The watchman and southron. (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, June 13, 1894, Image 2
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KB* SUMTER WATCHMAN, Kttablished April, 1850.
flKso?idat?di.u?. 2,1881.
"Be Just and J^ear not-Let alllthe Ends thou Aims't at, be thy Country's, thy God's and Truth's."
THE TRUE SOUTHRON, Established Jone, 1366
SUMTER, S. C., WEDNESDAY, APRIL 4, 1894.
New Series-Yoi. XIII. No. 36.
CHAPTER XVII.
Not one soldier in a hundred mox?
than catches a glimpse of a battlefield.
He seldom sees what takes place outside
of bis own regiment. When two great
armies grapple, they must have room.
The front may be three, fonr, five or sis
miles long. The Bines of battle mn
across open fields, through the woods,
over bills, across highways, throngh
orchards. As soon as the firing begins
toe smoke sh nts in the vision to the
right and left. Troops may stand or lie
down, have the cover, of a breastwork
dr none at all. They may charge or be
charged, gain ground or be driven back
to a new line. However the battle goes,
the soldier sees only what takes place
in his immediate front.
And bow the opening of a battle
changes the nature cf a man ! While
he is walting for it to begin every nerve
is strong toits utmost. He may be a
brave man, Vot in that bonr of waiting
he denies it to himself, ie trembles.
He doubts himself, tie tums pale, and
his knees grow weak.' He would run
away but for his pri?e.* It is pride and
not courage that holds him in his place.
He may be a man who has never uttered
an oath in the hearing of bis comrades
a man of Christian principles. A minute
after the firing begins all the wicked?
ness born in bis soul begins to betray
itself, fie shouts and raves and corses.
His facial expression is so changed that
his own brother could not identify him.
For the time being he is a madman-a
dev?. fie cries: "Kill! Kill! Kill!"
even though in his excitement he fires
among the tree tops or at the clouds.
This is the excitement which numbs
all feeling in some men when wounded,
and they fight on until they happen to
catch sight of their own blood and then
sink helplessly down. It is a sort of
nightmare in which no man can beheld
responsible for bis words, and in which
no one notes the flight of time. To
some an hour seems a day. To others
the sun passes from the noonday mark
to tiie edge of the horizon so swiftly
that they are amazed.
For half a day Lee's whole army had
hurled itself against the Federal lines.
Every foot of ground on that long front
had drunk blood. The line was broken
only at one place, but that was fatal.
There the fight continued to rage until
long after nightfall, but at last it grad?
ually died away, and a solemn hush fell
upon the bloody field. One may con?
quer and yet be so near vanquished that
he has no strength for another blow. So
it was with Jackson. He had broken
the Federal line, but he could not fol?
low up his advantage. Even if night
had not come he must reorganize his
shattered commands, replenish bis am?
munition and permit the wornout men
food and sleep.
A battle dees not cease at once. It is
an boor or more in dying away. There
is a sputtering and growling here and
there, and men give op their work of
death grudgingly. At last a hush comes.
It is absolute to the men who have been
deafened by the roar for hours and
iours. It is a blessed relief, but they
-look at each other in alarm. The very
stillness frightens them. They have
- seen dead and wounded men before
them, to the right or left, in rear, for
hours, but have scarcely given them a
thought Now when the hash comes
the frenzy gradually goes away, and
they stand appalled at the slaughter.
The hush does not last long. It is bro?
ken by the cries of the wounded-by men
who have suffered pain and thirst and
fear for long hours. There is nothing
? known to living man which can be com?
pared to these cries rising fi om a field
>of slaughter as night comes down. Men
who have suffered and made r?o outcry
while daylight lasted now seem to be
seized with a fear of the darkness. Men
who seemed to have been struck dead
are revived by the falling dew to plead
for life. Some call out in quavering
voices, like children when in the dark?
ness. Some curse; some pray ; some re?
vile. Here and there one, realizing that
he is wounded unto death and that help
will come too late, maintains silence.
With an effort which starts the red blood
afresh, he carries his hand to the pocket
in which lies a photograph of sweet?
heart or a last letter from the wife at
home, and the burial party finds his
dead fingers clutching the relic and his
glazed eyes fastened upon it-his last
glimpse of things mortal.
