The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1897-11-18

euSeSSu III earnest SOnNcISdtlOn Win
General Lee. Then he rode off and
in less than an hour we heard he had
been killed. There has always seemed
peculiar pa,hos abou, Hills death,
he had braved SO many dangers sue
Cessfully only 10 fall a victim at the
close. My father had never seen the
general in his full uniform before, bu,
that day he was fully equipped with
sash and sword. They shook hands
and father asked:
General, do you think reinforce
ments will be here from Richmond in
time to restore the lnesP"
"No, SIR and he added: Give
my kind regards TO Mrs. n. and the
little girls"
There was a strange atmosphere
about that Sunday. The usual Sab
bath routine WAS obServed-,he table
laid for the dinner we were not dss
tined To eat, and We liule ones looked
on with lnteres, as the cook placed
the plump fowl on the DAIRY Shelf
ready for cooking when the proper
time arrived. But beneath The surface
calm quiverng dread was concealed.
The inner fortlficatiuns were only
about half mile from our house, and
as morning advanced the firing grew
louder and nearer, and it became APP
parent that we would probably need
some safe place for retreat. After
hasty discussion, the potato cellar was
prepared and stored with food and
other necessities, we children tolling
up and down the steep stairway with
our especial treasures, the most prec-
ious of all being a basket of kittens.
But we were interrupted by several
Confederate officers, who rode up and
told my mother we must leave the
house at once. When she objected,
saying she would remain while the
roof was left standing, they replied
that tine children must 60 anyway,
and that there was not moment to
lose. "Take those children" they or
dered the nurse, and she obeyed in
such haste that she let US 60 bonnetless.
A few minutes before my father had
sent my younger brother with wagon
and horses to cross the river into
Chesterfield. He was arrested, and
for several days we were uncertain as
to his fate, and h- thought we had
been killed. But We were guarded by
the shield of Providence that day,
else had We been "kllled twenty
times" for in crossing The open field
we were targets fDr friends aud foes.
1t all seemed like dream, the
bursting shells and whizzing bullets.
One she'll fell at my sisters feet but
did not burst, Mother had followed
US, first, with :ousekeeper's lns,inc.
se'zng her key basket, in her excite
ment not realizing that in few hours
nothing would remain-neither locks
nor anything TO be locked. We
reached the pontoon bridge just as i,
was being taken up, and were the last
persons who were allowed to cross, one
of the soldiers carrying me across in his
arms. He is still living, and sent me
a message some time since that he dis
,inctly recalled the occasion. The
day was spent in the deserted soldiers
camp in Chesterfield. and at sunset We
reCrossed the river on Campbell's
bridge, and spent the night in Peters
burg. War develops nerve and cndu
rance. Not child dreamed of com
planning, though our shoes had been
cut to pieces in the scramble through
brlars and over stones, and our feet
were covered with blood and bruises.
On Monday morning we started for
home and were just in sight Of our
house when the flames burst from the
Turnbull house. My father FASTENED
on in advance ID found several Fed
eral officers standing on our porch in
the act of leaving. He appealed to
the one who seemed IN command, ask
ing hIm to protect the house, saying
that we had been driven away by the
battle the day before and had no
other shelter. "Certalnly, sir" va,
the reply, "your house shall not he
burned while we are here; but we have
10 leave at once and the Lord only
knows what will become of you then"
We always found the Federal officers
extremely courteous, and in some in
stances, kindness itself; the outrages
and pillages were The work Of the
struggling soldiers and camp followers.
A few days later one of the strag-
glers was discovered in the act Of firing
the house, and was driven off by Fed
eral officer who most opportunely rode
UP Just in time We found desola,lon
utter and complete within and without.
Cannons had been planted al the par
lor windows, and near the door were
new made graves where the dead
had been hastily buried. The house
had been used for hospital and the
floors were slippery with blood AMI
grease. Not vestIge Of clothes re-
malned, or rather only unusable NOR
sells and fragments were left. Every
thing movable had been carried off,
and the heavy furniture broken. We
pulled open bureau drawer and there
lay our beloved kittens with their
,hroats cuts; even now | can feel the
bitterness Of tina, moment. Remnants
of the pink challie were found in the
ice house We lived on the hard,ack
picked up on the battlefield until Cap
tain Langdon, commander OF brig
ade Of artillery, on his way from Ap-
pomat,ox Court House, made our
house his headquarters, and not only
supplied our necessities at the time but
I . e.. A