Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-09-12
"Who Is the Lady,"
Find an Answer
II Was Mrs. Hughson. Of Basic
City, Who Was Assisted
Through Battle Lines.

Editor OF Tho Times Dispatch
Sir.-ln The Times Dispatch OF Au-
gust ]. II. g. Ormc, OF Phoenix, ArIz..
under tho caption of who Is the
Lady, writes about an incident Of the
battle OF Trevilians. in which he as
sisted young woman who Vas fleeing
with ncr baby through the battle lircs.
That lady was Mrs. Lucy a. Hugh
son. OF this place, and the baby she car
ried is now Rev. Otis HughsoT. o: Lex
ington, k".
Tho lady, who celebrated her seventy
eighth birthday on August Is last. told
mo this morning the story Of her adj
ventures on that far-off day.
In the morning of the first days bat
tie She heard the sound Of cannonading
II mile or two east OF Trcvilians. and
as the morning wore on II came nearer.
and by IL or IL o'clock the Southern
forces had been pushed back through
the village by the enemy, who took II
position, with her home near the CEN
ter
While looking from n window in the
upper story. the Confcdcrates. who had
made a stand short distance away,
began to shell the Yankees. She was
accosted hy an officer. who sharply
commanded her to take her head inside
the window. Answering her inquiry
as to where she should go. he replied:
Get in the cellar" She told him there
was none. lie replied: We'll, then, ono
place Is as good as another"
In few minutes shell crashed
through the house. upon which she
took UP her baby and da shed out of
the house and yard and ran as hard as
She could for neighbours house n mile
away. The Union soldiers yelled at
her 10 go back in the house, telling
her she would be Killed. but she kept
right on, and entered a pine wood
By that time the battle was raging,
with shells and bullets tearing through
the pines. She arrived safely at the
neighbor's house and remained there
until nMxt morning.
During the night she could hear the
rc-enforccments from General Lees
army hurryins towards Trevilians.
She returned TO Trevilians next morn
ing 10 SEQ what had happened to her
house. Right at her yard gate the
splendid horse ridden by the officer who
accosted her the day before lay dead
She never learned the fate of the rider.
She found her house sacked and
everything destroyed or taken away:
her tables had been taken TO the yard
and several barrels of -four dragred
from the attic and fed to the horses
On the tables. One OF the tables showed
where piece was bitten out by a
horse. All bedding. bed clothes, etc,
had been taken TO the railroad station.
which had been converted into a hos
pital. where the wounded of both
armies were being cared for.
When she started to leave they de-
tained her. but finally consented for
her 10 go and gave her pass through
the lines. but before she could get out
they took her before the commanding
general, who tore tho pass UP and said
she knew too much about the army and
would have TO stay
strengthening up. she told him she
was going 10 her baby. and with tina I
She started as hard as she could and
pushed her way through the horses of
Sheridan's cavalry, which was massed
at that point. She got to her dcstina
ton safely. She says she would love
to meet and greet the old veteran who
so gallantly assisted her on that fear
full day, and regrets so much that they
were unknown to each other while H.,
and his mother were in Virginia last
June A.p cArEEr
Basic City. Va.
T. ET-7r57t-