Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1895-01-17
AN EPISODE OF 1862.

ClOtildr PcrthuiS, BaYOnnc, France.
Ny DEAR CLO-ThCy are come
the Yankees, you know. oh, would
that they had never como.
In my last letter l told YOU, YOU
remember, how mother frightened
us when she talked about tho Fcd-
erals. What n frightful description
she gavC of the northern soldiers
immense giants, who wOrc bear and
tiger skins all the year round;
coarse, shaggy blond hair and large,
blue, savage northern bar
barianS, she called them. 1t is true
one of our nCighbOrS laughed whCr
he heard of it. He said that tho Yam
k"r soldiers in appearance did not
ditlor much from tho southern. only
they could not fight so we'll, because
thry wero too sluggish.
However, We wCrG not pacificd by
our rrighbor : assurance, even whom
he sid that the Yankees would
"ncv"r capture New Orleans any
way. He "ShOuld like TO see them
make the attempt He was afraid
they wouldn t try to come into New
Orleans, he said. He also said some
thing about having n lot of blue beans
ready for thom if they ever came up
the river. ! don't know what he
meant by that. l mover heard of blue
beans, but ! supposed at the time
that it was some big vegetable which
only those hugo barbarians could
swallow.
We were told one day that these
terrihl" people were in lot of YES
sells at Ship island, which is only
about 80 miles from here. Mother
and l We're frightened for several
days. The ncwspapcrs, however, said
that the enemy could never pass the
batteries. / don't know what bat
tCricS arc, but it seems that the Yam
KEGS passed them, led by an admiral
called Farragut, whom l imagined
an awful ogre. 1t was April 25 when
they camc up the river. shall never
forget that night. From my window
! could see fires all along the shore
of the river, which was full of burn
ing vessels, while the lcvce was lined
with nalmCn.
Then on the following Sunday sol
diorS came in, headed by general
named Butler, whom I have seen
since and who has cOmical eve.
Well, when mother heard that the
enemy was in town, shc told us to
make ready for thcm. She felt al
most certain that these brutal say
ages would kill us; but, Laurine, ="
she said. Il have heard that wild
beasts sometimes spare their prey
when they have enough of other
food, so let Us pile the table with ev-
crythlng CdlblC that You can find.
So | won't through the cupboard
for bread and meat, and rummayed
in the cellar for bottles of vino.
Then, full Of resignation, / awaited
the moment when l expected to hear
people running about the street cry
ing for help.
Finally in tho direction of the
front room l heard steps accompa-
MED by he climbing of swords. Much
to my surprise, there We're no I'M
usual noises. Presently there was u
light, grntocl knock at my door. I
was SO terribly frightened that I
couldn't say Como III. Don't
think, however, that tho door was
forced open. The knock was repeat
ed, and no. until / had given my
faint permission was the door open
ed
| expected to SEQ enter at least a
dozen tree high fellows with four
corncred heads. wearing bcarskins
and long, savage boards, and with
sacks over their shoulders, in which
they carried their booty. / also sup
posed that they We're equipped with
long knives and pistols, just as moth
er in her prophetic visions described
them. Imagine my surprise when,
instead of all this, two spruce young
officers cntCrCd-Onc, short, Slcn-
der blond, the other dappcr little
gentleman, with black hair and a
dark muStaChC. Both were wholly
pleasant I0Alncrcd and respectful.
They wcrN nttircd almost tho same
as the other officers / have seen
walking about the street since the
beginning of the war. There wasn't
the slightest trace of four corncred
heads. Indeed thought the brunette
quit" handsome. They ut once ex-
cuSr themselves for whatever in
convenience thcy might cause. /
STAN arrcd out something about
their not Recommending any one and
that / was prepared to serve them
with anything they wished. The
blond took this as an aliuSiOn to tho
provisions and to the wine upon the
table. | noticed that he could scarce
keep from laughing. / know that
this confused me drCadfully, and
also knew, ClO that my checks were
burning red whom he saw that | had
four enormous hams upon the table,
which | supposed We're scarce n
mOuthful for thy guests. However,
the blond put me at ease.
In few we'll chosen, respectful
phrases he expressed his thanks and
only begged to lie shown a room
where he and his companions could
rest, for, he said, they were very
tired, not having slept in a bed for
months, and during the last few
days they were not permitted to
sleep at all. Poor fellows! l almost
pitied them. Not silent in n bed for