Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1863-08-26

And the still hours Of that Inoonig ht night
rolled on to the day, and the unconscious
children, unawakened, dreamed their happy
dreams, and the oldest daughter-sad, aston
lshed, but Weary-went to sleep again before
the cock-crow; but of all within that poor
log hut after midnight passed the mothers
sleep was the sweetest
Hardly had the toiling woman gathered her
fall crop. Few hands made heavy work, and
it was slow and weary business indeed to 90
over the two acres, hill by hill, till all
done. The bulk of the harvest, however, was
gathered in (as good a yield as could he ex-
pected) when Johns letter came And the
very next day, leaving as good directions as
she could to Susan and charging the younger
children to mind her, with promise not to
be gone very long, Mrs. Riley on her way
to Green Ridge, to find her wounded drum
mer-boy.
The feelings OF the wife that had SO fierce
ly struggled, well nigh to breaking her heart,
for her recent loss, were now subdued and
tranquil as conscious that the old relation
ship had passed away with the husbands eb-
bing blood-lingered only in the silence of the
grave; and all the mother awoke within her
as she turned to the living. She was some
what nearer to her destination when the cars
left her at Shannon Dale terminus, a village
with seven houses. How to get conveyance
for the rest of the way was the next question.
Not even cart or oxen could she find
At length an Unlocking negro came along, to
whom she applied for information. "a 3.
Can you tell me where I'll find team ?"
''Yes'm" 4#EKs e
Where, then:p
S~.sVell, what is te-a horse, a donkey, or
| a pair of steers? And what's the wagon?
Tell me all about it."
SsNuIp and cart JiSSuS -
what viii We ask to Green Ridge ?t
S.Fifty dollars"
| ''Stay at home with yer old mule, We wick
| ed swindlin' nigger-to take advantage of a
| poor lone womanl Ask ten hundred, why
didn't We, when We was about it? But We
| may make Yer money out O somebody else.
III 90 afoot."
And off she started, leaving the exhorbi-
tant African materially sobered of his grin,
and staring at her with oppression of semi
icrceness, as if he half meditated doing
something wickeder still.
Mrs. Riley saw no cause to repent of her
resolution. She had gone over but eight or
ten of the weary stretch of miles when an
army teamster overlook her and gave her a
seat among his powder kegs. The ride, how
ever, was rather a change of exercise than 4
| rest to her, for the road was frighfully bad
From the teamster she learned that the For
| ty-ninth Pennsylvania was not within twenty
OF thirty miles of the spot it was when her
son dated his letter, but had moved To or
near a place called Sullivans Pass, taking
| their wounded with them. The communion
| tive driver furthermore informed her that he
was to stop eight miles short of this latter
| place. He declared, after he had heard Mrs
| Riley's story, that if he were not in the en-
I ploy of the Government he would see her
clear for the Pass himself, free of charge.
The next foot journey of tie resolute widow
was eXhaussing in the extreme-rocks gullies
| marshes, and above all, the omni present tan
gle of laurel brushwood lay across her path
and obstructed her feet at every step Sup
porting herself with the thought that her boy
had passed over that way, she persevered
and struggled through-to find, alas! on ar
irving, worn out with fatigue at the place
she sought, only ashes and the scattered debris
| of departed army The regiment had been
gone two days . - .s
But the persistent woman was not to be
discouraged. Resting herself awhile, She set
about for a team, and after some trouble she
procured a man, at a large price, to take her
in his cart 90 the regiment where her boy be
lcuggd. IS they came within the lines they
were hailed and fired on by picket but cs-
capped harm, and in due time the flags and
white tents OF the Forty-ninth appeared
| around the spur Of a mountain.
Stopped by the sentinel at the camp line,
she inquired for Patrick Riley the drummer
boy, and was told that he was not there
| That was all the soldier knew about it.
Whether he was dead or alive, he did not say
| She was not to be put off, and a corporal of
! the guard was summoned, who passed her
| within the camp, and she fastened forthwith
/ TO make inquiries Of the colonel himself.
! Which way did YOU come ," said the
/ colonel
| {. Bv the Plummer road"
-" on passed your boy within half mile
/ | left him, with all my wounded, at Verrico's
/ Station, to bC taken off to Harrisburg as soon
as they are able I think you'll find him
| there. He was badly hurt in the arm"
With All possible dispatch, the widow drove
| back the Plummcr road to Vcrrico's Station.
| \ company of soldiers was placed around a
long, roughlooking house, with a flag ON it,
! and she knew it was the hospital. A guard
stopped the horse long before they reached
| the building, but Mrs. Riley, snatched the
| whip from the driver and dashed the terrified
/ beast Up to the very door in spite of all OPP
| position-when, springing from the cart, she
| pushed by the sentinel as quick as thought,
| and, without stopping TO hear the epithets OF
| nag and . she-deyiI" that were shot after
| her as she passed in, she stood, in another
second, in the very midst of the wounded
soldiers.
out of breath, and looking all about her, as
| if afraid her senses would deceive her.
! There was no installing the quick, down
/ right tone of Widow Riley. Ii the boy was
. there, he would certainly answer.
=" Q, MOTHER gasped a weak boys voice,
and tumbled heap in one corner stirred, and
| rushing towards it, the faithful woman saw
| her poor little drummer boy sitting up, but
| 50 changed that none but his mother would
| have known him.
Poor Pat you've had sorry time, that's
! cicar.n
And here the wonderful energies of the
I mother, which had kept up so long as her
/ child was TO be searched for GODS angels
/ bear up with hands the stength of mothers
/ in such emergencies, gave way now that her
| child was found. and she sank down almost
/ taintJng upon the straw pallet before her.
/ Look up, mother, and don't We feel bad
/ I'm all right" said the plucky little fellow
! Ny arms hurt soft l shan't drum no more;
/ but now You come / feel like l could HEX off
/ the rebels with one hand"
Mrs. Riley soon recovered, and set about
nursing her boy.
/ She came in the nick of time, for his arm
had Just been ampEtated, and he was some
what tcycrish. Probably his mothers care
. was the g-r1- rhsrrr 41fa- -.4,1