San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-03-04


eyes which dwelt lingeringly upon the
young girl-something before which her
! own eyes fell, while the bunch of freshly
gathered asters at her breast fiuttered tu-
! multuousiy.
Lee was at Sharpsburg with 1000 men,
he told them. A great battle must soon
be fought. Ricketts,, Meade and Double
day were hurrying up with their divisions.
On every road converging toward the
scene of destined action batteries were
rumbling, cavalry were galloping, masses
of infantry were pressing forward. Every
height glittered with bayonets sparkling
in the pale autumnal sunlight like wheat
fields after heavy rain.
To Mr.. Purvis' anxious inquiry the lieu
tenant assured them that as the battle
would be fought in and about Sharpsburg,
four miles away. and of course Lee would
be beaten-the young soldier was proudly
certain of that-the family would be per
fectly safe where they were.
The conversation was interrupted at this
point by the distant sound of bugle and
a mounted orderly rode up. Lieutenant
Willoughby was directed to hurry forward
his battery without loss of time. In max
ing his farewell the young officer may have
held the little hand that was extended to
him somewhat longer than polite usage re-
quires, but then who could say whether or
not these two hands would ever meet again
in living clasp? In the midst of her
pride, as she watched the erect, handsome
figure ride away, there was a dull pain at
the girls heart.
The lieutenant had barely got his guns
in motion when another orderly came gal
Looping up instructing the officer to post his
battery on the heights overlooking the
creek only a few hundred yards distant
from the Purvis dwelling. Heavy bodies
of Confederate infantry were reported to
be advancing through the woods. Lee had
deceived the Federal commander by the
celebrity of his movements and the struggle
would take place not about the village of
Sharpsburg, but ON the banks of the creek.
By noon the guns of Willoughby's bat
terry were making thunderous echoes among
the hills clad in the following foliage of
early fall. But as yet the real action was
delayed. At daybreak on the morning of
the 10th, however, the heights on both sides
of the creek were crowded with the oppos-
ing forces, and from every wall. fence, stone
and stump flashed the red volleys, while
over the hitherto peaceful valley hung
thick clouds of sulphurous battle smoke.
All that dreadful day Margaret Purvis
sat in her room, her heart quaking at every
boom of the cannon and her soul sickening
at the sight of scores and hundreds of shat
tered, dying wretches borne to the rear
Yet, woman as she was, her dread was less
for herself than for the gallant young SOL
der in the scorching forefront of the battle
And when night. with its holy and COM
polling calm, put an end to the struggle,
still she sat at her window, marking the
lurid CLEAN of the watchfires on every hill,
hoping that he might perhaps hurry to
her side for few moments at least. But
he did hot come, and through the long,
solemn hours she kept her post at the win
dow, waiting, hoping, fearing, until, with
the first CLEAN of dawn, a great gun broke
the hush with its hoarse challenge for tho
renewal of the combat, and the answering
thunders roared from all the heights
around. ..... s...a.- ...... .
As the day advanced it seemed to her
that the discharges of cannon and the rat
tie of musketry were drawing nearer,
growing louder and more distinct. Now
and again shell screamed through the
tops of the tall oaks on the lawn, bursting
in the fields far beyond. Yet more dense
came the mournful train of the wounded
and dying. And now, tired, covered with
dust and blood, squads, companies, whole
regiments of troops were hurrying past in
disorderly array, casting terrified glances
over their shoulders and trampling each
other like focks of panic smitten sheep
Could it be possible that the Federals were
being pressed back3 Was victory after all
about to declare for the enemy?
For more than an hour the retreating
troops poured on; then came a heavy roll
and clang, and battery galloped past the
gate. His battery! She recognized the
uniform and the number on the mems
caps. But he was not among the fleeing
artillerymen Was he dead? Had he been
deserted, wounded and dying, by his cow
ardly comradesy
With blanched cheek and trembling
limbs she threw long mantle over her
head and shoulders, and giving no need
to her fathers terrified protests she start
ed down the road toward the creek. All
about her were wrecks of the battle-can-
teens, broken muSkets, pieces of torn uni
forms, haversacEs, cartridge boxes-flung
aside in the desperate haste of retreat; aye,
and as she mounted the hill toward the
creek, human forms, silent, twisted bloody,
shot mangled and others that groaned and
begged for water, or for kindly hand to
put them out of their torture.
Sick, almost fainting, she pressed on till
she came to the brow of the hill. Here
and there, all along the bluff where the
battery had been, were dead men; some
looking as if asleep, others as if still in the
grip of the fatal wrestle; all terrible,
loathsome, pitiful. Far off, on the oppo-
site side of the creek, white clouds of smoke
were waiting gently upward in the clear
air, and from their hearts sprang yellow
spouts of flame. Every second, overhead
or at either side, she heard the spiteful
shrieking of bullets But she gave no