Sara Agnes Rice Pryor
Reminiscences of Peace and War
The Memoirs of a Southern Woman during the Civil War
Published by
Books
- Advanced Digital Solutions & High-Quality eBook Formatting -
2019 OK Publishing
EAN 4064066052843
Table of Contents
Chapter I. Washington in the Fifties
Chapter II. President Pierce's Inauguration
Chapter III. Administration of President Buchanan
Chapter IV. Social Life During Buchanan's Administration
Chapter V. Gay Social Life in Washington
Chapter VI. Characteristics of Social Life in 1858 — Leaders in Society
Chapter VII. The Thirty-Sixth Congress
Chapter VIII. Memorable Days in the History of the Country
Chapter IX. Rapid Progress of Events at the South
Chapter X. Virginia Again the Battle-Ground
Chapter XII. Bull Run and Fair Oaks
Chapter XIII. The Seven Days' Battles
Chapter XIV. The Winter of 1861
Chapter XV. Guarding the Blackwater
Chapter XVI. Vicissitudes of the War
Chapter XVII. A Homeless Wanderer
Chapter XVIII. The Siege of Petersburg
Chapter XIX. Behind Lee's Lines
Chapter XX. Arriving at Extremities
Chapter XXII. The Evacuation of Petersburg
Chapter XXIII. Richmond Surrenders
Chapter XXIV. Sheridan's Occupation of Petersburg
Chapter XXV. Woe to the Vanquished!
Chapter XXVI. Starting Life Anew
Chapter XXVII. The First "Decoration Day"
Chapter XXVIII. Virginia in the Early Days of Peace
GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE ON "TRAVELLER." From a photograph by Miley, Lexington, Va.
I DEDICATE THIS BOOK TO THE MEMORY OF
My Son
WILLIAM RICE PRYOR, M.D.
WHO GAVE TO SUFFERING HUMANITY ALL THAT
GOD HAD GIVEN HIM
Preface
It will be obvious to the reader that this book affects neither the "dignity of history" nor the authority of political instruction. The causes which precipitated the conflict between the sections and the momentous events which attended the struggle have been recounted by writers competent to the task. But descriptions of battles and civil convulsions do not exhibit the full condition of the South in the crisis. To complete the picture, social characteristics and incidents of private life are indispensable lineaments. It occurs to the author that a plain and unambitious narrative of her recollections of Washington society during the calm which preceded the storm, and of Virginia under the afflictions and sorrows of the fratricidal strife, will not be without interest in the retrospect of that memorable era. The present volume recalls that era in the aspect in which it appeared to a woman rather than as it appeared to a statesman or a philosopher.
ROGER A. PRYOR.
Chapter I
Washington in the Fifties
The Washington that I knew in the fifties was not the Washington of Dickens, Mrs. Trollope, and Laurence Oliphant. When I knew the capital of our country, it was not "a howling wilderness of deserted streets running out into the country and ending nowhere, its population consisting chiefly of politicians and negroes";1 nor were the streets overrun with pigs and infested with goats. I never saw these animals in the streets of Washington; but a story, told to illustrate the best way of disposing of the horns of a dilemma proves one goat at least to have had the freedom of the city. It seems that Henry Clay, overdue at the Senate Chamber, was once hurrying along Pennsylvania Avenue when he was attacked by a large goat. Mr. Clay seized his adversary by the horns. So far so good, but how about the next step? A crowd of sympathetic bootblacks and newsboys gathered around offering advice. "Let go,