The full horror of a battlefield is re?
alized only at night. While darkness
shuts out a thousand horrible sights, it
yet adds to the horrors. Here and there
parties searching for some officer, dead
or wounded, move about with lantern
or torch to guide them. They step over
the dead. They tread upon hands and
arms outstretched. They slip and stag?
ger on the spots of earth wet with blood.
The wounded bear and see them moving
about, and they call out with renewed
strength for succor. A wounded horse
who has been lying down in a pool of
blood sees the light approaching, and
there is something human in his whim?
perings. He pleads and coaxes. With
a great effort he gains his feet and hob?
bles alon{_ and utters his pleadings and
reproaches.
On this battlefield of Cold Harbor are
nine or ten thousand dead men, ten or
twelve thousand wounded. The living
and unhurt are exhausted with the day's
struggle, and the wounded must lie
through the night There are no search?
ing parties abroad, no details to give
succor. From forest and thicket and
field the cries of the stricken continue
hour after hour, but they cry in vain. In
the swamp over which Hood charged
wounded inen lap the water thick "with
mud and slime. They straggle as they
sink slowly into the ooze, straggle and
shoat and pray, bat dig their own
graves, as it were, and some of their
blackened bones are there today. Here,
where the brigades of Hill moved over
the open ground to charge the troops of
Seymour and Reynolds, the dead lie
thicker than they will in the streets at
Fredricksbnrg or on the slopes at Get?
tysburg. There are no wounded-at
least no voices cry oat to ns through the
darkness. Here the Federals had 30
pieces of artillery posted to command
the approach, and as the Confederates
advanced the slaughter was something
terrible. Sixteen hundred and eighty
dead men lie here in this open spot of
five acres. They were strack down by
round shot, by bursting shell and by
grape and canister. There are bodies
without heads, bodies without arms,
bodies which are but fragments. When
the burial party reaches this spot to?
morrow, they will name it "The Butch?
er Pen," and that name will cling to it
forevermore. Napoleon would have said
that no troops in the world could have
been advanced under that awful fire,
but from 4 o'clock to sundown the Con?
federates charged again and again, leav?
ing their dead nearer earthwork and
breastwork each time.
Here, where Porter massed 80 guns
at Alexander's Bridge in the vain hope
of saving the center, the dead cannot be
gathered and buried for days. They are
not corpses, bat fragments of corpses.
Arms and legs will be found amid the
branches of trees, and hands and feet and
pieces of flesh and bloody bones must
be raked up as if it were a hayfield.
Here, where General Cooke with bis cav?
alry charged one of Longstreet's divi?
sions and was broken and shattered and
routed within five minutes, 500 horses
cover two acres of ground. Among them
aref300 dead and wounded troopers. It
was a gallant charge, bat it was made
in vain. Even by noonday no man can
passover that field without staining his
boots with blood. If corn grows here
in after years when men shall be at
peace, it will grow rank and tall, and
the rustle of the stalks in the summer
wind will sound like a chant in memory
of the dead.
lt is midnight McClellan is moving
quietly to the rear, the Confederates
along his front watching, waiting,
sleeping. The wounded have almost
ceased to call out. The faces of the dead
have been made whiter and more ghast?
ly by the bath of dew. And now the
Tliey kneel beside thc dead and search
each poctet.
ghoul steals away from the dying camp?
fire into the darkness and skulks and
creeps and crawls about in search of
plunder. Every army has its humuo
hyenas. They may have fought brave?
ly during the brttle, but as night falls
and men cease their work of killing the
ghoulish instinct cannot be resisted.
They kneel beside the dead and search
each pocket. Their knees feel the earth
wet with blood, but they do not shrink.
Their hands touch gaping wounds and j
are smeared with blood, but there is no
disgust. Whatever plunder they secure
is blood stained, but on the morrow
they will wash away the stains.
"Here-this way-for God's sake
give me water!"
It is a wounded man who has heard !
the ghoul moving about. No matter i
whether he is a friend or foe, he may !
yield plunder. The ghoul bends over !
him and begins a search. The wound?
ed man may quietly submit, hoping at
least to be rewarded with water enoug'i
to moisten his parched tongue and burn- ;
ing throat. If so, he is spared. If not, j
strong fingers seize his throat and fasten j
there until he is dead, or his own bay- j
onet may be driven into his heart.
