The National tribune., 1901-09-05

| bdut's OlNlSlOu UlONtNi
forward to play their role in the mighty
tragedy that was being enacted, until the
curtain of night dropped and closed the
bloody and heart-rending scene. On that
terrible Sunday night we knew that the
Army of the Potomac had been repulsed.
Orderlies and staff officers passed swift
lily to and fro over the field; whispered or
ders passed rapidly from mouth to mouth;
messengers fitted from regiment to regi-
ment in the darkness. Suddenly, the
whole army arose. Silently the men rolled
up their blankets and prepared to move.
Shortly before midnight the repulsed col
umns moved back toward the city. The
flights had been evacuated. The great
sacrifice of human lives had been in vain.
THE RUINS OF WAR.
| 1t was about midnight when we en-
tered the city. We found several diyi-
sions of the army already assembled there.
Stacks of arms lined both sides of the
street. Along the sidewalks were stretched
hundreds of weary soldiers, sleeping in
their blankets, while here and there a
form rolled in shelter-tent which had
originally been white, presented, in the
misty light, spectral-looking appearance.
Pickering lights could be seen slowly
moving in the streets, and here and there
dingy lights lit up dirlgy corners, seem
ingly increasing the gloom. From the
windows of large buildings calm, steady
lights struggled family forth, and the pas
senger, looking up from the street, could
discern that they were full of sick and
wounded while in the steadily-moving fig
ures Swallowed forth could be plainly seen
Surgeons and nurses as they tended the
poor soldier. In the entries of houses
dead and wounded We're lying on stretch
ers. The dead had been brought in from
the field alive, but had since expired.
Wagons stood in the streets, from which
rat baiDp iccnaI tn tho firpI and
hungry men who had come in from the
front. Bread was not weighed out there;
it was take what you want" The store
doors were wide open, and broken boxes
and barrels, weights, scales and destroyed
goods of all kinds flung recklessly around.
Soldiers, with bits of tallOw candles in
their pOwder-begrimed hands, were pry-
ing into the different apartments in search
of spoil. Some were pulling up the floor
ing in search of treasure, which they
imagined was secreted everywhere; some
were sounding the walls around; others,
standing on the end of a barrel were
holding a mimic auction, and dispOsing
of coats and waistcoats at "ruinOus sac
rifces" to the laughing and admiring
crowd.
Others, of a literary turn, were deciph-
ering accounts from great ledgers and en-
try books, and commenting on the lucky
situation of John Doe, who was the debt
More were counting out large piles of
Virginia bank notes. of which the bank
next door had been despoiled. Here and
there you could see a wagglSh fellow, In
female attire, strutting about on the arm
of a comrade, and, daintily lifting his
skirts, exposing n tremendous ankle clad
in an unrOmantic Government shoe. We
watched these scenes a little while, and
then moved away in search of more aris-
tOcratic quarters; and these were plenty.
We found a fine dwelling, with the win
dows standing invitingly open. We tried
the door; it yielded. Entering a fine hall,
a sidedOor led us into a splendidly-fur-
uished parlOr; a rich carpet was on the
floor; a well-filed bookcase against the
wall; n comfortable sofa and numerous
easy chairs were disposed about the room.
We let down the curtains, and locked the
door One OF ours went to a fine piano,
opened it, and, seating himself, gave us
snatches from al TrOvatOre," La Son
nambula," lie Prophetic" Der Frey
schultz" and gliding from ''Traviata" to
the dashing melody of the 'Bowld Soger
Boy" an hour or two passed merriy in
music and song; then the piano was
closed, and, after n brief examination of
the house, which belonged to a doctor, we
lay down on the soft carpet, and soon
were buried in sleep.
Early the next morning we strOlled
about the city, and went to the quarters
of the remnant of the famous Irish Bri-
gade. They were down by the river side,
and we found the havoc made among
their ranks to be worse than we antici-
pated.
Later in the day our officers received