The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-09-20

and other necessaries, We children toiling
up and down the steep stairway with our
especial treasures, the most precious Of
all being a basket of kittens.
But we were interrupted by several con-
federate officers, who rode up and told my
mother we must leave the house at once.
When she objected saying she would
rather remain while the roof was left
standing they replied that the children
must go anyway, and that there was not
a moment TO lose Take those children"
they ordered the nurse, and she obeyed
in such haste that she let us go bonnet
less. A few minutes before my father
had sent my younger brother with a wag-
on and horses to cross the river into
Chesterfield. lie was arrested. and for sew
eral days We We're uncertain as to his
fate, and he thought we had been killed.
But we were guarded by the shield OF
Providence that day, else had we been
killed twenty times" for in crossing. the
open held we were targets for friends and
foes
1t all seemed like a dream, the burst
ing shells and whizzing bullets. One shell
fell at my sisters feet but did not burst
Mother had followed us first, with a
housekeeper's instinct Selling her key-bas-
ket, in her excitement not realizing that In
few hours nothing would remain--neither
locks nor anything TO be locked. We
reached the pontoon bridge just as II was
who were allowed TO cross, one of the
soldiers. carrying me over in his arms. Ha
IS still living. and sent me a message some
time since that he distinctly recalled the
occasion The day was spent In the de-
serted soldiers camp In Chesterfield, and
az sunset we recrossed the river on Camp
bells bridge, and spent the night with
friends In Petersburg. War develops nerve
and endurance. Not child dreamed of
complaining, though our shoes had been
cut to pieces i'm the scramble through
buers and over stones, and our feet were
covered with blood and bruises.
On Monday morning we started for homo
and were just in sight of our house when
the flames burst from the Turnbull house
My faeher FASTENED on in advance and
found several federal officers standing on
our porch in the act of leaving. He APP
pealed to the one who seemed in COM
mand, asking him to protect the house
saying that we had been driven away by
the battle the day before and had no other
shelter. Certainly, sir" was the reply
your house shall not be burned while we
are here: but we have to leave at once,
and the Lord only knows what will be-
come of you then" We always found the
federal officers extremely courteous. and.
in some Instances, kindness itself; the
outrages and pillaging were the work of
the struggling soldiers and campfollowers
A few days later one of these stragglers
was discovered in the act Of firing the
house, and was driven off by a federal Of
hcer who most OPPORTUNITY rode up just
in gme.
We found desolation utter and complete
within and without. Cannon had been
painted at the parlor windows. and near
the door were new-made graves, where
the dead had been hastily buried The
house had been used for a hospital. and
the floors were slippery with blood and
grease. MOT vestige of Clothes remaln-
ed, or rather only unusable morseIs and
fragments We're left. Everything nova
bic had been carried of. and the heavy fur
ntture broken. We pulled open a bureau
drawer, and there lay our beloved kittens
with their Threats cut; even now / can
feel the bitterness Of that moment REM
nants OF the pink challie were found In the
ice house. We lived on the bareback
picked up on the battlefield until Can't.
Langdon, commander OF a brigade of ar
tilery, on his way from Appomattox
Court House, made our house his head
quarters, and not only supplied our ne
cessities at the time but repeatedly sent
us assistance Afterwards. My sister was
i'll from the nervous shock, and a federal
surgeon, DR.. Browne of PHILADELPHIA. pre-
scribed for her and gave up a supply of
various needed medicines and sent q large
box filled with every delicacy necessary
for an invalid. Gen. Custer who was at
our house for some days, treated nv ma
rents with great courtesy, even checking
any conversation between his attendant
officers that turned upon subjects unpleas-
ant to southern ears.
For some months after the close of the
war correspondence was maintained he
tween my mother and Mrs. Lee, and We
had letters from the general also. I'm
fortunately, these were accidentally de-
stroyed a few years ago, but nothing can
destroy our loving memories of the man.
s.