And when the summer sun comes np j
again a hundred burial parties will be ]
scattered along this front, aud?a thou- !
sand men will be busy digging the long
trenches into which the dead are to lie i
heaped. There will be no time wasted. '.
The dead will be picked up as fast as
possible and dragged or carried to the
trenches. No one will ask their names, j
no one search their pockets. Side by !
side, like sticks of wood, heads all cue
way, and then a covering of dirt is be?
grudgingly given. Years later the
trenches hidden by brier and bush will
be opened, and the bones lifted out to j
be carried to the spot where a single :
monument must serve to cherish the !
memory of thousands.
CHAPTER XVIII.
The name "Rest Haven" had been
given to the house in the mountains to ,
which the Percys retreated from Win?
chester. The first idea was to make use
of it for only a few weeks-until the
war was over. Nobody in the south
after the Confederate victory at Bull
Run doubted that peace would be long
coming. They were hardly settled when
Jackson recaptured Winchester. They
had scarcely heard this news when the
town was reoccupied by a Federal force.
In the last battle for possession the Per?
cy mansion and all outbuildings were !
I burned to t?e ground. Others~shar<
j the same fate. Indeed the flames
J war wiped out a third of the town befo:
I war was hardly more than a holiday.
I For a few days after learning of th
! disaster the Percys talked of leavir
! the valley for some point farther sout)
j but just as they had made up the
i minds to go Mrs. Percy fell serious]
j ill, and that occurrence checkmated a
I plans for leaving Best Haven.
The servants who had fled from tl
' house at Winchester did not retnri
but with hundreds of other colored pe<
i pie made their way to Harper's Fen
and thence to Washington. Uncle Be
j was the only one left, and bnt for ti
presence of Mrs. Baxter the ladie
would have been in sore straits. Th
slaves, male and female, were escapin
from the villages and plantations i
droves, and the two or three wome
whom Uncle Ben induced to enter int
service at the Haven disappeared wit
the first dark night.
While Marian Percy felt distrust c
Mrs. Baxter, the Woman was so re
spectral in demeanor and rendered hex
self in all ways so useful that the feel
ing rather diminished than increased
Uncle Ben, on the contrary, grew t
hate her worse and worse as time passe?
on. He could not conceal his dislik
of her, though he restrained his tongu
from denunciation. He realized tha
under the circumstances it was not onl;
policy but duty to do so. One day h
found opportunity to say to Marian:
** Miss Sunshine, do yo' 'member wha
I dun told yo' befo' we left Wincheste:
'bout dat Missus Baxter?'*
" Yes," she replied, "but I think yoi
were mistaken. She is a little queel
about some things, but on tbe whole J
very good woman. I don't know hov
we could have got along without her.'
1 ' M ebbe I was mistooken, ' ' said tJnch
Ben as he thoughtfully scratched hil
head, ''but dar's a heap o' things I can'1
jest make out. Who yo' reckon dun bir
writin letters to her?"
"Her husband probably."
"Den why don't dem letters cum wid
yo' mail when II dun bring it up? Fae
seen a strange man ridin by on a mew]
who brought letters to her three or fo'
times. I'ze seen her writin letters twc
or three times, but she nebber did send
'em to town by me. What all dat mean.
Miss Sunshine?"
"Ob, it's just her queer way, Uncle
Ben, and there is nothing to worry
about," replied Marian, though his
statements filled her with surprise.
"Quare ways, eh? Waal, I'zegwine
to keep boaf my eyes open all de time.
Su nth in gwine to cum from all dis.
Miss Sunshine. Sunthin bound to come.
White folks doan' act dat way onless dey
means mischief. I hain't gwine to say
nuffin to nobody, but I'ze gwine to be
prepar'd fur trouble!"
When Mrs. Percy fell ill, Ben suc?
ceeded in securing for awhile the serv?
ices of an old colored woman who seem?
ingly had no longing for liberty, and
such assistance as the neighbors could
extend was freely given. The doctor
who had been called lived seven miles
away, and the old man bad frequently
to ride back and forth over a highway
on which very few farmers had located.
