Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-09-28

pnique and most interesting life was
,o,al meanlng-fron an historical stand
point
Mrs Kyle was the widow Of Captain W.
VI. Kyle, who died exactly year ago,
and who was one OF the Virginia Military
Institute cadets who left that institution
10 fsht FOR the Confederacy In 1864 no
came up from Richmond. where his com
paay was in camp, and married his school
sir sweetheart. Virginia Scott, who lived
near Newcastle.
belle in this part OF the State. and had
lovers by the score She had been en-
Gagged 10 Captain Kyle, & mere boy, but
captain OF q company of cadets. who were
Il The bravcst. But they had fallen out, -
IS lovers will, and he had gone to war to
get himself killed
fe had wealth-for those days-and. be-
:nG a practical young man, decided that
be would like to will his sweetheart his
property, slaves. lands. etc. and upon in
vesiigation. found he could not DO that
unless she was his wife. So he wrote TO
her and asked her # she would not re-
consider her decision, and marry him
Just TO inherit his property" He was
The only heir to fine property in Roanoke
and Botetourt counties. Miss Scott had
indeed reconsidered matters, and the at
fair was speedily arranged
The soldier came UP from Richmond,
IN February, 1864 and the marriage was
Ill i
war.
Their long life together, that followed,
vas one Of the purest devotion that I
ever knew. Last September Captain Kyle
fell dead IN his garden-in the 62nd year of
his age. This September. the widow fol-
lows, after a two days illness.
Perhaps no young Southern girl saw
q moro romantic side of the war than
did this lady. Several occurrences of I'M
written history are interesting, and serves
to show the personality of the spirited
girl
In 1863 a large party of Union soldiers
arrived in this county, and Were en- masse
at the home OF Miss Scott. Her father
was dead and her brothers in the Confed-
crate army. Five Union generals had
charge OF the blue coats, and the first
ones appeared on Monday morning, and
the last ones TO pass went on Friday.
nus. for five days seething mass Of
soldiery were moving past the old Inn,
not far from Sweet Springs, where Miss
Scott lived. and the destruction caused
by an army can scarcely be imagined.
Besides the soldiers. there were thou
sands of negro slaves, fleeing from their
plantation homes-some Of them half
nude and all of them brutaIized by the
contact with alien principles. They, OF
course, halted at the inn, and confiscated
everything in sight.
Miss Scott was is years old and most
beautiful and highly accomplished girl.
She was just home from woman's col
Jege. The family consisted of several
aides. some faithful servants, and sever
al children. They all went to the second
5oor and watched from the upper ball
ronies the destruction Of their property.
md the slaughter OF their stock.
Seeing a young and handsome girl on the
gallery, party Of the bolder Yankees"
forced their way up the gallery stairs
End We're met at the top by most indig-
nant young lady. who demanded their
right 10 enter the presence Of distressed
women.
One of them. a lieutenant, snatched bold
y at Miss SCOTS hand, and with an inn
pertinent compliment-a speech of coarse
rniration-attenlpted TO take a ring
from her finger But she was too quick
Cor him, and too lofty for such rudeness,
so with the toe of her boot she sent him
lpinning to the bottom Of the stairs, and
several others with him. 1t was so uneX-
pected that it was amply successful and
convincing.
But when the lieutenant reported the
affair to his general, as one man was
hurt in his fall General Averill himself
approached the young girl, and inquired
che I,o1 fpi Of IN
officers.
Were YOU not afraid to so?" he asked
No said the spirited girl, and should
not be afraid to treat you SO. if you We're
TO offer me a like indignity."
This so pleased General Averill that he |
offered TO make any PREPARATION he could
for her annoyances, and asked her what |
she would have him do
She told him she wished he would return |
her fine black riding horse-a blooded ami |
mai, and pet Of her very own. His men |
had stolen him, with all the other horses |
and cattle This horse was named Nc |
Donald" for Colonel j. c. Mcdonald, Wno |
was her brothers colonel il the Confed- |
crate army. and she abbreviated the name
by calling him Don"
So If General Averill would return Don"
TO his stall she would forgive the staff
officer whom she had kicked down stairs
General Ayerili was evidently charmed
with her daring, and her request was
graciously granted. Miss Scott must
however. come down in the yard, among
those thousands of Yankee soldiers, and
identify Don" If Don" could not be
found If some Yankee had already ridden
him away then she might select any horse
she wished from the thousands there.
This heroic rescue of her pet she would
have attempted, but older heads prevailed,
and the girl was not allowed to go into
that seething mass Of blue-coats; so, she
lost Don forever.
This story, about the ring episode, was
printed in the Richmond papers at the
time. and also the Raleigh, n. c., papers,
with graphic details; but this is the real
truth Of the affair
At another time Miss Scott played
more important. if less dramtic, part
In The history Of that convulsive period
"A midwinter, in 1868. ! think l was
Mir James Frazier was on his way from
Richmond, or perhaps Lynchhurs, with
very important papers. and large sum
OF money to pay off the Confederate
troops, then in the West Virginia cam
psign.
lie stopped at the Middle Mountain Hotel
for dinner, and a few moments after his
arrival there appeared large party OF