The National tribune., 1890-09-11

thousands of guns firing, whereas there could
| have been only u few hundred. Tho Yankees
| kept pushing on and our people kept falling
back. The main Yankee line now began to
move forward, and Mt tho same time the cannon
| on both sides began firing, and the long lines
| OF infantry on both sides became one blaze of
| IRE and cloud of smoke partially obsCuring tho
| field. could hear the shouts of tho officers
and yells of the men. All tho time the roar
| and crash was deafening. My ears ached and
felt certain l should never bo able to hear
anything again.
| The battle, as Is well known, lasted only a
| few minutes; but to me il seemed to he hours,
and felt sure that as soon as tho smoke cleared
away should find every man and horse that
| went into the fight strewn dead upon the field.
was calculating what awful number of
| funerals there would be, when the firing ceased
as suddenly MS it had commenced, A little
| breeze blew the smoke away, and whore had
| expected to SEQ thousands of dead there was
nothing. Not a man, horse or gun.
The last Of the Confederates were just dis
appearing over tho Hill toward Martinsburg,
| and tho first of the Yankees were coming from
toward PorterGelds in pursuit.
| Happening to look toward homo, saw that
| our barn was on fire. and at once ran to tho
| house. | had not been frightened mt the battle,
but at the fire l was The dangers of fro /
could appreciate; the chances of war could
not
The cannon bad knocked off tho chimney,
knocked down the porch and there were three
cannon-shot holes directly through tho house
itself, tearing it almost in pieces. / Just sat
down on the horse-block and cried In fow
minutes tho Yankees came sweeping down tho
road and through the yard. All the horrible
stories l had heard about tho cruelty and
nervousness of the Yankees came into my
mind and for tho time believed they wero
moro than truo. These Yankees who learned
atterward were Dutch Pennsylvania rcgi-
ment, rushed into the house at once and seized
upon everything they could carry. They stole
every chicken and animal on tho place. and
were about TO burn the house when they were
interrupted. While they were busy plunder-
ing not one of them had noticed mo by word,
but now big, rough looking fellow, who had
one of mothers best pillows stuck OF his bayo-
net, came up to me and said something ] could
not understand; and because did not answer
he caught me by the arm and was about TO pull
mo of the hOrse-block, whom he got frightful
blow on tho side OF the head.
"A boy bugler who did not look TO be much
older than / was had struck him with big
revolver, and he fell down like dog. Several
OF his companions rushed up. but In few sec
ouds 1t seemed to mo that there was nothing in
tho wide universe but men in blue uniforms
with red trimmings, flashing swords around in
the air. BY tho tIme | could look around the
kee officer sat on his horse looking down nj mo
as though ho had found something he didn't
know what TO do with.
"'My littlo girl he said, may be allowed
to ask what In The name Of oil that Is wonder
full you are doing here?'
This is my home, sir ] answered as rub
bed little smut and tears off with my apron.
Z" I'm very sorry that Is 80. Where are all
your folks2'
'"Gone TO Martinsburg.'
"'And left you hore2'
"'No; ] stayed to sec the battle
He stared at me for q moment, and then
said:
Now como to look st you, you do have
the appearance of young person who would
like 20 have a boX-Eeat at an earthquake. How
do you suppose You arc going to get out of
this?'
"'This whatY'
This scrape you arc IN. You don't seem
TO have very lively appreciation of tho hor-
TOR OF your situation
'' don't know what you arc talking about;
but know I'm going 10 Martinsburg as soon
as End something TO eat
- Y on propose 10 walk six miles and through
two armies, to Martinsburg to-night2'
g" Yes, sir What's to hluder7'
"'l will and Lieut. Sam Elder, OF Double
days battery, laughed At the utter absurdity of
my idea. lie called the young man who had
something 20 eat. Then he took me out In the
road aud set mo up between two men on ono of
the caissons. The battery was soon after ready
to move, aud away we went. The boy caine
with the food, and all the men fed me- and pet
ted me, and made az much Of me as though
had been choice specimen Of parrot or mon
key thoy had found.
1t was nearly dark when we oame 10 Halnes.
Vile. ] knew Dr. Tabor's folks hero and told
Lieut. Elder would go there aud stay all night
Next morning found the Lieutenant again,
and lac very willingly took me on the battery
70 Martlnsbnrg. 1t was the joiiest ride / ever
had ia iuy life
When we rot 10 MartInsburg Lieut. Elder
picked inc OF the cais5on aud kissed me AS he
sat me down on tho pavement Then he sent
Bates, that boy with the bugle who rescued
me from the marauders. 10 help me and my
mother, though / told them both / knew the
road well enough to my uncles When / came
in my uncle and all the rest laughed aud cried
little, except my mother She just goused
me into big tub OF water she had all ready,
and never got more thorough wash in the
Atlantic Ocean than had that day.
When went out 10 cit on the steps in the
evening, who should come along but that bat
terry boy. We talked until dark about nothing
that can remember, and when went ia ev-
erybody in tho house had 10 grin at me and
called me a Yank. About "a week after he came
one evening and said
Molie We are going away tomorrow
Mayn't write TO your
81 told him be might and promised 10
write to a great long address he gave me. Then
no went away, aud ] went up in the garrot
aud sat by the end window thinking umtll
caught the worst cold of my life"
But regards tho buglo boy, what became
OF himt asked the writer
Oh Bates you meaul Charley Bates -
she replied, laughing. That's him with his
feet on my nice new painted porch-ral. Char
ley do take those dirty boots down at once,
dear DO you hear?"
And Charley took them down