On one of these excursions, and when
within a mile of home on his return trip,
he caught sight of a man and woman as
they moved out of the road and disap?
peared in a thicket. He was close
enough to be satisfied that the woman
was Mrs. Baxter, and that the man was
a Confederate officer, and their anxiety
to avoid him aroused all his suspicions.
He intended to communicate with Miss
Marian at once, but circumstances pre?
vented, and next day the household was
surprised by a call from Captain Wyle
and his cavalry company. He stated
that he was on detached duty in that
neighborhood.
While the captain bad been given to
anderstand that his sait was hopeless,
and while Marian fully realized that
he had done and was still doing all in
his power to degrade and disgrace the
man she had accepted, she nevertheless
felt that it was policy to receive him
courteously and shun anything that
might lead to arousing a new feeling of
enmity against Kenton. On his part
the captain was careful to say nothing
that might wound or offend, and his
hour's visit was therefore a very agree?
able ene. He extended his sympathies,
offered to do anything in his power to
relieve their anxieties and rode away
with a smile of satisfaction on his face.
He argued that Marian was wavering
in her faith in Kenton, and that time
and circumstance would bring about
the change he desired.
Man's most frequent boast is that he
can read and understand woman, and
yet it is in that he is oftenest deceived.
Few women can read and understand
themselves.
During the captain's visit Marian
had been forced to notice the demeanor
cf Mrs. Baxter. She seemed transformed
into a new being-smiling, laughing
and appearing to be full of joy over
something. When the visitor had de?
parted, she was fulsome in his praise,
and for the first time since coming to
the Percys' she betrayed her real state
of feeling. She was an ally of the cap?
tain's. Why? After ' puzzling for a
time Marian asked:
"Did Captain Wyle bring you news
of your husband?"
"Yes'xn. Ike has got back to Win- j
chester, along with the others. The
Yankees got af eared that Ike would j
break loose and do awful damage, and
so they let him go."
1 He was wounded, wasn't he?"
"Yes'm, and he un won't be fitten 1
to go back to the army fur some weeks
yit. When he un does, he'll hev a crit- j
ter and a sword and ride around with j
Captain Wyle."
"Perhaps they'll make him an ofticer
for his bravery." j
"He un deserves it, fur suah-of
co'se him does'." replied Mrs. Baxter,
with a good deal of vigor. "If it
wasn't fur that onery Yankee"
"Do you mean Mr. Kenton?" asked
Marian as tho woman caught herself.
"I-I dun forget!" she stammered, j
"Thar's bin so much fussin 'bout war j
that I'm talkin 'bout Yankees half the |
time. Yes, I hope they'll make Ike an
ossifer right away."
His hour's visit was therefore a very
agreeable on e. *
She excused herself and was hasten?
ing away when Marian detained her to
ask:
'Mrs. Baxter, has there ever been
any trouble between yonr husband and
Mr. Kenton?"
"I-I jest can't declar'i"
"But yon feel bitter toward Mr. Ken?
ton. Will yon tell me why?"
M Why, he un stands in Ike's way, and
1 orter feel hardwise, hadn't I?"
"I can't understand how he stands in
Ike's way."
"Nor I either, but that's what Ike
says, and that's what Captain Wy le
says, and him jest orter be driv' over
into the Yankee army whar he belongs!
He un's a spy, Miss Percy, a regular
T?skee snr. and him's mean as mien.
and somebody ortet shoot him, and Cap?
tain Wyle says"
But she checked hetself again. Her
feelings had been aroused, and she had
said far more than she intended. She
was half laughing, half crying as she
begged Marian's pardon and withdrew.
Now Marian knew why Mrs. Baxter
had come to her. She had a suspicion
as to the flight of her servants. The
queer actions spoken of by Uncle Ben
were now explained.
It looked as if Captain Wyle and Mrs.
Baxter were conspiring together, and
the object was very plain. For reasons
of his own the captain had aroused Mrs.
Baxter's enmity toward Kenton and
made Ike an enemy to be feared. There
was a complication which puzzled Ma?
rian, and as the days went by she was
no wiser. If Uncle Ben made any new
discoveries, he kept them to himself,
and the mother was too ill to be worried
over anything that could he kept from
her.
