Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1906-10-27
THE BATTLE-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.


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 ruInor 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, short
time before the fall OF Richmond
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 hestated 70 believe
that the dire calamity had really be-
fallen US, but 10 be prepared for the
/ emergency In q measure Mrs. G.
rushed to the storeroom and had
| barrel of flour rolled out and then
/ down a slope at the side of the house
1 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
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 flour 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 peck of our own -four.
They filed pillow-cases they had ap-
propriated elsewhere in the nelghbor-
hood with this -four. All this time the
barrel that had been rolled down the
hill was exposed to view, lying care
lessly on its side. They took It for
granted that 1t was empty, and thus.
owing to this bold ruse, we were not
left destitute Of food. They rifled the
Smokeshouse of It's contents, elegant
homemade hams and shoulders, jowls,
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 10 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 4 not with rever-
ence by the family. This implous 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
ladys chamber During the progress
OF this inspection they found a pair of
new saddle-ngs, which they seized on
with avidlty, and, although told they
had no right to them, yet they main
tained they were c0ntraband Of war
and carried them off in triumph. These
were the Only two new things that the
family possessed, ana 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
deyastate 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, 10 a friends
for safe keeping, but, alas, they dis
covered our fayorite steed. "Old Bob"
a large white horse Of great strength
and some degree Of beauty. ana cap
tured him. We mourned him sincerely
and hoped he was well 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-
cldent occurred 10 one Of a party Of
raiders in Caroline County At Mrs.
Ms they were dipping into preserves
and pickles and cmptying bottles at
such rapid rate that they had not
time to examine the labels, and one,
more greedy than the rest. quaffed a
large draught Of horse medicine from
what seemed 10 DE a whisky bottle
/ His dismay ana CONSERVATION on
swallowing the dose was 50 luIlCrous
that even In the midst Of the wreck Of
crockery one could not but be amused.
Z no Gamma ndor ~ tftef marty t,.ne "a