, 1889-01-25
HE HORRORS OF wAa.
Graphic Description of the Experience OF
a Southern lady.

the war OF the rebellion be-
gan the beautiful country place, Ar
lington, covered the point Of land jut-
ting into tho Mississippi river, four
miles below Baton Rouge. Up the
long venue of pride-of-C China trees
Mr.. Ripley, a wealthy and prominent
Louisianian, had brought his bride
one day in the early fifties. 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 war broke out, he came home one
day to find n home made Confederate
flag floating over his plantation, he
sorrowfully demonstrated at the haste
Of his jealous wife. Physical infrmi-
ties kept out of the army, but he
served the Confederacy in securing
supplies. -.
graphic fashion tho story of a wo-
mans life in the Confederacy, relates
In Flag TO Flag" that on tho morn
ing when Baton Rouge was bonn
barded by the Union gunboats she. was
reused from sleep by tho noise of can
non. With all a woman's faith in the
aus she had so heartily espoused she
was sure that Gen. Breckenridge must
conquer. AS the morning wore on
she saw coming from tho town what
seemed to be n flock of sheep. It was
not sheep, but human beings rushing
pcll nell. Pouring, painting, rushing
down the hot and dusty road they
came-women bonnetless, some with
wrappers hastily thrown over night
gowns, and men trundling children
too young to run. On they came
straight for Arlington, 500 terrified
human beings fleeing from bursting
shells.
The store closets Of the house were
thrown wide open, and the bewiId-
erred mistress with her child, two
months old, laid herself down on her
bed and cried, while hungry men
killed the sheep and oxen, cut off por-
tons Of the meat, cooked it hastily at
fires built of fence rails, and ate it as
sslyages eat. Tho twelve pounds of
tea that the house contained was
turned into the soap kettles from
which tho decoction twas drunk
faster than it was made" as one of
the negroes puts it.
One frail woman, clad in n light
night wrapper, came bearing n child
i'll with malignant scarlet fever, and
she was tho only person who had a
Dol to herself, the dread of fever
being greater than that of bullets.
Amid all tho confusion several chill
dren first opened their eyes in q cruel
world, and the household stores were
taxed to their utmost to meet these
unexpected demands.
AT loon came tho news of defeat,
and at night the rain which follows
heavy cannonading added to the mis-
cry. Men roasted in trees whose
broad leaves shed the wet, and counted
themselves well off, until a few shells
dropped about tho house SEM them
tumbling to the ground like ripe per
simmons from q shaken tree. The
shells had the effect of clearing Ar
lngton of its unwelcome guests, and
among those to leave was the scarlet
fever patient. The sick child grew to
be a beautiful woman, but to this day
she is deaf, as n result of that ex-
perience.
Baton Rouge was sacked. Precious
portraits were slashed with sabers,
dainty china was thrown in q heap on
tho floor and ground to powder, beau
tlful 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 neces-
sity leaving his delicate wife to mako
the best of her way by holding a pistol
at the head of her sulky colored driver.
AT Houston Mrs. Ripley tried to get
milk or butter, but was told fiat those
commodities were "out of season."
and the baby had to content herself
with dry sweet potato. But Houston
was then exultant over Gen. Magru-
der's brilliant exploit, by which he
had captured the city from the Union
forces, and m evening n charming
young Texan, in a blue silk evening
dress, presented tho daring soldier
with an elegant sword, borrowed for
the occasion from q Mexican veteran,
to whom it was subsequently returned.
Texas, however, became unsafe, and
they were forced to flee into Mexico,
which at that time was busy with tho
struggle of Macmillan and his French
men to get control of the country.
In Piedras Negras Mrs. Ripley occu-
pied the office of the Confederate Gus
toms officer, who handled tho money
to buy supplies. The big Mexican dol
lars were put into her safe for safe
keeping, and the swarm of Hebrew
uouSAS anu spSCuluJOTS Dug ner
the money they were afraid to keep
on their persons. For two months she
sat on money, slept on money,
watched by money, not knowing the
amount tho names, o often even
the faces of tho trusting depositors.
Even in Texas the common necessi-
ties of life were SO scarce that to lose
or break n needle was q calamity;
there were no salt no candles and
only homo made soap. Pins and hair
pins were luxuries, and toothbrushes
were made of twigs. Hairbrushes
there We're none, and one comb an
swered for a family. Corn meal
poundcake was q deficacy, and ''cof-
fee" was made from peanuts, sweet
potatoes, rye, beans and peas. 'Tea"
meant sage or orange leaves, and red
pepper played tho part of quinine. Il
cost 800 in Confederate currency to
buy. a yard and q half of blue cotton
denims to make a pair of trousers
New York Telegram.