The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1862-03-06
Serve your Country.

Nsv 10y - - - -
Serve your Country.
nv n. wALcorr, AUrnoR OF "wnlrrs FROM y,
MEERscnAux."
The rebel cannon opened upon the defiant
walls brave Anderson, with his little hand
ful of men, gallantly responded the tele
graph, in the confused and hazy style ir
in which II always mud'llcs everything Il
takes hold Of, filled the air with inconsist.
cnt and impossible rumors the proud flag
was wrapped in the smoke and flames Of the
burning fort and, as elimination Of the
first act Of the worlds greatest drama, the
ominous words. Fort Sumter surrendered +
flashed along the wires, thrilling the grea'
heart Of the nation, firing the blood Of en-.
thusiastic, ambitious youth quickening the
steady pulse Of mature manhood starting
afresh the sluggish current in the veins ol
the old mar, who had lived long under that
bright banner, and now for the first time
saw Il trailing Il the feet Of treason.
What followed then has already been
written in the records Of the time, as in tho
memory Of an that Witnessed It. The fierce
anger Of insulted loyalty; the grand uprising
Of an outraged people in its sublime passion
the spontaneous offering Of lives, fortune,
and sacred honor upon the altar Of patriot
ism, have been c.lroniclcd, and passed into
history.
Charlie Msrsh sat'at his iittN table, his
books spread out before him, his study
gown wrapped about him, his pipe lit, his
smoking-cap jauntily pcrched upon tho back
Of his head. He had trimmed his lamp, and
sat down to prepare for to-morrow's rccita.
tion but the wild excitement caused by the
presidents call for seventy Ave thousand
men was abroad, and made stuly impossi-
bic. After acveral futile attempts to collect
his shattered thoughts, and concentrate them
upon what old Ciccro had to say in dispar-
agc,ncnt of Mark Anthony, he closel the
lexicon with slam, refiIled his pipe, moved
his chair around by the window. and sat
down to think about il. AMI out there up.
on the canspas, that.lsy quietly sleeping in
the Inc onlight, there arose vision of the
leagured fort, the starving garrison, the cir
clio OF batteries growing up around it, the
cowardly attack, the final capitulation and
lowering of the flag. Then appeared Wis.
ion of the sure and terrible retrihution the
marshaled hosts advancing with firm, deter.
mined tread. bearing before them that starry
emblem, that tho ordeal Of battle might pur I.
fy il Of the stain lch there by treason's foul
hand.
Through the open window came the sourd
of the drum anil fi:e, stirring. as no other
music can, the fighting blood that came to
him from Revolutionary sircs and, throw.
ing his smoking cap out Of the window, b.
way of emphasis, he exclaimed by Jove Z
(students have habit of swearing by the
NEUROLOGICAL deities it srnacks of the sch, l.
arly,) Tin goingr Knocking the ashes
out Of his pipe, he went to bed to dream o.
drums and trunpets, banners and brass
blttons, gun-powder. CRIME and gallant
deeds !; and through all fair face looked
down on him, with smiles Of pride and en-.
couragemcnt.
The next morning he enlisted, and then
tclegraphed home to ask his fathers consent.
The answer was: $50 |! And he went -
His mother was dead, his father and sister,
and the owner of those soft, starry eyes, that
smiled on him in h,s dreams. lived far away,
and there were none but his college friends
to bid him scod-by, when the day for his
departure came. and he waa ready to start
leaving. not without lingering regret. the
old dos-earcd books, tho study gown and
smoking cap; Of all his lnxurics taking
only his dear, old meerschsum No wondes
that he was silent and thoughtful, as the
long train slowly moved of. amid the cheer
ing Of tho men. tho waving Of snowy hand.
kcrchiefs, and the fearful farcwclls Of loved
ones. For with an his esgcrness and en-
thusiasm, he hsd thought we'll Of the step
he Was taking. the personal risk. and the
possible duration Of the war. IIcknew, too
that there were lear ones 1t home, who
would think of him often . aister, who
would catch al the flying rnmors, and be
wilder her little head with masked battcrie.
and rcconnoissanccs in search Of tidings Of
him father, whose sympathies would be
moro than ever enlisted. now that his only
con WAS.
His company was attached to regiment
and they went into camp. Fortunately, theil
colonel was not mere splendor OF gold lace
and crimson sash he was man Of military
education, earnest in the cause, and dets.
mined to make soldiers Of his men. So
Charlie soon tasted the sweets Of . soldier.
life, the hard bread, the harder board tc
sleep on, the woolen- shirt and ponderou,
brogan, and the old visions Of graduation n
and literary renown, that came to him in hi,
little chamber. as he sat among his books
gave way to glorious deeds in hattie. tn.
thunder Of cannon, and the clashing o
swords. And letters came from home, from
sister Carrie, full Of anxious enquiries IS t.
his health, and how he liked it, eto. /; ending
with wicked little joke about Fannie B.
and her Irritation with . lieutenant Of tn,
Home Guard. In reply, he told her tina