe the General knew any one was
here's to gather up your clothing and
such valuables as you can carry. Please
hasten and"-with sudden supplicating
gestures and tone, for he was boyish
and sensitive-''please forgive me for
nv part of this cruel work.
The men looked equally sad as silent
ly and swiftly they helped Mrs. Boteler
and her daughters-I think there were
three of thcm-make into bundles the
few necessaries they were allowed to
take away.
Suddenly the music of the piano
swelled through the house, and mother |
and sister knew that the eldest of the !
daughters was taking farewell of her |
beloved instrument, that in the old days |
had rang so merrily for flying feet and |
gay hearts, and later had been the solace |
of long evenings of cruel loneliness and |
anxiety, or, abandoned to the sOldiery, |
had led the loud chorus of both North /
and South.
''Is this alp inquired the Lieutenant |
with choking voice, and, bearing the
little bundles out to the stricken woman,
whispered to the sergeant to DO his duty.
Then there came floating out through
the parlors the rich young voice, chant
ing: The Lord is my Shepherd, shall
not want, and the hardy sergeant and
men felt the tears springing as they
crept to the back of the house and
lighted the fires in it's dryest corners.
Cap in hand, hardly daring to look at
the long rows of books, the pictures, the
the pretty articles of femi-
nine adornment with which the rooms
were misunderstanding his eyes to
these things lest they unnerve him
the Lieutenant approached the piano
and besought the singer to leave the
room.
She paid not the slightest attention
neither to hear nor see him.
Her mother and sisters were blinded and
1eafened by grief-never dreamed what
she meant to do; but the flames ate into
the dear old mansion from two sides and
caught at high cornices and set their
banner on the roof, and wisps of smoke
swept III IuIOuSl Tic uOOIS dl4u GA p4OICN
the cool shade Of the parlor before the
chant was done, and to it all the rapt
musician seemed obliviOUs.
Now" thought the officer, awe-struck
at the unearthly expression of the girls
face. and the awfulness of the scene,
''now she viii 60" But as he advanced
. step toward her she spurned him with
a regal gesture. and striking the chords ,