ge, humanity and true
womanly tact. The Seminary buildings were within a few hundred yards of
the original battle-field of the first day's fight, and in the course of
the day's conflict, after the death of General Reynolds, the Union
troops were driven by the greatly superior force of the enemy into the
grounds of the Seminary itself, and most of them swept past it. The
Ninety-seventh New York volunteer infantry commanded on that day by
Lieutenant-Colonel, afterwards General Charles Wheelock, were surrounded
by the enemy in the Seminary grounds, and after repeated attempts to
break through the ranks of the enemy, were finally compelled to
surrender. Miss Sheads who had given her pupils a holiday on the
previous day, and had suddenly found herself transformed into the lady
superintendent of a hospital, for the wounded were brought to the
Seminary, at once received Colonel Wheelock and furnished him with the
signal for surrender. The rebel commander demanded his sword, but the
colonel refused to give it up, as it was a gift of friends. An
altercation ensued and the rebel officer threatened to kill Colonel
Wheelock. Mr. Sheads, Miss Carrie's father, interposed and endeavored to
prevent the collision, but was soon pushed out of the way, and the rebel
officer again presented his pistol to shoot his prisoner. Miss Sheads
now rushed between them and remonstrated with the rebel on his
inhumanity, while she urged the colonel to give up his sword. He still
refused, and at this moment the entrance of other prisoners attracted
the attention of the rebel officer for a few moments, when Miss Sheads
unbuckled his sword and concealed it in the folds of her dress unnoticed
by the rebel officer. Colonel Wheelock, when the attention of his foe
was again turned to him, said that one of his men who had passed out had
his sword, and the rebel officer ordered him with the other prisoners to
march to the rear. Five days after the battle the colonel, who had made
his escape from the rebels, returned to the Seminary, when Miss Sheads
returned his sword, with which he did gallant service subsequently.

The Seminary buildings were crowded with wounded, mostly rebels, who
remained there for many weeks and were kindly cared for by Miss Sheads
and her pupils. The rebel chief undertook to use the building and its
observatory as a signal station for his army, contrary to Miss Sheads'
remonstrances, and drew the fire of the Union army upon it by so doing