Pomeroy weekly telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy, Meigs County, Ohio) 1860-1866, 1861-10-11

wondering, fearing knew not what,
ran for water, and tried to restore her
consciousness. She looked up bewiI-
dered, as, at length, she sat up.
"Auntie, auntie? where-oh, I re-
member. My arm"
"Your arm, Nellie?''
''Yes: such sharp, sudden pain; it
made me faint. 1t is gone now, though
it feels little stiff"
"AuntieI' This voice came from the
door. Did I mention that Nellie's deep,
rich voice was exactly the same as her
brothers though in him was sweeter
tenor, in her fine contralto? 1 started
as the new voice, so like the one at my
side, fell upon my ear. Horace, pale
and scarcely able to stand, stood in the
doorway. "Auntie; can you bind this
up?" He pointed to his left arm, which
hung useless and bleeding at his side.
''Some rascals fred on US from behind a
WALL" he gasped. "Quick, auntie,
Boardman is waiting at the door,"
"You cannot returnr' 1 cried.
II mast! Honor" The words died
on his lips, and he fell fainting where
he stood. With returning conscious
ness, his eyes wandered deliriously, and
then, the blood flowing freely, he tainted
again. -
We lifted him into the little bed
room, and then removed his clothes. |
was busy over his wound, bathing and
dressing it, when the sound of scissors
clicking made me turn. For an instant
[ thought I, too, was delirious. Horace
apparently stood before the glass;
another look convinced me that it was
Nellie, dressed in the uniform we had
just thrown upon the floor, and brush
ing the hair back from her forehead
All her long, dark curls lay in a heap
at her feet.
"Why, Nellie, are you mad?"
"Auntie, hush, speak low! l am
going down to Lieu se nj ant Boardman; l
take my brothers place tonight"
"You cannot, child!"
"'Tis only to mount guard. I know
the duties, and I can catch them for
this occasion. Auntie, he said it was
dishonor if he was not there; he shall be
there She drew herself erect, and
proudly threw her head.
There was knock at the parlor door.
''Come, Horace, we are very late Is
your arm hurt so bad?" cried Lieutenant
Boardman.
Coming" cried Nellie, cheerily.-
Gone more pin in this bandage-so.-
Good night, auntie. "Hush," she
whispered, sternly. ''Not word; keep
my secret, and nurse him." And she
was gone.
can tell her course that night, for l
heard it word for word so often, but
then sat dismayed, sickening with ap-
prehersion. Jer last charge was no
vain one; all night my patient lay toss
ing in 4eserish pain. [ was ignorant of
the whereabouts of physician, could
speak no word Of Mexican or even
Spanish. if had wished to communi-
cate with the people in the house; and
then the dread of exposing Nellie made
me afraid to have any one but myself in
the room. Morning found me at my
post, Horace at last sleeping from faint
ness and the effect Of the opiate l had
ventured to give him.
Imagine my agony when, early in
the day, l heard heavy firing, and, be-
fore long, the report that battle was
raging just beyond the village. All
day long the firing continued, and l
dare not leave my post. The day be-
fore we had heard the sound of firing at
intervals, and Horace assured us Of the
difficulty of snatching the few hours he
and his friends spent with us. But to-
day the roar was louder and more stead
lily continued. Litters containing the
wounded passed the door, and every
man told US Of the fearful battle raging
so near US.
At the first report, Horace awoke in
burning fever and entirely delirious.--
All day he raved, taking all my time
and sometimes all my strength to
prevent his rising; indeed, but for the
loss of blood which had weakened him,
| should have been powerles to confne
him. So spent the terrible 18th Of
February, the day ever memorable in
our history as that upon which the bat
tie Of Beuna Vista was fought. As
uight fell, the bearers Of the wounded
became more numerous, and the house
was soon full. | gave them up my par
lor, but the plea Of an invalid in the
bedroom was respected by our brave
soldiers, and they did not intrude there.
No word could 1 gain Of Nellie, though
many told me they knew Lieutenant
Curtis, and spoke highly of his former
deeds Of bravery. Another told me
this
''Indeed, madam, I trust he's safe
hurt fighting like the brave man that
he is.
"Fighting?' a..
"Certainly, ma'am; what should he
be doing?"
had no answer. Thoroughly be-
wildered, sick with derad, [ went back
to my post beside Horace. The night
passed drearily. When the surgeon
visited the other wounded soldiers, find
ing that there was no longer any occa-
sion to conceal Horace, trusting that
! the doctor would not recognize him; [
had his wound properly dressed. The
ball was extracted, and the shoulder
and arm found to be very seriously in
jured. Quiet, careful watching that no
bandage was displaced in his delirious
tossing, and some medicine was recon-
mended, and 1 was again alone with my
boy. 1t was noisy night; wagons, lit
ters with wounded soldiers upon them,
passed the house every moment, while,
inside, the groans and cries Of the poor
fellows, with delirous shoutings from
some, made the scene more exquisiteiy
painful. Day dawned without my hear
ing one word from Nellie The battle