habit of laying a clean dress on my bed before going to
sleep, which I did every night for six weeks before the shelling of
Baton Rouge, in order to run respectably, as muslin cross-bar
nightgowns are not suitable for day dresses.

June 28th.

I am afraid I shall be nervous when the moment of the bombardment
actually arrives. This suspense is not calculated to soothe one's
nerves. A few moments since, a salute was fired in honor of General
Butler's arrival, when women, children, and servants rushed to the
front of the houses, confident of a repetition of the shelling which
occurred a month ago to-day. The children have not forgotten the scene,
for they all actually howled with fear. Poor little Sarah stopped her
screams to say, "Mother, don't you wish we was dogs 'stead o' white
folks?" in such piteous accents that we had to laugh. _Don't_ I wish I
was a dog! Sarah is right. I don't know if I showed my uneasiness a
while ago, but certainly my heart has hardly yet ceased beating rather
rapidly. If I knew what moment to expect the stampede, I would not
mind; but this way--to expect it every instant--it is too much! Again,
if I knew where we could go for refuge from the shells!--

* * * * *

A window banging unexpectedly just then gave me a curious twinge; not
that I thought it was the signal, oh, dear, no! I just thought--what, I
wonder? Pshaw! "Picayune Butler's coming, coming" has upset my nervous
system. He interrupted me in the middle of my arithmetic; and I have
not the energy to resume my studies. I shall try what effect an hour's
practice will have on my spirits, and will see that I have a pair of
clean stockings in my stampede sack, and that the fastenings of my
"running-bag" are safe. Though if I expect to take either, I should
keep in harness constantly. How long, O Lord! how long?

June 29th, Sunday.

"Any more, Mr. Lincoln, any more?" Can't you leave our racked homes in
repose? We are all wild. Last night, five citizens were arrested, on no
charge at all, and carried down to Picayune Butler's ship. What a
thrill of terror ran through the whole community! We all felt so
helpless, so powerless under the hand of our tyrant, the man who swore
to uphold the Constitution and the laws, who is professedly only
fighting to give us all Liberty, the birthright of eve