The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1899-09-09

! eHeu III bleutlltss dSOny, tApeGelDS every
moment to hear that he was found.
1t seemed as if they would never leave
that room. Surely they had ample time to
search every nook and corner. What kept
them so long there? Could they have
caught him. and l not know it? But no
there would have been some exclamation,
or scruille, to indicate it. Everything
seemed still as death. What could it mean :?
began to grow weak, my head grew dizzy,
and then everything disappeared from my
view.
! When consciousness again returned, |
found myself lying on the ground, outside
of the house, and my three small children
standing alongside of me-
"My God what are they doing now ~
| cried, as | saw two men approach the
house with lighted torches.
'We could not find your husband, said
a voice close TO me, land so we are going
tc burn down the house, for we believe he
is concealed somewhere inside. If that will
iIbl liiSN MN 'Nbi 1lS IliNO ANh0b hiiNG anu
get used to fire.
At these terrible words instantly sprang
from the ground and darted toward the
men with the torches
In my frenzy l seemed to have super
natural strength, and, snatching the torch
from one, dashed it in his face, aud struck
the other such a powerful blow that he fell
TO the earth.
The next moment | was seized by the
others and the torch wrenched from my
grasp.
l was then hurried away to a tree and
bound to it, that l might give no more
| trouble.
ooh, men p said to them, "have you
no spark of humanity left? Why will you
destroy my home and all the goods
possess? What have l. or mine, ever done
to you, that you should treat me in this
cruel manner?'
eve do not want to harm you,' replied
one land if you tell us where your hus,
band can be found, we viii, spare your
house"
"What do you want with him % said.
He has never give you any cause to act as
you are doing"
Gle is spy aud informer, and we mean
to make an example of him."
81 swear to you, by all l hold sacred,
that he is not that he has never informed
on anyone for anything
"Well, we know better, and he has got
to suffer"
'If you will burn the house. | implore
you to let me get some of my clothing and
furniture out of it first ~
'No, not thing !" was the answer, as
they left me bound to tree.
A short time afterward l beheld the
whole house in a furious blaze.
The men then went away, leaving me
still bound to the tree, with my little
children clinging to me in terror.
At the thought OF my dear husband
burning alive, suffered such excrucating
agonies that my senses gradually became
benumbed, and outwardly l became calm,
still watching my burning home.
remember asking my little dears, in
quiet, ordinary tone. if their father was
still in the house? Or whether he had
escaped?
The poor little things began to cry, and
| remember looking at them and wonder
ing what could be the matter with them.
Just as the roof fell in, some of the
nearest neighbors arrived and unbound me
from the tree.
They then took me to the home of one of
them, where | was confined to bed for a
long time with brain fever As soon as |
was sufficiently convaescent to bear the
news | was handed long letter from my
husband.
He was then in one of the Northern
States, and wished me to come to him as
soon as should be able to travel
In his letter he gave a long description
of how he had escaped, and of the many
perils he had encountered before reaching
place of safety.
The men had searched the room he was
in had felt the bed he was under, and had
gone so far as to take off all the coverings,
and even take the feather-bed from the
straw-bed he was lying under. He expect.
ed every moment to he discovered, but,
thanks to that kind Providence which
watches over all, he was not destined to
become the victim of those midnight
assassins.
When they had left the room, he thought
that all was safe, and he then got from
under the bed and listened.
At the time | rushed up and seized the
burning torch, and thus drew the attention
OF the whole party to myself, he managed
to take advantage of the opportunity by
jumping out of the back window and es-
Gaping to the woods.
There he remained and saw the house
bsrn down, and by the light behed me
tied to the tree.
| l,o !,