 The family remained in the cellar for three days and nights, March 7–9, 1862, as the battle waged above them.The upper floors of the tavern served as a makeshift hospital for wounded troops, many undergoing surgery and amputations with no anesthetic, and for a short time served as Confederate General Earl Van Dorn's headquarters.The tavern was hit many times by gunfire during the battle, including a cannonball that tore through the second floor, but the building remained standing.