The morning call., 1890-06-15
AN ANECDOTE
OF THE WAR.
Miss Nancy's Wonderful Silver
She So Dearly Treasured.
An Incident Of the Three Days Battle at
Gettysburg-shslter in Cellar-Closely
Guarding Precious Bundle.
writtenfor THE SUNDAY CALL.

XATYHO that lived in quaint old Get
AA4E9 tysburg, before the war but knew
SA0eN one of its most prominent charac-
tiers, Miss Nancy, the maiden sister OF a
prominent Judge? She was then the sole
survivor and representative Of the aristo-
cratic house of Dalrymple. A scion Of an
old Southern family, who, q century ago,
wrote that magic trinity of letters, f. +. ",
after the family name, she had removed to
Gettysburg with her brother ana his family
il her girlhood, reigned a belle among the
sophomores and seniors of Pennsylvania
College for nearly generation, and on the
death of her brother, a college professor,
renouGced the "pomps and vanities of the
world and all the sinful lusts of the flesh"
except her admiration for and faith in
Southern chivalry.
Not to have "tead" with Miss Nancy at
her hospitable board. on which the solid
silver plate of the family, monogramed ana
crested, was even more conspicuous than
her dainty tea-biscuit and Southern sponge
cake, was to have missed the setting" of a
picture of old-time luxury and refinement
rs beautiful and suggestive in its way as is
The Angelus."
Beside the sugar-bowl, creamer, coffee
and tea urn which adorned the table, were
two solid and deliberately carved candle
sticks, snutfer-tray, pair of shutters, and
an extinguisher, which always stood on the
east and west end Of the high, old wooden
mantel in the parlor to be looked at and
polished to the highest point of effulgcnce,
but never used. 1.-The candles in them
were extinguished the night after tue Mar
quis de Lafayette supped with us in 1925"
said Mice Nancy fat nil
should never he relit for one less great than
he."
Among Miss Nancys most intimate
friends were my brother-in-law and his
wife, who, at the breaking out of the war,
were the most pronounced adherents to
Northern sentiments and Northern policy.
Not so Miss Nancy
THE South will win. you'll see, Profess
sor, because its army are all chivalr0us
SOutherners from the first families of the
South" said the now dried-up, wrinkled
old spinster, as her faded eyes kindled with
the patriotic light of other days"
1t was the 2Sth of June, 1863 News had
been flying four days previously of A. P.
HilPs corps that had just crossed the Po-
tomac and was marching through Pennsyl-
vania's border. The widest excitement
had seized upon the hitherto quiet,
SLEEPY LITTLE TOWN OF GETTYSBURG.
The Twenty sixth Regiment, P. v NJ,
of which Company A was composed wholly
of students from Pennsylvania College,
were sent, under instructions from General
Couch to guard the approaches toward the
town. However, at 9:15 O'Clock in the
afternoon the advance guard of the enemy,
consisting of $50 to 200 cavalry, rode into
Gettysburg, shouting and yelling like saw
ages, firing their pistols, Indifferent whether
they killed or manned man, woman or child,
and rushing from stable to stable in search
of horses. These were soon followed by 5000
infantry. being General GOrdon's brigade
of Early'S division of EwelPS corps. Their
route was past Miss Nancy's house. Most
OF the men were exceedingly dirty; some
ragged, without shoes, and surmounted by
the skeleton of what was once an entire hat.
In fact, their scanty wardrobe needed re-
penishlng in every department; hence, they
rushed eagerly to shoe, hat and clothing
stores. freely offering their rolls Of Con
federate scrip which, they said, would in
few days be better than our own currency
OF course, these again were but the fore
runners Of the entire invading army, which
with the Union army were all moving on
to the focus of both hostile and friendly
fOrces-Gettysburg
Soon after the awful three days
battle - now of worldwide renOwn -
had begun, the residents of the west
end OF the town were advised by
General Reynolds to leave their houses that
the Shot and she'll of the enemy might not
reach and lnJure them. In my brother-in-
laws house, as IN very many others. all was
surprise, confusion and terror. Shot and
shell were whistling and tearing and crash
Ing through the streets and against the
brick walls of the sturdy old houses; dead
and dying men were falling upon the door
stoops; grOans rent the air and hell and
- nrtn lnN
the cellar, Julia, with the children" shouted
the professor, himself as brave a man as
ever lived.
In very shcrt time mattresses and
blankets were rolled down the long flight
OF cellar steps after them, and such cooked
found in the pantrleS. In the midst of all,
a loud pounding was heard at the rear door,
and a wOman's voice, pitched in shrillest
soprano, screaming:
Let me in, Mrs. J.-For Gods sake open
the door!'
The professor went to the rescue. There
stood Miss Nancy, bonnetless and terrified.
Upon her thin arm, almost cutting into the
bone by reason of its weight, hung large
white linen FELLOWSHIP, through the broad
hem of which heavy tape had been run.
1t was filled to the top.
IT SEEMED TO WEIGH TON.
why, Miss Nancy!' began my brother.
WHAT?
'"Shl Not a word, professor. 1 am
alone; Jim has fled" (Ie was man-of-all-
wcrk). my yard is full of rebels. l know
they come TO plumber, poor wretchesi [
had barely time to throw all my silver into
this bag and fly through the front door. 1t
is not even locked. Who'd have thought
that war WAS so dreadful?'
Thump, thump, thump. went the massive
contents of that bag adown the cellar steps,
as, trembling, Miss Nancy joined my sister,
and fell exhausted upon one of the mat
tresses. The battle lasted three days. Dur
ing all this time that bag never left Miss
Nancy's arm, but reposed by her side as
she sat moaning and weeping over the I'M
certain issue.
1t was not until the dawn of Sunday
morning, July 4th, that news came Of
the Union army's victory and that but a
few rebel pickets remained in the country
except the multitude of stragglerS from
General Lees army and the immense num-
Der of his wounded, which were literally
emptied out of his wagons into farm-houses
and barns in his hasty retreat. Oh. the
long breath of relief to those in the cellars
days." said Miss Nancy. land l expect my
house is pillaged and ruined"
But L am glad that you have saved your
silver" said my sister. Did you get it
alp"
"All but the spoons. They were in a
cande-sticks and all, in three minutes"
And for the first time since that tape had
been drawn she opened the bag and looked
in.
The contents were eight heavy flat-iron
a wooden rolling pin, a stove litter and
small iron coal scuttle. When, accom-
panied by the professor. who guided her
trembling steps, she entered her own dwell
ing, all was just as it had been when she
fed. No human foot had crossed the
threshold, but on shelf in the kitchen