The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-01-02


| while our household was sound asleep.
\ my mother was aroused at IL o'clock
| by light tan On her window. Ask
Ing who was there. she found 1t was
| her nephew, Il Confederate soldier, Just
! from the Federal camp: he had heard
! their plans discussed and stopped on
i his way to General Lees headquarters
/ to warn my mother that the town
I would be snollcd next day, and to i'm
aist on her leaving that night. This,
= however, was almost impUssiblc; lie
could not stay moment to aid us In
any way; there were no vehicles Of
any kind III tho town, tile Federal
soldiers having long since appropri-
atcd every carriage and horse. SO That
there was no way we could go except
TO walk for miles bitter cold De-
cember night. with n deep snow on
tho ground, and moreover. my aunt,
Mrs H., insisted that there must be
I! some mistake (sho being on most
! friendly terms with General Burnside,
owing to a very facilc disposition or
/ her part To make friends with the
! powers that be) and had he Intended
/, Smelling the town she felt assured he
| would inevitably have given warn
! ms.
(. Listening but little to this, but In
igiucnced by the reasons mentioned
above, my mother could sec no W.
for US to make our escape that night.
Moreover, having heard the same
alarm SO often without result. she
y thought II best to calmly await the
| day and then consult with friends as
| to what she must do.
She had scarcely fallen into brief
1 sleep when we were all awakened by
| the most frightfu noise, whose dull
reyerbcration struck. terror to our
ing.
Smelling Begun.
! At 4 o'clock on the 18th OF December
| one of the most cruel and hearrless
acts of the war was TO be pcrpctrated--
| the town of fredericksburg WAS to
be bonlbardcd. with no one in 1t but u
few invalid men with helpless women
| and children. AS quick as thought.
| being very rapid In her movements,
| was tho first 60 reach the cellar My
! mother had long since had some chairs
| and other pieces of furniture placed
| there In case OF an emergency. ! be-
| Ing the first child dressed, ran out
! into the yard. and as turned towards
| the cellar steps | beheld, 1t seemed to
| me, the most brilliant light that L had
/ ever seen. AS I looked my aunt reach
| ed out her arms and pulled me, quiver-
! ing with terror, into the cellar. "A
! shell had exploded at the back OF the
! garden. In reality at some distance. but
| To me it was If 1T had been ut my
/ very feet. Tho family soon assembled.
Including the servants. We had also
/ additions In the way of two gentlemen
/ from Stafford-Mr. 3. and Mr. CIVIC
/ had been detained in town. and
Lieutenant Eustace, of Braxton's Bat
! terry. who was returning from :. visit
/ to his home. also Il colored family
j Uncle Charles and Aunt Judy, with a
1,,,,, IDn,t Inc nj fyyn nr
! three other children. The couple had
! been left in charge Of their mistress's
| home (she being out of town., and
! with no cellar to their house. they
We're fain to come into ours.
Fearful Damage Wrought.
And now the work OF destruction
began, and for long hours the only
sound that greeted our ears was the
whizzins and moaning OF the shells
and the crash OF falling bricks aud
/ timber. My mother and we three chill
! dren 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.
! MIR. Il. and MIR. G. occupied posi-
/ tons of honor on each side of the
| large old fashioned fireplace while
| my aunt was covering inside, and
I every time ball would roll through
/ the house or shell explode she would
| draw herself UP and moan and shiyer.
/ Lieutenant Eustacc was i great com
| fort to my mother, and having some
I one to rely on enabled her to keep
! her courage up during the terrible or
/ deal OF the cannonadfnS. Although
| my brother. sister and myself wcre
I all frightened. we could not help
| laughing at the little dartey children
| with terror, old Aunt Judy keeping
| them close to her side and giving
! them severe cuffs and banks IL they
moved SO much as a finger
| Aunt Sally Rebels.
My aunt, as well as the rest OF US.
hunger, and Aunt =. ordered the cook
| in tho most positive manner to so
up to the kitchen and make some cof-
fee, telling her that she knew she was
afraid and we would all be satisfied
with only a cup of coffee for the pres
| emit believe Aunt Sally would have
! gone without word, II my mother
had told her, but this, from an OUT
was my uncle's wife, and the family
! servants had seen very little of herd
! She therefore, demurred. and Aunt B.
! calling her coward, she arose in a
| perfect fury, and with insubordina--
! ton written upon her from her rigid
| backbone TO her flashing eyes, inform
! ed Aunt B. dat she warn no mo- a
! coward dan de res OF EN-, but she
| didn't blieve Mars. Gin'l Lee hisself cud
| nady." Just about this time Uncle
! Charles sprawled himself out upon
| the floor in ungoverornable terror, and
/ called upon the Lord to save him and
| his family.
pray for US all, Uncle Charles"
screamed my aunt. her voice Just
! heard above the roar of artillery. The
| cannonadng was now something fear
| full. Our house had been struck twice
| and the shrieking balls and bursting
| bombs were enough to appall the
| stoutest heart. My aunt being very
brave in speech but in reality very
timorous, and Uncle Charles. "a bright
| and shining light" among the colored
! persuasion, she again requests him
| to pray. Aunt Judy by this time be-
| gan to bewail that she had 1ef' ole
| Mis- COW in the cowshed," and nistak-
| ing the moaning of the shells for the
| dying groans OF the COW she and
| Douglas lamented it in true darkey
| fashion. Uncle Charles meanwhile
| was very willing to pray, but Aunt
| Judy objected stronuously, saying dis
amt no time to be spendin' in pra'ar
Chars Pryor, wild dem bumb shells
| flying over You and Il fiazln around
you, and ole Mis- cow dyin' right dar'
in your sight"
But when the house was struck for
the third time, Aunt b., in despairing
accents. begged Uncle Charles to pray;