The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1907-04-11
THE FIELD OF BATTLE
INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES OF
THE WAR.
The Veterans of the Rebellion Tell of
whistling Bullets, Bright BaJonets,
Bursting Bombs, Bloody Battles.
Camp Fire, Festive Bulge, Etc, Etc.

AVttNt W Etti sun
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-
mae, 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 the 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 shrieking
that the negro quarters were afire.
Nell's fingers trembled violently. but
she managed to don her frock and
shoes before old Aunt Drusilla came
numbering up the stairs and drove the
child, shoes in hand. from the room.
"Doan min yo' shoes, till yo' gifts
out o. fiah." exclaimed Aunt Drusllla.
resoIutely; and so, 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. snugly wrapped UP, and carried
by his nurse. the mulatto Phoebe. Some
valuable hastily put together lay In
bundles on the grass-plainly revealed
in the rudy 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 inaction.
"Heah, yo' fool niggahs." cried the
old colored woman. what for yo' star
in en- dom nofiin'? Want de Yankees
to cotch yo', huhf Grab dem bundles
an run for de woods. An yo'. too,
Mis- -. an yo', honey; run. l tell yo'.
Phoebe, min dat ar chile, or 1 warm
yo'. Ever'body's got to rum
And everybody ran-even fat Aunt
Druslla herself. Down the dewy lawn,
with the Federal bullets whistling
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
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 its grim
reflection upon the sky line
"Das far 'nough,v grunted Aunt Dru-
silla herself. Down the dewy lawn.
she had kept we'll in front of the race
We can rest now. Put dem bundles
down you boys. an, oh; my Lawd.
Whar's Phoebe?'
Poor Mrs. Tarleton turned at the old
womans frightened cry-turned to see
that the young mulatto was indeed
missing. together with her precious
charge, the baby! The unfortunate
lady's brain reeled at this last terrible
calamity, and she fell faintlng upon the
path
Kneeling 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 an fetch young marse.
fore de Yankees git him."
But the negroes hung their heads
sheepishly.
"wese 'fraid. Aunt Drusilla. Deed
we'se drefful 'fraid." they moaned.
wrathfully the old woman rose to
her feet.
AN yo' call yo'selves men," she sx-
claimed. "Yo's muffin but a pack o.
cowardly 'possums. I'll go
back raahself Yassur. OF Aunt Dru-
silla ain't scared O. Yankee guns when
young Marse Halls lef benin"
True to her word. the stout-hearted
Drusilla turned in the direction OF the
burning outbuildlngs and shuffied down
the pathway as fast as she could go.
But another pair of feet were lighter
than hers. little girl In a fimsy
frock. with her shoes clutched In her
hands, sped past the old negress. 1t
was Nell Tarleton, trembling no longer,
but wild with eagerness to save her
baby brother.
Come back, honey, Fo' de Lawds
sake, come back :" gasped Aunt Drusil-
la, as she snatched unavaillngly at the
small figure. which rushed, so swiftly
By. But Nell only shook her head and
behind dropped poor Drusilla. until at
last she lost sight of Nell altogether.
Then she threw up her hands and sank
desparingly upon log.
dat ends 1t ALL" she soh5ed sboy
and gal bofe gone now. whatlI Marse
Tah'leton say when he comes back?
. An poor Mis-. Boun' to kill her
daid when she hear dat Nelps gone,
too"
On through the woods ran Neither
mothers agonized face ever before her,
and the determination to save little
Hall strong within her. A jagged stone
cut her bare foot but could not stay
her even for an instant. Now she saw
the roofs Of her fathers house, illum-
mated by the spreading fire, and now
again the shells went whistling over
her head Rabbits and squirrels sour
ried madly past her, escaping from the
advancing troops. She heard the sound
Of many footsteps, and the sharp bang
| ing Of the Federal rifles. On the rising
ground before the house black figures
hurried to and fro-the van Of Buffers
army. But she did not stop. What
were the enemy to her when Hal was
| missing by chance bullet,
perhaps, and dying in.the fields
With roar the house caught fire,
| and a shower of sparks scared into the
air and fell among the trees. A bull
of hinged not foot away from Nell