The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-04-13

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when be reached Winchester it was to
find a town wild with fear and crazed
by terror. War was young then. In
after years the old town changed hands
without a tremor, gathered up tho dead
off its streets and buried them as part
Of the regular programme.
Tho Yankees are comingl The town
will be given mp to sack! Winchester
is to be burned, ani women and chill
dren must feet
So rose the cay from house to house.
Some locked their doors and rode away
on horseback or in their carriages.
Others left their doors wide open and
took the turnpike to the south on foot,
carrying whatever they had at first laid
hands on as a burden. Furniture was
brought ont and piledin tho streets and
set fire TO, and had not Jackson's adj
vance arrived as it did the people Of the
town would have applied the torch to
their W Iooftrees. The Yankee sol
der was popularity supposed to be with
out honor or pity-a ruiiian who stopped
at no crime. Jackson paused orefresh
his men and allay the excitement. Those
who had not fed decided TO rcmain,
though fearful OF consequences, but the
general excitement scarcely abated.
The Percys were among the inst TO
hear of Jacksons defeat and the news
that the Federal army was following
him up and would soon be in Winches-
ter. They were excited, butnot terrified.
1--WE will remain right here, and We
shall not be disturbed, " said Marian TO
her mother. The Fedorals have net
burned towns elsewhere nor made war
on women and children, and they will
not do so here. We have no cause to be
afraid"
Neither had they, but circumstances
which cCuldnot be foreseen soon caused
q change in the programme. Among
Jackson's troops was the remnant Of
the Shenandoah guards. All the house
servants about the Percy mansion were
colored people and slaves. Like others
Of their color, the general excitement
had made thew half crazy. They had
LETT the house for the street to see and
hear and were ready to catch M and
believe the most absurd tales. There
We're two men and four women. Buck,
who was a young mar of %, Joined Il
party Of the fleeing inhabitants hurry
ing up the valley. Uncle Ben, as he
was called, was Il man Of 80, born and
reared in the Percy family, and though
sharing to some extent in the general
excitement he would not leave his post
Of duty. He had said to the female
servants:
q nebber dun did see no Yankees in
all my life, but I hain't gwine to be
afraid an run away. | didn't bring on
dis wah. | hain't killed nobody. What
dem Yankees want to hurt me fur:
Miss Marian hain't skeered. Her mud
der hain't skeered. Ifdey hain'tskeered,
what yo' all want to be skeered furt"
The four wOmen were on a street cor
ner in a group when Captain Wylo
passed by and recognized them as be-
longing to the Percy family. He had
heard from the gossips Of the town long
ago that Kenton was TO carry off the
prize. He had written to Marian with
considerable fervor and without men-
t|ionin2 the news, and she had replied in
a very brief ana formal manner. To
revenge himself on a woman was quite
foreign to his nature, but as he saw the
four servants and noted their state Of
alarm he remembered hat he and Ike
Baxter had plan to carry out. Ten
minutes later one of his company was
saying to the coloTed women:
THE Yankees are only a couple Of
miles away! If you all don't hurry,
you will be taken prisoners, and that
means that every one Of you will be
burned at the stake! They shoot down
white folks and burn niggers!'
That was sufficient to start them Off
to Join the fleeing throng. Not one of
them returned to the house. Jackson
sent out couriers to advise the panic
stricken people to return, but hundreds
had gone too far to be oveTtaken. Among
them were the four women. Shields
entered Winchester without opposition.
Within an hour the excitement had sub
sided. The Yankee soldiers had neither
horns nor hoois. No one was molested
nor made afraid. Where timid women
requested il guards were placed at their
doors, and instead of the merchants be-
ing robbed and ruined, as most of them
had fully expected, their properties
were safely cared for.
Didn't I dun told you all so!'' OK.
claimed Uncle Ben on the street thai
. evening as he was ont looking for the
missing servants. Yankees am list dc
same folks as anybody. I'ze bin lookiI
at heaps Of 'em, an ! can't see no differ.
ence. All dem folks who got skeored
an run'd away was fools! Yankee.
hain't gwino ter hurt nobody onless 20.
unbahaye yC'self fust!'
Captain Wylo knew where to find Ike
Baxter's vile. She had moved into
town two weeks before, leaving the farm
TO take care of itself. That was one Of
the points in the plan presented by Ike
and accepted by her. She knew that
jackson had been beaten and was on the
retreat, but sho did not know of the
fate Of Ike and many Of his comrades.
Some Of those who escaped beth death
and capture he'd seen Ike so down, and
it was certain he had fallen into Fed.
oral hands. Mrs. Baxter fell to sobbinl
as she heard the news from the captain
but her sorrow did not last long.
"Drat that Ike fur a fooll' she sud.
denly exclaimed as grief gave place tc
indignation. Didn't no m promis,
me last thing befo' him went back TIA.
If him ever got into another fout he m
would scrouch down SO the bullet.
would fly over him! It'sall in him-al