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1864
July 14th
with alacrity for it  He then asked for lamp wick & cotton cloth which she also gave him. What do you want to do with these things she asked "[[Burn?]] your house madame was the cool reply. The poor woman was obliged to remove her property as best she could, losing most of it. Ruins of other burned houses, felled trees, & abatties fortifying the road next met our view until we came to a barricade [[completly?]] [[across?]] the road which compelled us to turn to the right & go through a field [[were?]] we encountered rifle pits dug by our men. Beyond this we passed several houses burned or sacked before we came to [[MB's?]], beautiful residence  The fence was torn down the gateway only remaining  As we drove through the grounds we found various [[peices?]] of the presence of the [[Southerners?]]. The smouldering ashes of their camp fires broken boxes canteens &c. while [[innumerable?]] poultry feathers testified to the havoc which had been made among the fowle I doubt which a cock crow will be heard there for months [[end page]]

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The house we found guarded. It is delightfully situated, the avenue leading to it winding through wood [[strikethrough]] a grove of magnificent forest trees, which completely hid it until a turn in the road brought it to view. Some of the servant were folding up a carpet & packing some [[?]] at the side of the house  A number of carriages containing visitors were at the front  We went round to the back entrance picked up some hard tack, a song book a pack of playing cards & some other [[trifles?]] left by the rebels  We drove through the grounds to a lovely spring & then passed out into the high way again by a different road from that we came Every where we found signs of the rebels tin cups ashes &c. As we came on to the turnpike we saw some persons in a grove opposite to us. We joined them & found some of the rebel graves. Several large square pits filled with straw had been prepared for the burial of others but were left unfilled in the hurry of departure  Further up the road we found some of the rebel wounded under three or four