The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-03-09
sp,cIal Core pondcnco.

Special Correspondence.
wooDsFIEI.D. o., March s. = This
story Of personal adventure during the
war has never been printed. Mrs.
aIary ]. Devore. who resides here,
relates her experience, In substance
a. follows, aud. While she Is adverse
TO newspaper publicity. she kindly per-
tnits this narrative to be printed;
''VVhen the civil war manifested Itself
by actual hostilltles and bloodshel,
and loyal citizens all over the north
were answering TO the bUgle call anu
marching TO the front. my husband,
John W. Dcvore, felt that It was MS
dukN 10 enlist, but / could hardly per-
.stintie myself to think II was right Tor
him % leave me and our two nttle
boys, one mere babe. alone. While
no husband and father could be more
devoted to his family or love nome
moro than he. hts patriotism Tor the
stars and stripes mounted TO an ln-
SEPARATION, and was stronger than these
sacred home ties. so. braNely parry
ing all the fearful entreaties my young
heart could summon, he tenderly KISS
Cd the babes and ne good bye ana
was on with the li6th Ohio Volunteers.
the reSlmeut he had Joined.
s'one morning. about twelve months
later, I received u letter with the same
famIlinr Virginia postmark which mad
appeared ON my husbands letters Tor
several weeks. but the super-scrlption
was In strange hand. and the PROB
ability OF bad news startled me 80 that
/ could hardly get 1t opened; my sur
misc was no longer a probability, put
was quickly revealed as fact; II stat
"a that my husband was seriously
wounded. for me to come Immediately,
n possibie. and was signed by the cap
{ain A thousand thoughts came
truonlng through my mind; the chll-
Jrcn needed me and It was great
pleasure 10 give them my time anu
minister TO thelr little wants and ne.
ceSSIties, vet felt that l must CO. anl
what II / should reach him zoo late!
was then living with my father. sam
,,ej GRAY seven miles south OF here,
and. wiilc he was 10th to let me leave
he could not refuse me the privilege OF
dAiuC what j felt was InF duty, SO ne
ordered a couple OF horses saddled
and went with me- to New MatlmoraS'
where took a steamboat to wheeling,
thence cas-; via the Baltimore Il ONO
Eve reached Harper's Ferry late in
the afternoon. The conductor came
fhrauch the car and said there was
Hosfc obstruction to the track, ana
that. Il We wnnteG 10 do So. we would
have time TO 60 TO the hotel ana get
sumner / did not know any one ana
Than,hf IL would be best to copy the
actIOn or inlction OF the other pnSseR-
r.ery There were Ave or six other wo-
inc:l in our car. and as they filed out
followed timidlY along to the MOTEL,
where we were shown IA sort oil par!Sf
Tor ladies.
an keeping with our womanly IN.
s.lncts and endowments we engaSed
IN conversation on the subject when
Was nearest the heart, II was soon as
covered that we were each on ] slml-
lar mlsSion--nOe knowing the tate OIL
husband. brother or son. but each ST.
leptlp sending up a prayer with every
breath for the wounded loved one
I1resl.ntly there seemed to be 8 sort ~
uiiiet e0uimOtiOn outside In the hal,
tha meaning Of which was suOn e&-
nIaincd by the door swinging back To
hermit the entrance OF two men In gray
uniform. and three women, VINO an
nounced that they were sorry 70 us
turb us, but that we were prisoners
OF war, Two or three women began 10
scream, but were quickly silenceI py
the hostile gllmmer OF pistols which
mr. cnnfora Orandished with acconPa-
nyIng threats. The men calamity re-
tired 10 the hall while the women re-.
liryed us OF all the money and other
sVanObIes they could md. They took
0Ir haIr down, removed our shoes and
storEIngs. ard searched Tor secret
pOckcts In our Undertaking. where
nome OF anything else OF value couId
b. concealed.
A SVoman's ForsthOuEh'.
"Whne / had scarcely o thought OF
being taken captive, the possibility OF
such a misfortune had suggested It
self to me before I left home. which In
duced me to put the most of my money
IN tho hem OF NY undersklrt and sew
il IN. precautiOn which Justified it
self IN the fact that this money was
"somehow during this search our
sboes and stockings became promlScu-
ously mixed and we were not able to
Eel them on their proper feet as quick
" as our unceremonious callers
thouuht we should. Their talk and 1c-
lions indicated that they were appre-
bensive OF some danger themselves,
and as soon as we were dressed they
1arcbed us out to an old four-whecl-
cd vehicle, called wagon, by conFte-
Az. an which we we're crowded on
rough boards that served rs seats,
when the driver cracked his whip ana
nut in motion our improVlsed patrol;
int we knew nothing about where We
were going, or for what purpose they
were taking us. Horrible thoughts ot
possible crueltIes presented themselves:
vel we were hardly more concerned
9bntit our own fate that We were dis
tressed about the condition of the
Wounded soldiers whom We yearned 20
500. and whom none could appreciate
our sympathy aud presence more II
alive.
pense and uncertainty Will Shalter inc
nerves. weaken the muscles and Dis
tract the mind more quickly than the
actual knowledge Of facts. be they
never so bad
"Tbe brilliant hues of the scattering
hanks OF clouds reflected the ruddy
raVs of the late evening sun, and
seemed 10 inspire us with a token Of
hone, But II was dispclled rs the
shadows OF night stole stealthily upon
us and seemed to penetrate our very
beings Ike spikes OF gloom. Spectral
giants of shadow, cOsmocrRts OF dark
ness. staikcd along In mimic pace. but
whether for good or evil we could not
Some Peoples Folly.
~.