Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1906-11-02
THE BATHLE-FIELDS
OLD SOLDIERS TALK OVER
ARMY EXPERIENCES
The Blue and the Gray Review Incl
dents of the Late War, and in a
Graphic and Interesting Manner
Tell Of Camp, March and Battle.

~ was al I1s spring O1 1000, WHITES
Elton Moreno in the Philadelphia
Times, that the fair county of Han
over was visited by the "raidels''-a
word that had often borne despair and
terror throughout the country side
and the rumor Of whose coming was
constantly floating in the air, hanging
over US like the sword of Damocles.
Yet never before this had the enemy
actually reached our own home. 1t
was pleasant day in April, a short
Suddenly one of the little darkies,
Susannah, came flying to the house,
her eyes as big as saucers, and exclaim-
ed in terrified tones:
Misses, de Yankees is coming dis
time, sure 'nough.''
We had heard false alarms so often
before that We hesitated to believe
that the dire calamity had really be-
fallen us, but to be prepared for the
emergency in measure Mrs. G..
rushed to the store-room and had a
barrel of flour rolled out and then
down slope at the side of the house.
There was no time for further precau-
ton, for, on looking out toward the
road-gate, we beheld the dense blue
masses galloping boldly up the walk
and over the flower beds and grass
plots. They hastily dismounted and a
number, headed by their captain, en-
tered the house and demanded the keys
to all the provisions. Mrs. G. accom-
panied them to the pantry and they
helped themselves to all the -four there
in contained. She demonstrated, telling
them we had more than twenty persons
dependent on us for food. So the cap
tain very gracefully said we might
have a peck Of our own -four.
They filed pillow-cases they had ap-
propriated elsewhere in the neighbor-
hood with this flour. All this time the
barrel that had been rolled down the
hill WAS exposed to view, lying care
lessly on it's side. They took it for
granted that it was empty, and thus
owing to this bold ruse, we were not
left destitute of food. They rifed the
smokeJhouse of it's contents, elegant
ETC., while their colored brethren and
sisters looked on in dismay at this
novel way Of showing kindness to them.
The captain kept a pistol in his hand,
ready to fire if any Of the helpless peo-
pie he was pillaging should dare to
resist. One Of these braves rode up
to Mr.. G., an elderly gentleman, who
was wearing new hat. 1t had cost
about twenty-five dollars and was re-
garded with pride If not with rever-
ence by the family. This impious war
rior leaned over and swooped the hat
off with the remark:
''Come out Of that hat, old gentle
man. you've got no use for it," They
then insisted on searching the house
upstairs and downstairs and in my
lady's chamber. During the progress
Of this inspection they found pair of
new saddle7bags, which they seized on
with avidity, and, although told they
had no right to them, yet they main
tanned they were contraband of war
and carried them off in triumph. These
were the only two new things that the
family possessed, and we considered it
fortunate that they had neither time
nor taste for our ancient possessions.
They had been repulsed at Ashland,
and were retreating to their bridge of
boats at White House, and wished to
devastate as much of the country as
possible in their hasty flight. In some
previous warning Of this raid we had
sent our horses and mules over the
river, the North Anna, to a friends
for safe keeping, but, alas. they dis
covered our favorite steed, "Old Bob"
large white horse of great strength
and some degree of beauty, and cap
tured him. We mourned him sincerely
and hoped he was we'll treated by his
captors, though grave doubts of his
we'll being would haunt us. We have
never had news of him since. An ac-
cident occurred to one of a party Of
raiders in Caroline County. At Mrs.
Ms they were dipping into preserves
such a rapid rate that they had not
time to examine the labels, and one,
more greedy than the rest, quaffed
large draught of horse medicine from
what seemed to be a, whisky bottle.
His dismay and CONSERVATION on
swallowing the dose was so ludiCrous
that even in the midst of the wreck of
crockery one could not but be amused.
The commander of that party was a
gentleman, and on being appealed to
with the request to save the contents
of trunks, which were about to be de-
molished and rified, he entered the
room and drove them out with a long
whip The family were grateful to
him and wished they had learned his
name. and so were we, for one Of the
trunks was ours, having been sent
thither for safe keeping, and contained
all of our silver plate and other valu-
ableS.
Our servants were faithful to our in