Three days after Captain Wyle's visit
there were a clatter of hoofs and a jan?
gle of sabers, and the road was alive
with Federal cavalry for miles. It was
a portion of Custer's brigade making a
reconnoissanee in force, and Custer him?
self rode at the head. While the com?
mand halted at a creek below the house
to water their horses and eat a noon?
day meal from their haversacks the
general and his staff halted at the door
in search of refreshment. They were
politely and even kindly received by
Marian, who insisted upon supplying
them with whatever the house afforded.
Captain Wyle had boastfully announced
that there was not a Yankee in uniform
within 50 miles of Rest Haven. Here
was proof that they even held the terri?
tory round abont her. When General
Custer understood that she was a refu?
gee from Winchester, he informed her
that the Federals then held nearly all
the Shenandoah and Loray valleys, and
there was every prospect of their per?
manent occupation. He kindly offered
her all possible assistance if she desired
to pass through the lines in any direc?
tion, but it was plain that the mother
was then too ill to undertake even the
shortest journey. He begged her to ac?
cept some commissary stores-coffee,
sugar and meat-and realizing the
spirit which had prompted him she did
not refuse. The first two articles bad
not only become luxuries in the war
ridden valley, but were not to be had
even in exchange for gold.
That was Marian's first sight of Cus?
ter, but it was not to be her last.
CHAPTER XIX.
As the Federals poured into the Shen?
andoah valley and regained lost ground
the quartermaster and commissary
stores left by Jackson under the guard
of a few score men at Harrisonburg
were made ready to be forwarded to
Richmond. While Royal Kenton fully
realized that bis being left behind was
but another move in the conspiracy to
destroy him, he allowed no one to un?
derstand the real state of his feelings.
There was work to do, and plenty of it,
and he took hold sc willingly that only
a few days bad passed before he was
commended for his zeal by the major in
command of the post.
Unexpected difficulties arose about
securing transportation, and though re?
ports of a Federal advance were daily
received the major hung on in hopes of j
saving the stores. One morning at sun- j
rise his pickets were driven in by troop- ?
ers in blue, and 10 minutes later he re- j
ceived a summons from General Custer
to surrender. He had only about 200
men all told, while it was plain to be
seen that he was fairly surrounded by
the force opposed. He asked for 13 ?
minutes to consider and at the end of
that time returned a refusal. His little
force almost to a man had agreed to
fight to the last. Three or four earth?
works had been thrown up to protect
the supply depot, but they were with?
out artillery. The force was divided so
as to man them all, and Royal Kenton
and Steve Brayton found themselves
and about 20 other men in a work with?
out even a noncommissioned officer
among them. As they were already un?
der fire, Kenton was by common consent
given command.
"We uns is gone up this time fur i
suah," observed Steve as Custer posted j
his brigade and then opened fire with a j
batter}-, "but I reckon we might sorter j
hang on furawhikTand let 'em see we
hain't skeert. Yesterday I figgered that
one Confederate could lick about seven
Yankees in any sort o' scrimmage, but j
dod rot my buttons if things don't look
different today!"
The earthwork sheltered them from
the shot and shell of the artillery, and
Custer posted his brigade and then opem
fire with a battery.'
Kenton ordered the little "band to 1
ready for the dash he knew would soon?
or later be made. The Federals con)
be seen dismounting just outside <
musket range, and as a force of a bot
500 were moving ont to charge the fo]
held hythe major he raised a white fla
in token of surrender. The other tw
refused to be bound by his action, br
one of them was charged with cheei
and hurrahs and'eaptnred after filing
single volley.
"Waal, Tank, what's the word now?
asked one of Kenton's men as all real
ized the sta*? of affairs.
"Fight!" was the brief reply.
"I a ll us knowed he un was game
Three cheers for Kenton ! ' ' shouted Stev
Brayton.
