Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1862-06-14
prom the Springfield Republican J
MAJOR ZAGONFs GUIDE,


BY ANNIE sAWrER DOWNS.
On the morning Of the oath day of last
Octobera somewhat novel scene unrolled
itself before the door Of quiet farmhouse,
about two miles from Springfield, Missouri.
Two women and three young lads had just
raised 5 very modest little hagi and IS the
wind aoatsd it graeefglly in the air, they
gave thfee cheers for the Stars and Stripes
ohee-s which If not loud were certainly
hearty. The younger of the women, Lucy
Dudly. mother Of the boys, stood gazing up
TO Il. and as she thus gazed, her face put on
a look of stern determination, and she muir
INJURED low, between her almost shut teeth
at ahaht come down again while live.
ayes twin mother, broke in one Of the
boys, sfor the seceshers are in town again,
andthey n make you.
HIS mother did not notice him, but turn
ing 70 the old woman, said, "For Williams
sake, mother, ven keep it up Even be-
fore she had done speaking the sound Of
horses feetwas heard, and the youngest
boy. clingingf Der dress. tried 70 draw her
into the house, crying out There they come;
o, mother, runl2 while the old grand
mother refreshing behind the door, trem.
bled visibly; but the mother stood firm,
awaiting the men she knew too well. Only
one little month before they shot down her
husband like dog, because he said his
house was his 0Fn. and he should hoist just
what Tag seemed to him best over it. They
shot him before her eyes, and his hearts
blood had sprinkledthe very ground where
she stood. and wonder not that the look Of
her eyes was scarcely womanly. Down the
road hey can't, a dozen confederate rufiaTs,
called soldiers by courtesy, and achiFalryii
by ME Fl lillian Russell. They were armed
and mounted, and as they Numbered up to
the door the leader shouted, HDown with
that dirty Yankee rag; if you don Z I Il blow
yout brains out t.-
No n5tice was taken, the woman might as
well have been stone.
siLnce Dudly, don't you hear me 2 and he
pointed his revolver at her
81 hear, Bill Armstrong ttF
aBl6st We, thon7 why don't ye mind p
tBecause / won't.
aYou won't, won't you2" and he fired, but
missed. He sWofe madly at his horse for
shying; and as he did so, she said, 'sFhis is
my house, and this is my flag; want it
here and shah have it here Y GU csn shoot
me and then pull it down; You certainly
won't before"
One man shouted, ave amt cut-throats;
we don't kin women and children
'iEsu have killed women and children
more than once, was the taunting answer.
Several Of the men, old neighbOrs Of hers,
felt the thrust and guailed before her eye,
while others drew their pistols, but the
leader throwing up the weapon nearest him
went on.
'eWan, Luce, victuals and drink we've
got to have, and we dOns gounder that Gus
sVietualn and drink ] can't help
your having but if I am going to get
them for ron, yOn come in through this
door, 9
Evidently her look daunfed them, for
bOldat they were, they were bad, and they
knew It SO withR rude laugh the captain
dismounted, shouted, scome on boys, and,
leaving their horses to the care Of the chill
dren, they one after the other went into the |
kitchen, and drank eagerly Of the whisky
set before them. As they thus drank, they
became wonderfully communicative and,
listening agefly, Lucy heard that they had
been sent out from Springfield, with come
fifty others, t0see if any thing could be seen
Of the advance Of Fremonts army, who were
supposed to be in the vicinity. She found I
that this party had been stopping at one
house and another, drinking and devastat-
ing, aud very naturally had divided, and
that a Imgtrong meant TO wait until the rest /
came up, and start for the town together /
from the house. She also learned that they 1
had not seen anything Of the Lincoln sol
die9s.i She gave them their full of liquor,
she letthem eat the bestthe house afforded, I
and as she Was taking pitcher TO get more
whisky, her keen ears caught the sound Of
a distant fife, Armstrong heard It, TOO and,
with an oath, said them lazy lubbers Of his
Wera 81 last coming, and the old woman
must lze some more dodgers along.
Lucy had taken the pitcher, and closing
the dsor behind her almost hew out into /
the yard, and taking the eldest boy BY the /
shoulder said, in terribly hoarse voice, /
i'Tom, run for your life over the moving, |
through the lane, and tell those men whom
yOnEill meet % take down their flag stop I
pla4ing Yankee Doodle, and come up with |
yol through the lane, and they can get eT-
erY one Of these men. Don't LET the grass
grow under your feet, boy
Tie wind had broughtto her ears, what /
it never whispered to these drunken men, /
that instead Of their comrades, their stern
est foes would be around them. And all /
her enefgies were directed 70 keeping them 1
still n the ignorance 50 fatal 70 them.
Meanwhile Tommy's tow head shot over
the moving, over the wall, through the mar
row lane, reaching the great road just as a
mount tea band Of men came in sight He 1
mounted a stump, waved his jacket and !
the foremost among them stopped.
'tFhatis it boy? r
HIarm wants your hhng man to stop
playing shat thing, g,and have down that ere
aae and come up to our house through the
lane Come on
He vas starting, but Zagoni stopped
sIdo not understand boy what does she
Wantp
TcmEas Indignant wants you to nab
some Beeeshsrs up to our house; but you
needn' come if you dom twanter."
Something in his face struck one Of the
men, and he said (. "Who is your marin,
boy3'
aGo ahead. Major, shouted she fellow.
'sshe's true blood; they shot her husband
q month ago.
d eonyi, ieiloaed BY a-portien-sf his
men, wheeled into the lane, trying to keep
Tommy. iirl-siglt,,- and soon they came in
EieW Of The low house and the noisy mirlh
Of Tie Confaderates was distinctly heard.
Armstrong never euspected, even ordering
Mrs. Dudley % show en- right in. She
went 10 the door and they needed not that
he shoald speak her piercing. sager look !