No, this would maybe not would, so on we ran, footsore and tired; sometimes we would see an effective soldier that would hold certainly one of you an initial range
We’d today hit the brand new “Reservoir,” a wood building more than “Poplar Springtime,” and regarding the a distance away from area. I got already destroyed certainly my boots once or twice, because of with [Pg 46] zero string in it, and my little cousin insisted to your offering me one of his, therefore we seated down by “Reservoir” feeling really safer, but was indeed badly alarmed in certain moments because of the a basketball coming through the building and whizzing really alongside our very own ears. The servants, but Ca’line, who was merely eight years of age, got removed various other advice. Once we had about two miles out of urban area we overtook of a lot most other refugees; some was basically hiking incidentally, and others pressing on the, some so you’re able to country homes which were hospitably thrown accessible to wanderers at home, and others in order to “Salem Chapel,” around three miles regarding Fredericksburg, where you will find a big encampment. Our destination is actually a property not far from “Salem Chapel,” and this we now label the brand new “Retreat House.” Tired, we hit our house by the twilight, discovered around specific relatives who had been here certain days, and you will just who please took united states to their place and you can offered united states every attention. And so high is actually the relief to feel that individuals got escaped about horror of that day, you to definitely such as short things as the having to sleep in the room with a dozen somebody, with zero dairy without coffees, all of our prominent diet plan composed of corn cash, bacon and you will sorghum, searched simply moderate difficulties.
A floor was rough and you can split up from the tramping out-of troops together with big wagons and you may weapons that had enacted more than it, so it is hard and tedious simply to walk, additionally the sunrays had loving from this some time and the fresh new accumulated snow are melting rapidly; new dirt is indescribable
Regarding the prevent of the bombardment, as well as the first attack of your town from the Connection pushes, up to they were inspired over professional dating only consumer reports the river once again, Fredericksburg are mercilessly sacked. All day long, from the households, and especially from the huge dated residential property one to well-known the city, appeared the newest music regarding splintering chairs, the brand new crash of chinaware, and-occasionally-a scream. Into the walls hung headless portraits, that person gashed by bayonets. Bayonets torn discover mattresses plus the feathers heaped within the stacks or blew concerning the avenue, full of women’s and you may men’s clothes and you may characters and you may documentation thrown of tables. Mahogany furniture heated the latest despoilers, and you can ten thousand was drunk for the pilfered liquors. Doors and windows was in fact broke, the fresh avenue laden with dirt, [Pg 47] by which drunken people grotesquely garbed during the ladies’ shawls and you may bonnets, staggered; flame flower from inside the cigarette smoking pillars every now and then, together with provost shield are helpless to control the fresh strange orgy off stragglers and you will camp followers who were nuts that have plunder lust, in the middle of the brand new inactive and injured scattered from the. A fearful image of war is Fredericksburg when it comes to those December days throughout the eleventh towards thirteenth.
Towards residents out of Fredericksburg, those times meant personal bankruptcy, because of their submissives was presented with, their stores and you may places of worship was indeed battered, its silverware stolen, their homes despoiled in addition to their gowns worn otherwise discarded. Wealthy men were to walking straight back a short while afterwards so you’re able to their house urban area just like the paupers; ladies and kids was to come back to food cravings and you can pain into the bleak winter weather; and all sorts of this was the consequence of just what Standard Lee said was an entirely “unnecessary” bombardment and of times of pillage, and this no serious try to avoid was made. Fredericksburg try brand new blackest just right Burnside’s not one too effulgent character.