A Virginia Girl in the Civil War, 1861-1865: being a record of the actual experiences of the wife of a Confederate officer — John Locke — John Shaqi
A Virginia Girl in the Civil War, 1861-1865: being a record of the actual experiences of the wife of a Confederate officer
John Locke · en
Our escort consisted of five soldiers who followed us, sitting in a
wagon on our baggage. That afternoon we passed through Charleston, and
Captain Goldsborough pointed out to us the house in which John Brown
had lived--an ordinary two-story frame house.
As well as I can remember we reached Berryville about nine o’clock. Our
ambulance drew up in front of the tavern, and Captain Goldsborough went
in to see about getting accommodations for us. He came out quickly and
said, “This is no fit place to-night for you, ladies. I am informed
that there is an old couple on the hill who may take us in. I hear,
too, that they are good Confederates,” he added mischievously. Of
course lights were out and everybody asleep when we drove up, but our
driver went in and beat on the door until he waked the old people up.
They received us kindly, and the old lady got a supper for us of cold
meats and slices of loaf bread, butter, milk, preserves, and hot coffee
which she must have made herself as no servants were in the house at
that hour; and we had a comfortable room with two beds in it. The old
lady came in and chatted with us awhile, telling us all she knew about
our army’s movements, and listening eagerly to what people in Maryland
had to say about the war. We were very tired, but I am sure it must
have been one o’clock when we went to sleep. At daybreak there came a
great banging at the front door. Mother put her head out of the front
window and inquired who was trying to break the door down.
It was our driver, and there at the gate stood our ambulance. The
driver hurried us desperately, saying we had not a moment to lose. The
noise had aroused our hosts, and when we got down the old lady had
spread us a cold lunch and made us a cup of coffee.
“I was hoping to have you a nice hot breakfast,” she said, “but since
you must go in such a hurry this is the best I can do. If I had known
you were going to make such an early start I would have got you a hot
breakfast somehow.”
We swallowed our food hurriedly, but this did not satisfy our driver.
Every few minutes he came down on the door with the butt end of his
whip. Finally we left off eating, ran up-stairs, and gathered up our
bags. As we hurried down, almost falling over each other in our haste,
we saw a magnificent-looking soldier standing in the hall. He was in
the full uniform of a colonel of cavalry, glittering with gold lace,
with gauntlets reaching his elbows, and high military boots.
“Mrs. Duncan and Miss Duncan, I suppose,” he said with a sweeping bow,
“and----”
“Mrs. Drummond and Miss Oglesby,” we said of the ladies who came behind
us.