Page:War songs and poems of the Southern Confederacy.djvu/20

 8 THE AUTHOR&#39;S REMINISCENCES OF WAR DAYS on the 18th of July, and the first battle of Manassas on the 21st, just three days later, have gone forth to the world in the annals of war as the decisive struggles of two great armies. It has been thought, and with much reason, that if the initial victories of the Southern forces on these occasions had been followed up, the war would have ended&#59; but four long weary years must follow, and hundreds and thousands of the best men of the land must die, countless homes be made desolate, and the whole country utterly laid waste and ruined. MY FATHER&#39;S FAMILY IN THE WAR Our family remained in the County of Culpepper until about the middle of the war. God took our dear mother from us &#59; the older boys had to go to war and father was alone with his daughters and myself, I being the youngest child. As I was under age^ and not large enough to be noticed, I was often in conversation with Federal officers, and also with those from the South. One army or the other seemed almost incessantly passing to and fro through our part of the State. It was my privilege to witness the battle of Cedar Mountain, which was fought two miles from my father&#39;s home, and the next day I rode over the field in company with him to see if we might, in any way, minister to the wants of the wounded and suffering. It was my first study of a battle field, and the impression made upon my mind, when I saw hundreds of men lying in every position — the most of them dead, others wounded and dying — can never be removed. It was a matter absolutely incomprehensible to me, that men should kill each other as they had done on the bloody field, and I wonder at it to this day. I was standing in my father&#39;s yard when Pope&#39;s army commenced its retreat. Several stragglers came in to get a drink of w-ater, and I inquired of them which way they were going. They answered, &#34; Back where we came from.&#34; I asked them who was in command on the other side the day before. The reply was, &#39;&#39; That man Jackson &#59; his name is better than