Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1897-02-25
DEMOCRATIC NORTHWEST NAPoLEoN.o. FEBRUARY 25 1897

was urRen 70 tne prrior In Richmond
and put in something had never heard
Of before-a glory pitcher. / had great
curiosity 10 know what a glory pitcher
was Day and night kept my ears open
to try to find out, and on the Fourth Of
July / did, for they took me ont and
lied the pitcher with punch and drank
General George Washington's health,
End / heard them say that when General
Washington died these pitchers were
made Of china, with picture of Gen
eral Washington being taken up to glory
on their sides. Every 22d of February
and Fourth Of July they were used for
punch. If had been sound money,
would have known that sister of the
poet Longfellow, Mrs Pearce of Port
land, Me-, had one of these pitchers,
but I was of mushroom growth-knew
nothing of traditions and really very lit
tie about myself.
Well, l remained prisoner in soli-
tary confinement in Richmond until
evacuation day came. 1t was Sunday,
and heaven seemed to give one grand,
glorious smile to the last day of the
Confederacy. A smile like q martyr
wears ON his dying face, and nature,
every tree and flower, was bursting
with green leaf and blossom, struggling
to be free, and / thought the fearful
eyes of my dear ladies should take COM
fort and remember that they, too, had
been prison bound and now were free
ing themselves.
l had grown to love the lady in
whose care had been, she was SO pure
and brave, and became unhappy lest
some evil should befall her and her lit
tie children. / saw her kiss her husband
goodby and saw her hand her jewels
and valuables to an old slave, who
promised to do his best to protect her
In a short time the city was in flames,
the water cut off, the gashouse destroy
ed, and darkness reigned. The streets
were full Of Union soldiers and army
followers, and the desolation of that
house was beyond anything I can de-
scribe.
Suddenly heard my friends coming
down stairs, and felt my dear lady's
soft white hand pick me up from the
glory jar, smooth me out, and, calling
Uncle Harry, faithful old slave, she
said: "Uncle Harry, this shinplaster
came from o fight in Williamsburg.
Richard gave it to me, and have kept
it all this while. see they have estab-
lished suffers store across the way. If
you are not afraid, go and see if it will
buy me some candles, for if it will we
will not be quite SO forlorn"
Uncle Harry grabbed me with his big
old black hand and said: "God knows,
Miss Mary, you always was good, and
God gwine to take care Of you and
yourn and we and us. Afeerd? amt
gwine to come back 'dout dem candles,
scusin dey hain't got none. And he
brought back three, and the light they
shed was like the glory of Coda light
in dark place.
She lit one and made patrol Of the
house from garrett to cellar, under the
beds and in the closets; would blow it
out and in few hours reconnoiter again
for when they were gone, where
would any more come from? But she
knew that "unto the upright there
ariseth light in the darkness, T" and her
beautiful faith sustained her. was in
the suffers shop back in the Union
lines, and I missed my glory pitcher and
all the exciting news l used to hear
from the doctor and the generals and
my gay young lady. Althoroh fair ex--