They were given with a will, but be
fore the echoes had died away Custer'
entire battery was turned against th
fort, while a hundred dismounted rae
crept within rifle shot and opened a fir
which obliged the defenders to rema!:
inactive. Kenton knew that the fir
would cease as a charge was about ti
be made. This, owing to the Dature o
the ground, could only be made fron
one direction and by a small body o
men. The lull came, and under cove:
of the smoke 200 dismounted men o
the Fifth Michigan dashed forward
They were received by a volley whicl
staggered and checked them, and whil<
rallying the little band had time to re
load. One more volley sent the troop
ers back to cover, and Steve Braytoi
threw his hat into the air and shouted
"We uns has just licked the hui!
Yankee army right out of its butes anc
ar' gwine to march on Washington!"
Kenton expected another charge with?
in 10 minutes, but instead of that Cus?
ter sent in a flag of truce and a demand
to surrender. He stated that an at?
tempt to hold the position after all tb?
others had been taken was simply a
reckless waste of human life. He knew
their exact number and knew they had
neither food nor water. They had proved
themselves brave men, and he trusted
they would now realize the situation
and accept it as brave men should.
Kenton read the note aloud, so that all
could hear, and when he had finished it
he said :
"We might stop another charge, but
they aie certain to capture us in the
end. I advise surrender. ' '
There were a few dissenters, but 15
minutes later the 22 men had marched
out and grounded their arms in token
of surrender. Their captors were men
who could appreciate bravery, no mat?
ter'by whom displayed. As the suiren
der was made 4,000 troopers waved
their hats and cheered.
"I am not an officer, and I therefore
have no sword to surrender, " said Ken?
ton as General Custer rode to the head
of the short line and seemed somewhat
astonished to find only private soldiers.
"But who commanded in there?"
asked the general.
"I gave what orders were given, sir."
"Well, the southern confederacy made
a miss of it in not making you a captain
long ago. Had the other forts held out
as pluckily as you did we should have
had a hard fight to get at the stores. "
While a list of the prisoners was be?
ing made out and the arms collected the
troopers turned their attention to the
stores. The idea was not to remove but
to destroy them. The quickest way to
do it was to apply the jtorch, and in the
course of an hour everything was in
flames. The Confederate major had, as
stated, surrendered the fort he occupied
with about 80 of the men without firing
a shot. A court martial would have
promptly exonerated him from the
charge of cowardice had it been made,
for the situation was almost hopeless.
That one of the forts should have held
out and that the high private in com?
mand of it should have been compli?
mented for his bravery rankled in the
major's heart. He received permission
to enter the field where the rank and
file were surrounded by a Federal guard,
and searching out Royal Kenton he an?
grily demanded:
"By what authority did you presume
to hold that fort after my surrender of
the post?"
"We did not know that your surren?
der included more than the fort you
were holding," replied Kenton.
"Captain Wy le told me something
about you before he left,'" continued
the major. "He regarded you with tho
greatest suspicion, lt would not have
surprised me had you surrendered first
of all."
"I believe that honor was left to you,
sir." quietly replied Kenton.
"Hooray fur the Yank-three cheers
fur Kenton!" shouted the excitable
Steve. And they were given by the
whole force of Confederates with great
enthusiasm.
"I fully understand your motive,
sir!" exclaimed the major when the
cheering had ceased. "You simply
wanted to reap a little glory-to stand
well in the estimation of your friends.
You have accomplished it, but there will
be a hereafter. The minute I am ex?
changed I shall prefer charges and have
yon court martialed. If you don't con?
clude to remain among your Yankee
friends, I shall"
"Hear he un talk like a fool!" inter?
rupted Steve, treading army discipline
under foot in his excitement. "If the
major hadn't surrendered befo' a man
?ras hit, these Yanks couldn't 'a' got us
in all day!"
"That's so! That's so!" shouted a
hundred men. And the en eire lot began
cheering for Steve Brayton.
"And who are you, sir?" demanded
the major, new pale with passion.
"Private Steve Brayton, sir, of Cap?
tain Wyle's critter company, and I wa?
left behind here because I was a friend
of Kenton's."
"Oh, I see! Well. VU see to your
case at tue same time. " "
"Yes, and tell 'em thar's 15 dead and
wounded men to show what we uns did
befo' we surrendered," replied Steve.
"Rush him! Rush him!" shouted
the crowd, vercome by excitement anc
forgetting the respect due an officer.
