The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-02-28

colored woman in Petersburg, Va, one
bright summer day as a whizzing sound.
followed by crash of shivering glass and
splintering wood, caught the attention OF
every one simultaneously. Can be a
trkkey buzzard flynn fru' de ar; sound
too loud fur dat. Hi! sumpin dun bus .
Cleverer minds than Aunt Mimys WOE
dcred what the mysterious sounds, chic.
chic, chic meant; but soon our specula-
items were uncomfortably set at rest By
the alarming report from headquarters:
That means the shelling of the town.
Thus was begun the long-continued in
yestment OF Petersburg, with its artillery
Cucb by days it's pyrotechnic displays OF
mortars and burning fuses by night, its
dismal trench life, and decimating pickle:
fire.
We knew at that time nothing of
ricochet shells. fuses, or mortars; Were
ignorant of the difference between the
d,gnifed thirty two-pounder the ordinary
tweEty-pounder, and the frisky little ten.
FOUNDER; but, too soon, we learned all
these distinctions in that school contain
i1g SO few dunces-experience-w
added to these more pompous sounds was
the softer Tip, tip, tip of the plcketing.
soon becoming so monotonous as to be
like the ticking of clock noticeable
only by its absence. Those living in the
exposed portions OF the town We're or
iioei to desert their dwellings, which
We're entered by shells of all calibre, while
such as were fortunate enough to be out
of range of the batteries, subject only to
a ricochet shot now and then, could, by
submitting to many pr1vations, remain
Many were of this latter class, preferring
any discomfort at home to drifting life
as they had seen it exemplified in the
abiding places of the refugees, or, as !
little boy pronounced it, "roughugee,"
which was, after all. hardly a mistake,
when one recalls the rough places over
which they so cheerfully walked.
On one occasion a friend of mine, whose
beautiful home had been burned without
the removal of picture or even book,
asked the maid Tin her "roughugee"
home) to bring another chair, and was
nonplused by the reply, quickly gwen:
Lord! ole Miss, dar amt even 'nuther
cricket in de house, let lone nuther
cheer
The refugees were often forced to live
in half-furnished houses, as the business
of war gave US no time to develop Gin
fart INDUSTRIES and our importatons
were Gor reasons unnecessary TO mention)
limited The indispensable article OF
chairs was so scarce that the seating ot
visitors was accomplished in detachments,
on the order of relief guard.
To those who refuged from Petersburg
there were newer phases of experience
than had existed before, since the limits
of the Confederacy had narrowed till
what was deemed Secure place" was
IL nc n,,o Io.Jw
herself immensely fortunate in the posses
sion of two tin barrels, which constituted
het entire quartermaster's department,
as she hastily retreated before the in
coming shells. In selecting a spot for
safety she chose camping pace near q
part of the army, as much for assistance
as for protection. Being furnished with
q canvas tent by an officer, she lived,
with her family, contentedly and bravely
under its warlike folds, while her two tin
barrels and various boxes, all of original
designs, formed her entire domestic estab-
lishment. In rainstorm one night while
all were soundly asleep, down came the
tent over them, the wet, heavy canvas
making prisoners of them all, as they
coulG not move neither hand nor foot,
bit they managed, nevertheless, to wall
out their woe with such fine effect that
di7rs quickly lifted the canvas, straight
ened up the poles. and started them to
housekeeping anew.
Another friend lived for months in a
barll-a woman, whose home had been
centre of cultivation and refinement. Yet
another was allowed land this was o
wonderful piece of good fortune, indeed,
to, domesticate herself in one part of
MIL, out of reach of the balls and almost
cut OF sound of the bullets. where, by
careful manipulation of sheets as i'm
promptu draperies, sufficient division of
apartments draperies, sufficient division
OF apartments was secured to prevent
speedy relapse into ancient barbarism.
One very clever young lady had care
July packed into a strong trunk her most
valuable garments, emblems of cultivat-
ed pre-existence, and, be assured, silk
dressed, velvet wraps and fine underwear
were among the most important mon
existent" facts of the Confederacy. She,
feeling secure In the possession of such
wcrdrous attire. placidly wore her war
clothes" and hied her to the country.
leaving at home her valuable trunk. care.
fully locked and securely strapped: but
shells, in those days, were not aesthetic
enough to spare the beautiful nor chiyal-
ric enough to take pity on distressed
damsels; so straight from Battery 5 came
thirty-two FOUNDER, crushed into the
house, exploded in the very room con-
tanning the treasure, sent two of its
finest fragments on a mining and sapnino
expedition, excavating through each hole
of every garment two such holes as would
have agonized the heart of any Confed
crate woman gazing ruefully askance at
her poor little homespun gown and sadlv
thinking OF what might have BEEN
Obi exclaimed the owner of the dc.
spoiled trunk; "for many things might
have forgiven the Yankees, but for the
loss of my wardrobe, never!"
h(mbmfr-srcoffm1 adh ,'glR etaoin sh
Those who remained at home were close
prisoners in their houses, as none ever
knew, however peacefully the day begen.
how quickly violent cannonading would
ensue, and many were the novel expert
erces of the few who dared the worst I
recall distinctly one old lady who always