"They treated our poor old father with great indignity also; dragged him
down the steps of the veranda, took his watch, rifled his pockets,
plundered the house, then set it on fire and burned it to the ground."
Her listeners wept as she went on to describe more minutely the scenes of
violence at Roselands, Ashlands, Pinegrove, and other plantations and
towns in the vicinity; among them the residences of the pastor and his
venerable elder, whose visits were so comforting to Mrs. Travilla in her
last sickness.
"They were Union men," Lora said, in conclusion, "spending their time and
strength in self-denying efforts for the spiritual good of both whites and
blacks, and had suffered much at the hands of the Confederates; yet were
stripped of everything by Sherman's troops, threatened with instant death,
and finally left to starve, actually being without food for several days."
"Dreadful!" exclaimed Rose. "I could not have believed any of our officers
would allow such things. But war is very cruel, and gives opportunity to
wicked, cruel men, on both sides to indulge their evil propensities and
passions. Thank God, it is over at last; and oh, may He, in His great
goodness and mercy, spare us a renewal, of it."
"I say amen to that!" responded Mrs.
Pages:
344
345
346
347
348
349
350
351
352
353
354
355
356
357
358
359
360
361
362
363
364
365
366
367
368