The major backed away, but in an
instant he was carried ofif bis feet and y
rushed to the sentry line, and when he
picked himself up off the grass he was
bruised and battered and his uniform
in a very dilapidated condition. Groans
and hisses followed him as he walked
away, and the laughter of the Federal
troopers was in no sense a balm for bis
ri Sled pride.
It was noon before the stores were
destroyed and the list of prisoners com- ?
pleted. Then came an alarm. Colonel
Mosby, who has been dubbed "The
Bandit of the Potomac," but who .was
as regularly commissioned as any officer
in the Confederate' army, appeared in
the ndghborhoncVwith sjbout 200 men,
and before he was driven off and the .
prisoners were ready to start down the -
valley 'under guard it was midafter
noon.
"Yank. I've been thinkin this thing
over," said Steve Brayton to Kenton as
they moved off. "and I jest tell yo' we
ar' in a fix. We hain't neither Federals
nor Confeds any mo'I"
"How do yon mean?"
"Why, if we nns stay yere, we'll be
held prisoners fur goodness knows how
long, and if we git back to the Confed?
eracy the major will make it hot fur
us. Say, yo'! I don't know what yo're
thinkin of jest this very minit, but I
want to ask yo' a straight question."
"Go ahead."
"Yo' won't git mad?"
"No." ' ?
"Waal, then, don't yo' come porty
nigh bein soft in the head? We uns
don't want yo' on eur side,and the Yanks
hanker to shoot at yo' every Show they
git. If we uns don't want yo', what do
yo' want to stay for? If yo' don't want
to fight agin us, why don't yo* sorter
drop out of the hull bizness and let go ?
like a coon fallin from a limb?"
(TO BB COSTIN UKD.J
A **Lostf? Bing
A very swell and very pretty girl,
who lives not a mile from the big Fifth
avenue cathedral, has been receiving
countless condolences on the announced
loss of her engagement ring, a sapphire
between two big diamonds. She has
been partially consoled by the gift from
her fiance of another handsome ring.
Now she is beginning to quake and have
all sorts of qualms, both moral and
mental, because she is afraid some one
of the six persons who know the truth
about the loss will tell that it occurred
at the poker table, and that she in a
moment of frenzy or enthusiasm put np
the ring to "call" a $50 ''raise" and
lost it This is an absolutely true sfory,
as six persons who read it-and perhaps
more by this time-will acknowledge.
-Molly Knickerbocker in New York
Recorder.
Men's Visiting Cards.
Men's visiting cards are usually small
and long. They are engraved with the
full name or initials, preceded by Mr.
When not engraved, they should be writ?
ten. Printed cards are in bad taste. Of
course a doctor uses his professional title,
as does a militar}* or naval officer. As a
man's visiting card is his introduction,
it should above all things be neat, plain
and unobtrusive.-Ladies7 Home Jour
naL
Smothered by ? Dog.
A 3-months-old infant of Charles Sal?
mas of Bucksboro, N. J., was smothered
to death the other evening by a large
Newfoundland dog sleeping on its head.
The baby was left alone early in the even?
ing and was sleeping soundly. The dog
went to the bedroom unnoticed and curl?
ed himself on the child. It was dead
when found. The distracted father shot
the dog.-Philadelphia. Press. - _
Catarrh From Infancy
Hood's Cured-Cave Perfect Health
Lennie West,
Mountain, North Dakota,
"CL Hood & Co., Lowell, Mass.:
'.'My little boy has been troubled with catarrh
irom his Infancy. After tryingseveral remedies
without any benefit, I concluded to give Hood's
Sarsaparilla a trial. "When I commenced giving
the Sarsaparilla to Lennie he was three years
old and weighed only 22 pounds. He had not
grown any for over a year and was lust skin
and bones. I continued giving hiti the medi?
cine three times dally for over six months. Bo
has taken only 3 bottles and he ls as well and
healthy looking boy as can bc found in North
Dakota. He has grown considerable and has
Hood's^Cures
fleshed up some. I highly recommend Hood's
Sarsaparilla to my neighbors and others as an
excellent blood "piiriner." MRS. F. WEST
Mountain, North Dakota.
Hood's Pills euro all liver ills, bilousness,
Jaundice, indigestion, sick headache. 25c.