The National tribune., 1900-07-26

I eracy. 1t was a sight to see the rebel
] troops then marching over our hills be-
hind the Stars and Bars" while the
! strains of the bands playing Dixie" and
! the Bonnie Blue Flag echoed up and
down our valleys, whose banks are washed
by the green, sparkling waters of the
Shenandoah and the grand old Potomac.
I've always lived here. The happiest
dreams of my childhood are interviewer
as pearls with the silver shells along these
shores.
My story is a peculiar one for a girl Of
16 to figure in as the heroine. l think
you will not tire of the recital if you wore
the blue, and if any who read this wore
the gray let us shake hands over the
bloody chasm.
loved adventure, and through my faith
er had inherited a taste for danger. l
loved the war drums, flies and marches.
/ never thought then much of the dread
side of the picture.
My father was a Union man, and a
Union man on the border realized to the
fullest extent the very acme of danger at
tending the situation. Rebels frequently
came down the Valley on bushwhacking
expeditions. They hid among the rocks and
bushes, and amused themselves by shoot
ing at the pickets in blue on the towpath
by the canal in Maryland. This was only
side-show. The curtain went up on the
real play when from the cannon at the
stone fort on Maryland Hights a shell
shrieking after them as they skedaddIed
by the turnpike up Shenandoah Valley at
break-neck speed, havelockS flying (the
necessary armament Of the Southern vol
unteerJ, sabers clashing. We never knew
when we went TO bed, here on the border,
whether it would be the Blue or the Gray
when the day dawned.
Oct. ~, 1861, WAS an especially gray"
day. Col. Ashby came down the Valley
from Charlestown with a regiment TO pre-
vent the removal of large quantity of
wheat from Hers mill, on Winchester
Island, below us, by three companies of
the 18th Pa, three of the Sd Wis, and
three of the 18th Mass, under command
of Col. Andrew (brOther Of the ex-Gover-
nor of Massachusetts,. Without a shadow
of warning the rebels pOunced suddenly,
as if descending from the sky.
All the town and vicinity were thrown
into flame of excitement. The Union
families living near the Potomac fed to
Maryland TO escape the bombardment Of
the town from the Hights, leaving their
homes, containing all their earthly pos
sessions, entirely unprotected.
we had no time for escape beyond the
range of the shells. Father, being apprised
of the near approach Of the Confederates,
urged the family to leave our home on the
hills and 20 as quickly as possible to the
thinking its massive walls would be safe
retreat from the cannonading 1t is now
an old, picturesque ruin.
Almost frantic with fright, leaving faith
er alone at the house TO protect it, we
hastened down the path directly through
the wood to this house by the railroad.
Here we found detail of pickets Of the
18th Pa, cheerfully preparing breakfast,
not aware of the near approach of the
Confederates. Knowing that they would
soon be surrounded, rushed up 10 them,
and said:
Il am Union girl, and ! have come
10 warn you OF the approach of the Con-
federateS. They are on Bolivar Hights
now, and II they come down the County
road below you, which, You see runs obli-
queiy TO the railroad and forms a triangle
you cannot escape. They are coming down
the railroad now behind that curve"
The soldiers expressed doubt in regard
TO my warning. | excused this knowing
they were i'll the enemy's country l en-
treated them to go, saying: You had bet
Ter heed my warning. / am telling you
the truth. 1t is madness to delay further.
You will soon find no reason 10 doubt my
warning"
Fearing deception, they still hestated.
Yet detected anxiety in their faces, and
each man got hold of his gun. They then
informed me they could not leave their
post without orders. / repeated my en-
tiedtles, anu SafcaStlc9ily said:
1T will not be many moments befora
you VIII receive very positive orders from
the other side if you do not hasten. Some
tune you will know / am telling you the
truth"
started to follow my mother aud other
members of the family up the railroad
ohe or the pickets, with rifle in hand
ran down to the bank by the railroad,
and looking after me cried out:
III you see the rebels coming when you
pass that curve give us some signal"
answered "Yes!' forgetting almost to
insensibility my own danger.
had gone only short distance when
j came to the curve, and almost MOI n
company Of cavalry. l Immediately turned