o lie down again,
when simultaneously every door of the house was assailed with the butts
of guns with a terrific noise. At the same time many hoarse voices
yelled, "Open these doors, d---- y--! Open up, here, or we'll burn the
house over your heads!" Everybody at once realized the situation. In
that fearful moment strength and courage seemed to come as from above.
The servants, sleeping upon the floor, began to scream, but were
instantly silenced. The ladies, slipping on dressing-gowns, but never
stopping to put on shoes or stockings, quietly opened the doors.
Instantly the whole house swarmed with Federal soldiers. Their first
act was to capture Colonel ---- and drag him outside the house, giving
him no time to put on any clothes save his pants and night-shirt. The
raiders then proceeded to ransack the house. Every room, every closet,
every trunk, box, drawer, was rifled. Two men went to the sideboard,
quietly gathering up the few silver spoons, forks, ladles, etc., not
hidden, wrapped them up and put them in their pockets. Others stripped
off the pillow-and bolster-cases, stuffing them with clothing,
pictures, etc., tied them together, and placed them ready to be slung
over the backs of their horses. Bayonets wore thrust through portraits;
the sofas, beds, and lounges were pierced in search of concealed
valuables; bureau-drawers were emptied, then pitched out of the doors
or windows; the panels of locked _armoires_ were broken or kicked to
pieces to get at the contents; even the linen sheets were dragged off
the beds and thrust into already full sacks and bags. Meanwhile,
bonfires had been kindled in the yard. By the light the swarming demons
carried on their destructive work outside. Around the pans of delicious
milk in the dairy men reached over each others' heads to fill their tin
cups. Buttermilk, clabber, fresh butter, disappeared in an instant. In
the basement the officers were feasting on ham, etc. The smoke-house
was left bare. Sugar, meal, flour, rice, were emptied into the yard,
and stamped or shuffled into the dust. Axes or the butts of guns were
employed to literally smash everything. Ham, shoulder-meat, etc., were
tossed into wagons. Cows were driven off, and, oh, the beautiful
horses, the _pride_ and pets of their owners, were _led_, snorting and
frightened, into the road, where the saddles of the cavalry-horses were
put upon their shivering backs preparatory to being mounted and ridden
away by their new