Gone With The Wind: Chapter 18

Chapter 18 Summary:  The Battle has come to Atlanta and the Home Guard is being sent to the front.  Scarlett watches as they march out to battle and she notices several familiar faces.  Mr. Wilkes, Ashley's Father, is among them and he bids her farewell as if he will never return.  Scarlett's own father was prohibited from fighting due to his injured knee and instead has been given charge of Twelve Oaks in Mr. Wilkes' absence.  Old men and young boys are all Atlanta has left to send to the front and the battle is brought even closer to Atlanta.  The men prepare to defend the city from a siege and those that can leave for safer places. Scarlett, Melanie and Aunt PittyPat discuss leaving the city.  Scarlett wants to go home to Tara and Aunt Pitty wants to go to Macon.  Melanie doesn't want Scarlett to go without her and Aunt Pitty won't go without Melanie.  It's Dr. Meade that settles the matter when he declares Melanie is to be on bed-rest until her pregnancy is over.  Traveling is out of the question and she won't even be able to run up and down stairs to hide in the cellar if Atlanta should come under attack.  Dr. Meade charges Scarlett with looking after Melanie and even Melanie reminds Scarlett of the promise made to Ashley to look after her.  So Scarlett and her son, Wade, remain with their only servant, Prissy, while Aunt PittyPat goes to Macon with the rest of her household.

KatieBug's Response: Again, we have mention of the son Scarlett had with Charles.  It's kind of sad to see this child forgotten as he is; hiding out on the porch while the dying and wounded soldiers come trailing in, begging for water and aide.  He is clearly frightened by what is happening around him and yet no one seems to care, not even his own mother.  Only Melanie and Rhett have shown true affection for this child, when he's mentioned at all.  I can't even begin to comprehend living in any city while it's under siege, but Mitchell does an excellent job of conveying the panic and destruction.