hed mahogany. They were now denuded of nearly
all such elegant wood-work. The latter, with much of the carved
furniture, had been appropriated for fire-wood. Pretty expensive fuel?
Yes, but not nearly so expensive as the discomfort of staying there
without a fire, with the temperature just above the freezing-point, and
your feet and body wet through from the rain and slush of the storm
outside, in which you were doing picket duty. The only other fuel
obtainable was a few soggy green logs; whether these had been cut from
the old shade trees surrounding its ample grounds or not I do not know.
I more than suspect they had, but the only way they could be made to
burn in the old-fashioned open fireplaces was to assist the flames with
an occasional piece of dry wood, the supply of which, as long as it
lasted, was from the panels, wainscoting, and furniture of the house.
Later on the interior doors, all of heavy, elegant hardwood and finished
in keeping with the other appointments of the place, had to go. This may
seem at this distance as vandalism pure and simple. But if the would-be
critic will place himself in the shoes of the soldier doing picket duty
that winter, with all its hardships, and then remember that Colonel
Lacey, the owner of the place, was not only in active rebellion against
the government we were fighting to maintain, but was a colonel
commanding a rebel regiment as a part of that great rebel army encamped
not a rifle-shot away, which made it necessary for us to do this picket
duty, he may reach the same conclusion as did our men, that it was not
worth while to freeze ourselves in order to preserve this rebel's
property. The large and ample grounds had been laid out with all the
artistic care a landscape gardener could bestow upon them. Rare plants,
shrubs, and trees from all over the world had been transplanted here in
great variety. They were now feeling the bitter blight of war. Army
wagons and artillery had made sad havoc of the beautiful grounds, and
such of the rare trees and shrubbery as interfered with a good vision of
the operations of the rebels in and around Fredericksburg had been
ruthlessly removed, and this included the larger part of them.

The Christian Commission had its head-quarters in one wing of the house
during this winter. It was presided over by Mrs. John Harris, of
Philadelphia, a most benevolent and amiable elderly lady. She was
assisted by two or three young women, among whom was a