Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1907-04-06
THE FIELD OFBATTLE
INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES OF
THE WAR.
The Veterans OF the Rebellion Tell OF
whistlinS Bullets, Bright Bayonets,
Bursting Bombs, Bloody Battles,
Camp Fire, Festive Bugs, Etc, Eto.

aIlht&H
Such was the cry which reused Nell
Tarleton from her bed that summer
evening when Gen. Butler, at the head
of the Federal troops, swooped down
upon City Point, Va, and blocked the
road to Petersburg.
Nell Tarleton dwelt with her mother
and baby brother IN their old-fashioned
home on the James River. The father
OF the family was away on the Poto-
mac, fighting the battles OF the Con
federacy, and only few faithful ne
groes remained to guard Mrs Tarleton
and her children.
As Nell sprang from her bed she
heard tie rattle of musketry up the
river. A shell tore. screaming. over the
house, followed by another and anoth-
er. Then there burst forth from the
stables a lurid glare; and she heard
her mothers distracted voice shrieklng
that the negro quarters were ahre.
Nell's fingers trembled violently, but
she managed to don her frock and
HAANNN OSAVAN OdN Aunt Al hSAlld NAAAiS
numbering up the stairs and drove the
child, shoes in hand, from the room.
"Doan min 20 shoes, till yo' gifts
out O fab" exclaimed Aunt Drusilla,
resolutely and 10. barefOoted and half
clad Nell hurried through the confusion
of the hall and into the lawn before
the house.
There she found her mother hysteri-
cal and helpless, and there, too, was the
baby, snugiy wrapped up, and carried
by his nurse, the mulatto Phoebe Some
valuable hastily put together lay IN
bundles on the grass-planly revealed
in the ruddy light from the blazing
huts Nobody seemed to know what
to do until Aunt Drusilla swept upon
the scene Then movement took the
place Of lnaction.
'Heah, yo' fool niggahs," cried the
old COlored woman. what for yo' star
in Ell dom notfin'? Want de Yankees
to cOtch yo', huhf Grab dem bundles
an run for de woodR An yo, too,
Mis- --, an yo', honey run, tell yo'.
Phoebe, min dat ar chile, or | warm
yo'. ver'body's got to run :"
And everybody ran-even fat Aunt
Drusilla herself Down the dewy lawn,
with the Federal bullets whistllng
among the treetops hard by. and the
flames spreading to the barns and sta
bles, they fed. For In the night attack
no one was safe. Neither North nor
South warred against women and chill
dren, but under cover of darkness the
gravest danger threatened all within
the area Of attack.
At last they reached the dense woods,
and the sound of firing came but faint.
ly to their ears, though the glow OF
the distant fire still showed it's grim
reflection upon the sky line.
"Das far 'nough," grunted Aunt Dru-
silla herself. Down the dewy lawn,
she had kept well in front OF the race.
"We can rest now. Put dem bundles
down you boys an, oh; my Lawd
Whar's PhOebef'
Poor Mrs. TarletOn turned Mt the old
womans frightened cry turned to see
that the young mulatt0 was indeed
missing, together with her precious
charge, the baby The unfortunate
lady's brain reeIed at this last terrible
calamity, and she fell fainting upon the
path.
KneeHng by her side and chatting her
hands, Aunt Drusilla cried frantically
to the negro boys who stood around TO
search the woods.
go back de way we come" she
shouted Phoebe mus be captured or
shot Go back m fetch young marse
fore de Yankees git him"
But the negroes hung their heads
sheepishIy.
"We'se fraid. Aunt Drusilla. Deed
we'se drefful 'fraid," they moaned.
wrathfully the old woman rose to
her feet
An 20 call yo'selves ~ she ex-
claimed "Yos muffin bat pack o.
cowar,ily possnms, I'll go
back mahself Yassur. or Aunt Dr-u-
sIlla amt scared o Yankee guns when
young Marse Hals lef' benin"
True to her word, the stout hearted
Drusilla turned In the direction Of the
burning outbuildlngs and shufied down
the pathway as fast rs she could 20.
But another pair Of feet were lighter
than hers little girl IN iimsy
frock, with her shoes clutched in her
hands. sped past the old negress 1t
was Nell Tarleton, trembling no longer.
but wild with eagerness 10 save her
baby brother.
Come back, honey Fo' de Lawd's
sake, come back :" gasped Aunt Drusil-
la. as she snatched mayaiIingiy at the
small figure. which rushed ~ swiftly
BY. But Nell only shook her head and
ran the faster Farther and farther
behind dropped poor Drusilla. until at
last she lost sight Of Nell altogether.
Then she threw up her hands and sank
desparingly upon log.
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