The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1909-12-11
SMELLING OF
FREDERICKSBURG
RecOIIections Of One Who Was a
Little Girl at That Time.
THE TERRIBLE DESTRUCTION
Scenes of War vividIy Described, Etc.


The following paper was read at the
last meeting of the Daughters Of the
Confe eracy o. thii city by Mrs.
Frances Bernard GoolrlcK, wife OF
Judge John L. GOolrIck, and at the re-
quest of the members and many others
we take pleasure in publishing IT, and
feel confident IL will be read with great
interest.
During the stormy winterof 1862, my
mother. a widow, with three little chill
dren, was still in her native place, FRED
ericksburg, Virginia. Many of the IN
habitants had long since left for Rich
mond and other points farther south,
for the town lying just between the
hostile armies was the constant scene
of raids and skirmlshes, and no one
knew at what instant everything might
be swept away from them. My moth
er. separated from her relatives by the
fortunes of war, decided that IT would
be best for her to remain where she
was and thus probably save the house
hold effects she had gathered around
her. The strongest arguments had been
used by friends in town and relatives
al a distance TO induce her to leave for
a place Of more safety, but so far with
out avail, and though we were often
alarmed by raids into the town, as yet
we had sustained no injuries Of any
In the fall the Federal
army. under Gen. Burnside, was on the
Stafford hills just across the river, and
it was constantly rumored that the
town would be bombarded; but lulled to
an insecure rest by many false alarms,
the people had but little faith in these
rumOrs,
On the 9th Of December, my aunt,
Mrs. II. arrived at our house from the
Federal Headquarters, where she had
been Hospitality entertained by Gen.
Burnside. (he was then occupying
Chatham. or the Lacy House, as it was
called. She was returning from Wash
ington. to which city Gen. Burnside
had given her a pass. On the night OF
the 10th of December, while our house
hold was sound asleep, my mother was
aroused at y O'Clock by a light tap on
her window; asking who was there. she
found it was her nephew, Confederate
soldier, Just from the Federal camp; he
had heard their plans discussed and
stopped on his way to Gen. Lees head
quarters to warn my mother that the
town would be shelled next day. and to
insist on her leaving that night. This,
however. was almost impossible; he
could not STAY moment to aid US in
any way: there were no vehicles OF any
KIND in the town, the Federal soldiers
having long since appropriated every
carriage and horse, so that there was
no way we could go except to walk for
miles a bitter cold December night, with
a deep snow on the ground, and more
over. my aunt, Mrs. H.. insisted that
there must be some mistake, (she being
on most friendly terms with Gen. Burn
side, owing TO very faclle disposition
on her part to make friends with the
powers that BEL and had he intended
shelling the town she felt assured he
would inevitably have given a warning.
Listening but little to this, but in
huenced by the reasons mentioned
above, my mother could see no way for
us to make our escape that night.
Moreover, having heard the same alarm
so often without result, she thought It
best to calmly await the day and then
consult with friends as TO what she
must do.
She had scarcely fallen into a
brief sleep when we were all awakened
by the most fnghtiul noise, whose Gull
reverberation struck terror to our souls.
There could be but one meaning.
At four O'Clock on the llth of De
cember, one of the most cruel and
heartless acts Of the war was to be
perpetrated, the town of Frederlcks-
burg was to be bombarded, with no one
in it but a few invalid men with help
less women and children. AS quick as
thought, we were up and dressed, and
my aunt being very rapid in her move
ments, was the first to reach the eel
lar. Ny mother had long since had
some chairs and other pieces of furnl-
ture placed there in case of an emer-
gency. being the first child dressed,
ran out into the yard, and as | turned
towards the cellar steps | beheld, II
seemed to me, the most brilliant light
that ] had ever seen; as ! looked my
aunt reached out her arms and pulled
me. auivering with terror, into the eel
lar. A shell had exploded at the back
of the garden, in reality at some dis
tance. but to me it was if it had beer
at my very feet. The family soon as,
sembled, including the servants; we hac
also additions in the way of two gentle
men from Stafford, Mr.. B. and Mr.. g.
who had been detained in town, and &
Lieutenant Eustace Of Braxton's bat
terry. who was returning from a visit tC
his home, also a colored family, Uncle
Charles and Aunt Judy, with small
boy named Douglas and two or three
other children. The couple had beer
1eft in charge of their mistress home
(she being out of town., and with nC
cellar to their house they were fam L
come into ours.
And now the work of destruction be
gan, and for long hours the only sount
that greeted our ears were the whiZzinl
and moaning of the shells and the crasl
of falling bricks and timber. My moth
er and we three children were seated
on a low bed with Ca'line, very small
darkey, huddled as close to us children
as she could get, trying to keep warm
Mr.. B. and Mr.. G. occupied positions
of honor on each side of the large old
fashioned fireplace, while my aunt wa
covering inside, and every time bal
would roll through the house or shel
explode she would draw herself up anC
moan and shiver. Lieut.. Eustace wa
a great comfort to my mother, and hav
ing someone to rely on enabled her Il
keep her courage up during the terrible
ordeal of the cannonading. Although
my brother, sister and myself were al
frightened, we could not help laughing
at the little darkey children who wer'
positively stricken dumb with terror
old Aunt Judy keeping them close Z
her side and giving them severe cuff
and bangs if they moved so much as |
finger.
Nv aunt, as well as the rest of US
now began to feel the pangs of hunger
and Aunt B. ordered the cook in th'
most positive manner to go up to thu
kitchen and make some coffee, telling
her that she knew she was afraid ant
we would all be satisfied with only
cup of coffee for the present. | believ'
Aunt Sally would have gone without
word if my mother had told her, bu
this, from an outsider, she could no
bear. (Aunt B. was my uncle's wifi
and the family servants had seen yer,
little of her). She, therefore, ,demurred
and Aunt B. calling her a coward, sh