Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1893-06-22
IN wAR ZINES.
A Southern Girls Memories of the Yankee
Soldiers.


Soldiers.
81 suppose many a girl would be glad
to have seen what saw of the war. 1t
was not long-continued privation and
panic; not living for months on a daily
allowance Of three small biscuits and
slice of bacon, as some once rich south
erners had to do; not long plundered
and terrorized frequently by lawless
soldiers; but just going through one
stirring day or two, with many thrill
ing things crowded into that little
time.
Il was at Sunday school when l heard
that the Yankees We're coming l
could hardly remain in the church. so
great was my desire to get home; and
yet no one seemed TO have any fear, for
we had heard this report very often in
our Valley-of-Nirginia town, and the
Yankees had never yet come. But this
time they really arrived.
First, there was more positive and
definite warning. Then there was much
hasty consultation and arrangement in
the early night. and the departure of a
sort of caravan with wagons and horses
and cattle toward place of safety in
the hills.
Il had the delight of staying up very
late, and ! suppose many people in our
town did. In the morning we could not
tell exactly what was going TO happen,
though few eonfederates began to
straggle in on various errands. Our
opposite neighbours son rode in and
gave us some information.
Soon fighting began-beyond the
town on the other side of the river. /
cannot say saw II, but heard the pop.
pop of the muskets, and saw the can
non-ranged handsomely upon high
ground to command our chief buildings
pouring out fire and smoke. BY and
by these were moved and planted so as
to rake the main street of the town. So
far we had all been astir, like bees
shaken out of hive, and when the first
bombshell started up the street was
standing outside the curbstone.
"A shell moves by no means with the
rapidity of lightning, and hearing the
peculiar, fascinating singing far down
the street, turned and looked with a
feeling as If were looking right into
the face of a sort of disk of sound APP
preaching me and growing louder.
II had no idea what produced the
sound until the shell burst in the porch
a few steps behind me- Then we all
precipitately retired to the cellars,
which was very foolish thing to do.
I'm little while our few confeder-
ates, who had fought back the advanc-
ing army and fired the bridge, only to
make time for movements elsewhere,
turned and dashed away through the
town. The confederate general in com
mand followed slowly after. The shells
still raked the streets. Then there was
pause while pontoons We're preparing
on the union side, and we came out of
the cellars and compared notes with
our neighbors. Then we went upstairs,
locked the doors of our room, closed our
shutters, peeped out and were perfectly
happy; at any rate | was
"While the great moving mass filed
the street and we were behind the
shutters, the lower story was left to
the protection of the cOlored servants.
Our old cooks views as to feeding
the soldiers were not hospitable. Only
by positive orders could my mother in
duce her to part with slices of bread
and ham at their demand. Later in
the day heard her out in the kitchen
declaring: Fore de Lord. dere amt
dust of flour in this housed And
when saw that the man was gone and
went in and exclaimed: How could
you say such a thing, when you know
there are eleven barrels of flour up ~
the PASSAGE" she grinned and an
swered:
"'Oh, yes, and I've got piece Of
bacon in my hand, but | amt goin' to
give him no mo- Mis- Marthy done
made me give them men mos whole
ham already to-day. They done got
enoughr
''She proceeded to cook the piece of
bacon, which she had drawn out from
under her apron, for her supper and
ours Meantime the flames began to
rise in the town. Building after build
ing was burned-public, military prop
erty and the house of the governor of
the state. But | was shut up now and
missed these sights.
II heard enough Of them afterwards,
and remembered especially how it was
said that the governors baby cried all
the time because the cradle. which was
rocked by clockwork, was burned, and
| there was no way to keep it quiet.
THAT night was wonder of still
ness. Nothing was heard in the streets
but the tramp of the lonely guards.
The next day there was not much to see