hopes of a peaceful occupation of the
city, but during the day and along towards nightfall, the threatening
attitude of the soldiers, their ominous words, threats of vengeance,
were too pretentious for the people to misunderstand or to expect
mercy. These signs, threats, and mutterings were but the prelude to
that which was to follow.

About 9 o'clock P.M. the alarm of fire was given and the dread sound
of the fire bells, mingled with the hum and roar of ten thousand
voices and the tread of as many troops hurrying to and fro on their
cursed mission, could be heard by the now thoroughly frightened
populace. The people, with blanched countenances, set features, looked
in mute silence into the faces of each other. All knew and felt, but
dared not even to themselves to whisper, the unmistakable truth. Now
another alarm, another fire bell mingles its sound with the general
chorus of discord, shouts of the soldiery, the frightened cries of
the people--jells of the drunken troops all a scathing, maddening
turbulance in the crowded streets. A lurid glare shoots up above the
housetops, then the cracking and roaring of the dread elements told
but too plainly that the beautiful city was soon to be wrapped in
flames. The sack and pillage had begun!

Few men being in the city, the women, with rare heroism, sought to
save some little necessities of life, only to see it struck to the
floor or snatched from their hands and scattered in the streets. Here
would be a lone woman hugging an infant to her breast, with a few
strips of clothing hanging on her arms; helpless orphans lugging
an old trunk or chest, now containing all they could call their
own--these would be snatched away, broken open, contents rifled by the
drunken soldiers, or if not valuable, trampled under foot.

Soldiers, with axes and hammers, rushed from house to house, breaking
in doors, smashing trunks, boxes, bureaus, and robbing them of all
that was valuable, then leaving the house in flames. Helpless women,
screaming children, babes in the arms, invalids on beds, jolted and
jostled against the surging mob--none to help, none to advise--these
defenseless sufferers rushed aimlessly about, their sole purpose being
to avoid the flames and seek a place of safety. The fires originated
principally in the southern section of the city, and as the fire eat
its way up, the howling throng followed, driving the innocent and
helpless ahead.

As the night wore on, the drunken