Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1896-09-28

/ BACK tide or people came rushing
towards the house we had left. and
surged over the bridge near by horses
and men almost crushing one an
other in the dire confusion. We de-
termined to take the chances of cap
ture rather than go back further. SO
we stopped, hid our watches and val
uables in the earth and awaited the
oncoming of the enemy. However,
a regiment of our men came up and
drove back the Federals, for that time
near this point the main body of Gen.
Lees army, which had left Peters
burg on the night Of the I'd, came UP
with the wagon train from Richmond
At a house by the roadside where we
stopped that night, we met two or
three ladies who had come along with
the army; it was quite relief to
meet them and to know that [ was
not quite at1oe femme solitaire in all the
train. There was but little rest that
night, but certainly much lively talk,
comparing notes of our adventures.
One young girl of striking appear
ance of the Di Vernon style, had been
caught at point where the the cav
airy were making a sharp fight, and
| seeing no way of escape, she threw
herself fiat on her face on the ground,
while the horses on both sides were
dashing over. Her dress was torn in
many places, whether by bushes or
other means, she could not say, but
she herself escaped unhurt. We saw
her once again the day after, as Pick
etts division was forming in line of
battle, the General, riding up and
down the ranks, issuing his orders;
she was in half soldier dress, mount
ed on her horse by the side of her
uncle, on the Generals staff.
Our route was now turned toward
Farmville, again and again, we were
under such heavy Smelling that we
stopped to be captured, then the fir
ing would slacken and we would push
on. A young artillery officer with
his bride, in four horse ambulance,
who were alone, took me in with
them and my husband followed close
behind in our wagon, q relief to us
both, that he need have no more
walking to do. We had a scant stock
of hard biscuits along, and [ remem-
Der once when we were expecting
every moment to be overtaken and
captured, I began munching one of
them, when my companion eXclaim-
ed, CHOW can you think of eating at
such time as this?" "Oh," I said,
eff am to be captured I don't want
to be taken on an empty stomach, 1
want to be in as comfortable a state
of body as I can" For two days more
we travelled on, resting as we could
at night in the ambulance, halting
sometimes by camp fire, often
hungry, for though we had provisions
along, we could not stop to cook
them. Whenever we stopped at any
house by the way, we never failed of
a hospitable Virginia welcome. If the
family had anything to eat it was
heartily offered to us. sole Virginia
never tire,'' as the old Fredericksburg
farmer used to quote to me, was true
to the last. Faithfully. generously
did the Virginians hold out to the Bit
ter end, and when they could do no
more, the welcome would be, "Come
in, we can give you shelter. We are
eat enout, but if you have any meat or
flour, or if you have any supplies along,
we will have them cooked for you"
They would tell US how many they had
fed for the many days past, as strag-
glers, half starved, had begged food
and shelter, and how the whole prem
Uses had been overrun by squads of
cavalrymen, wheat fields trOdden
down, pigs and chickens carried off.
There was fighting at many points
along our way. We saw men drop
their baggage, form into line and
''double- quick' into the fray; we saw
the wounded carried off the field as
the chase grew hotter, the melee
thickened, trunks of baggage, officers /
uniforms, ETC., were pitched out into
the mud. Wagons abandoned and
burned, horses falling and left dead
along the roadside. A heavy battle
was fought a few miles off, and near
Farmville, we had the closest run for
life of all the retreat. The Smelling
became terrific around us, and we
saw that just over the ridge near by,
a hard fight was raging. An officer
gesticulating wildly, shouted to us,
s'Get out of that ambulance, you will
be killed, get the ladies out" For an
instant there was a question what to
do. It was a short council of war,
for as nv husband stood close 10 the !