e were no men about the premises, and no one excepting a
very fine and intellectual looking lady and her two daughters. They
seemed to be almost frightened to death at seeing me--a "yank"--appear
before them. I quieted their fears somewhat, and the mother then asked me
how far back the army was. When I told her it would be along shortly, she
expressed her fears that they would take everything on the premises. They
set me out a lunch and treated me rather kindly, so that I really began
to sympathize with them; for I knew that the soldiers would ransack their
house and confiscate everything they could lay their hands on. At last I
resolved to do what I could to protect them. After the generals and the
staff officers had passed by, I took it upon myself to be a sentry over
the house. When the command came along some of the men rushed up with the
intention of entering the place and carrying off all the desirable
plunder possible, and then tearing and breaking everything to pieces, as
they usually did along the line of march.

"Halt!" I shouted; "I have been placed here by the commanding officer as
a guard over this house, and no man must enter it."

This stopped the first squad; and seeing that my plan was a success, I
remained at my post during the passage of the entire command and kept out
all intruders.

It seemed as if the ladies could not thank me sufficiently for the
protection I had afforded them. They were perfectly aware of the fact
that I had acted without orders and entirely on my own responsibility,
and therefore they felt the more grateful. They urgently invited me to
remain a little while longer and partake of an excellent dinner which
they said they were preparing for me. I was pretty hungry about that
time, as our rations had been rather slim of late, and a good dinner was
a temptation I could not withstand, especially as it was to be served up
by such elegant ladies. While I was eating the meal, I was most agreeably
entertained by the young ladies, and before I had finished it the last of
the rear-guard must have been at least two miles from the house.

Suddenly three men entered the room, and I looked up and saw three
double-barreled shot-guns leveled straight at me. Before I could speak,
however, the mother and her daughters sprang between the men and me.

"Father! Boys! Lower your guns! You must not shoot this man," and similar
exclamations, were the cry of all three.

The guns were lowered, and the