sting, and now and then I heard shouts and
oaths. But it was of no use. My dear old father woke, heard the sounds,
and rushed out into the street sword in hand; for he had been a soldier
too, serving with honor through the Mexican War. Made desperate by my
fears for him, I followed. There was a _melee_ in the road before our
house; a high wind blew the thick dust in my eyes and half blinded me,
so that I only saw struggling forms on foot and on horseback, and could
not distinguish friend or foe. Into this group my father rushed. I never
knew the cause of the contest; probably it was an ill-advised attack by
some of our people, fiery and reasonless always. But, whatever it was,
at length there came one, two, three shots, and then the group broke
apart. I rushed forward and received my old father in my arms,
dying--dead. His head lay on my shoulder as I knelt in the white road,
and his silver hair was dabbled with blood; he had been shot through the
head and breast, and lived but a moment.

"We carried him back to the house, old Cassy and I, slowly, and with
little regard for the bullets which now whistled through the air; for
the first shots had brought together the scattered cavalrymen, who now
rode through the streets firing right and left, more at random, I think,
than with direct aim, yet still determined to 'frighten the rebels,' and
avenge the soldier, one of their number, who had been killed at the
beginning of the fray. We laid my father down in the center of the hall,
and prepared him for his long sleep. No one came to help us; no one came
to sorrow with us; each household gathered its own together and waited
with bated breath for what was still to come. I watched alone beside my
dead that night, the house-doors stood wide open, and lights burned at
the head and foot of the couch. I said to myself, 'Let them come now and
take their fill.' But no one disturbed me, and I kept my vigil from
midnight until dawn; then there came a sound of many feet, and when the
sun rose our streets were full of blue-coated soldiers, thousands upon
thousands; one wing of the great army was marching through. There was
still hot anger against us for our resistance, and when the commanding
officers arrived they ordered guards to be stationed at every house,
with orders to shoot any man or boy who showed himself outside of his
doorway. All day and night the Federal soldiers would be passing
through, and the guards gave notice that if ano