Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1916-05-25

INIA\ osity to see the REBELS as those
monsters of distorted magma
a. ton went Gathering through on
their horses or stopped to rest in the shade OF the
trees which lined the streets. Salome Myers was
working with her mother in the sitting room pre-
pairing the midday meal. Mrs Myers was not one
to wall and weep at the approach of armed men.
She proceeded calmly about her routine housework
without waiIing.
For a time Salome wound the strips of linen and
cotton as rapidly as did her mother, and gave no
more thought to the outside noises than did the
older woman; but at length the girl heard a louder
noise than usual. 1t was the tramp of a body of
infantrymen coming up the street. She was only
human, and ran to the front window and threw it
up. A large squad of Confederates were bringing
some Federal prisoners into town.
There were signs of increasing excitement
among the Confederates. Orderlies went clatter-
ing up and down the street, and men were clean
ing rifles 'in anticipation Of immediate conflict.
Nothing happened that night. Salome slept little.
All night long the military shouts were ringing,
sharp orders and sudden challenges echoed
through the streets.
In the morning she darted to the window. There
was not a sign of the Confederates. They had
gone. A. little after breakfast another rumble and
chatter was heard. All dashed to the windows,
peeTed out, then tore into the street yelling like
mad. 1t was the Union meI ~galloping in. They
poured past in seemingly inexhaustible numbers.
The villagers, free to mingle once more, ran about
~excitedly. Salome soon found her place among
the girls of her own age, who were as thrilled and
-awed as she.
Suddenly the cry ran around: "Buford's cavalry
rs coming. They've ridden all the way from Vir-
ginia without a stop" and a cheer of welcome
followed the news over the town.
When they had passed an orderly dashed
through the town calling upon all the villagers to
go to their cellars. The battle was about to begin.
AS they were filing into their houses the first guns
roared cut, and gradually grew in number and
volume until the windows chartered steadily in
their easements. All day they crouched in the
cellar. Now and then a bullet would strike the
buildings, and sometimes the glass from a break
ing window would tinkle so that they could hear
it from the recesses of their retreats. Troops
went rushing by, sometimes silently, sometimes
with loud huZzas.
Late in the afternoon Doctor Fulton came to the
head of the stairs and called down. He asked if
there were any women below who could help
care for the wounded. Mrs. Myers replied that
of course there were, and started up the stairs.
SaIome would have followed, but her father halted
his wife and tried to persuade her of the danger.
But the good woman was determined, and conse-
,quently they all went up. The Catholic church
close by had been turned into a hospital.
The girl darted out of the house and across the
lawn. At the church door she halted. She did
not dare look inside. Horrible groans, shrieks
sand cries were echoing in the interior. A couple
of men brushed past her with one of the stretch
ers between them. She glanced down. A face
covered with blood was all she saw. A weakness
gripped her heart and she staggered to one side,
Someone inside was cursing with persistent bias
phemy. Somehow the vigor and naturalness OF
the act brought back her self-possession, and she
-vnNrphed ineida Tho floor was povnrpd with hI0Od
Men with legs or arms gone were rolling and tum
bling over still, silent figures. Others we're scream
ing and ~clutching at their mangled bodies In help
less and maudlin suffering. A %sickening odor SEM
the girls head Keeling again. At her feet a mar
lay watching her with dull bleared eyes. She
dropped on one knee and tried to speak to him
She had no voice. Her hand trembled and SHE
started violently as she touched him. Finally shC
stammered, What can / do for your"
Nothing" he murmured slowly. I'm going tt
die" and he smiled feebly. 1t was too much. Sh'
fed to the church steps, q~uivering and sobbing IL
long gasps.
1t was near shutdown and the end of a horrible
day. The babel grew worse and worse. Doctor
as bloody as any of the wounded men hurried
here and there. Nurses ran in and out bearinl
bandages and buckets of water. Slowly Salon
rose to her feet. She would go back in, she coulc
bear it now she thought, and acting on the i'm
pulse. inspired by she knew not what, she scurriec
back into the shambles. She avoided ~glancing a
the room, but knelt at the head of the man t
whom she had first spoken. He was brighter ant
smiled when she raised his head for a draft o
water. She opened his clothing and found
wound in his breast. She bathed it gently. !
doctor passing told her that the man had beef
shot through the lung and that his spine was shat
tered. There was no hope. She looked down a
the doomed man with great eyes. He was tug
ging at his belt and pulled out a pocket Bible