Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1895-03-29

IeCUeu W Ut UI6tbtu ItSpSCtluliy anu ccxi
back home. As she passed us on her re
turn, there was merry twinkle in her eye
and the Confederates who had been l0adet
in and on top of the freight train, gav'
"Three cheers for the brave Maryland girl,
Naturally, asoldier passes through many
exciting scenes, but don't know that
was ever in more exciting one than dur
ing the march through Baltimore. W.
had been kept waiting at the depot Ions
time, and the men were impatient, and il
seemed as if there there was excitement in
the very air. The riff-raff OF the
population had gathered at the depot
elated by the fall of Vicksburg
and the success at Gettysburg, and they
were haunting our men. One little Miss
was a good sample of what we had to
endure. She would run in and out among
the cars saying haunting things. She tack
led one old gray bearded Confed who sat on
top of car, with questions about where
the Confederate generals who had been
killed. were now. "Where is Father Jack.
son now 2" she asked. The old man look
ed gravely down ON her from the top of the
car and said, "He is where you will never
be, little Miss, unless you change your
manners. When we were formed in line
for the march through Baltimore, there
was cavalry guard on the pavement, the
famous New York Seventh regiment of
infantry marching along the cutters on
each side. The streets and buildings were
full of bunting remaining from the Fourth
Of July celebration, and U. s. flags hang
ing across the streets. A great big Con-
federate, Capt. Cussens, now living near
Richmond, with an eye like an eagle and a
voice like trumpet, was put among the
prisoners in front and every time we came
to a flag he would cry out, ''Open ranks;
don't march under the niger flag boys ~
And the prisoners would open ranks and
surge apart crowding out the N. Y. Sew
enth until they got clear of the flag.
Along the route the suppressed excitement
made evident the fact that the heavy guard
that had been provided for the prisoners
was more from fear of trouble with the
town people, than from any apprehensions
of the prisoners escaping. AS we passed
along we found sections of artilley posted
on the route. Anything would have pre-
cipitated bloodshed, and one incident came
near doing it. A gentleman and lady, evil
IDENTIFY sympathizers, had pushed a little
in front of the crowd at cross street. A
cavalryman made two attempts to drive
the gentleman back with his saber. The
gentleman coolly caught the horses bit
each time and forced it back on its haunch-
es. and at last got safely out of reach with
his companion. But while it was going on
seven OF eight Confederates in the line who
had never seen each other before, exchang-
ed glances which said as plain as words
that if that cavalryman struck either the
man Or woman he would be dragged from
his horse and his brains beaten out against
the cobble stones. And then no man could
have foretold the end. After our march
through Baltimore we were taken to Fort
McHenry and from there sent by steamer
to Fort Delaware.
On the trip was sitting apart in the
steamer, when Federal lieutenant came
up and wanted to discuss the war, its
causes and SO forth. / said we cannot
discuss on equal terms now. Turn me
loose and will discuss it with you in the
only place a discussion can now avail any
thing-the battle field, at the point of the
bayonet and the mouth of the cannon.
There is no other argument now that can
settle anything about this war (applause.)
During DR.. Finley's narrative he was
frequently interrupted by applause, and
there was general regret that bis narrative
which only occupied thirty minutes was
so brief.