Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1863-12-11
For the Cedar Falls Gazette.
NM SOLDIER LOVER.


sr KnxA NAY. !"
bH PLusHvrLLs, Sept. 10th, 1858.
DRAR ANsA:-A letter bearing the Same
date with this was written 4 few hours since,
and is now on its way to your home. tried
to gather courage to aay to you in that what
my heart prompted me; but my pen refused
to write that which would add one pang to
your many sorrows. Nop, must write |;
and in doing so--do not for one moment i'm
agine that forget your loneliness and Or
phanage. The time has nersr. been when my
whole heart was more entirely devoted to you
and your well-being than to-day; and it
grieves me more than I can express to pen
the words that will cause you pain and per.
Aaps will separate US forever. And yet, I
will not judge your heart thus wrongfully.
Our parting must not be final. .s f
Ny country calls, and l desire to obey its
call. Shall 80 with your blessing, and ybur
prayers asa safeguard against all danger ,
Do not deny me the boon my heart so earn.
cstly bsgs for, dear Anna. Show yourself
imbued with the patriotic spirit of the "wo-
men Of re-" and remove every barrier which
urges me to remain by your side -"i
If 60 to meet death in it's grim and ter
rible form upon the field Of strife--it will
not seem hard to thus offer my hopes and
life for my country's veal. And, in Heaven
the pledges we have made that not eren
death should part u.s. will unite our souls
in more blessed union than earth holds in
its keeping. r.".. .s s-.. a-'.nta
shall go content II your "God speed"
cheer me on to duty. ...r.. .rr .... s..
Yours faithfully, -. ..ss
.... .,.1 ... EDWARD GREGORY"
This letter came to me one bright Autumn
day-one such Gay as are always precursors
Of storms. And, well as knew my duty
with regard toit--this sacrifice Was not made
without many reb.llious thoughts, and the
often repeated query" why must it be my
beloved9" Better thoughts came Of the
trial, and cal.ned myself to write the neces.
sary reply. In those first hours Of dread,
uncertainty and q vain wish to know what
might lie in tho future-I could only assure
him Of tho prayers he craved from the lips
and heart Of his Anna And then, turned
aside from my accustomed duties, and found
bitter pleasure in this new and all absorb.
ing trouble.
If I had analysed my feclings-thcre
would doubtless have been behind all this
weight Of grief tingo Of gladness that one
I 80 truly loved desired to give himself in
order to make lasting Joy our glorious in
herisance. Outwardly, l felt only unrecon,
citation. and did not care to search my heart
for any gleafn Of comfort Twas sure that
broad earth held not 30 miserable being as
myself Without parents, brothers or sis.
ters-ths love usually bestowed upon many
was al given to the one made my idol, and
who was more than worthy Of my regard |;
and the end was to be- -dsatA to him, and to
myself the blghting Of all my cherished
hopes. So, | wrapped the garments Of my
own selfish sorrow close about me, and said
=" | viii not bs comlorted." as-
I forgot then that in many home in our
land dwclt maidens who had given their all
and given willingly. l forgot to thousands
had come the blow that severed the golden
chain which bound their hearts to some
bravo soldier; and the links would never be
gathered up until the garment Of mortality
is put on, and deaths mystery solved.
All this, I have remembered since, when
the fast approaching shadow Of great afflic.
ton almost crushed me, and learned to
CLEAN consolation from the spared life of my
beloved. Through many battles lie passed
unharmed At last read his name in the
terrible list over which my eyes had glanced
so often for months-I might say years.
Edward Gregory--dangerously wounded
Then, it seemed az if all my prayers for his
safety had been mockery, and God had
not lent listening ear to the lip service
had dared offer him. In faith had neper
prayed-for back of all the cords I uttered
to Him, was the thought" God viii not
hear--he will never return"
The All-Fathsr was more merciful than
in my weakness had vehtured to hope. Ed
ward came to me one bright June morning
Of 1863, and since that day. it has been sum-
mer in my heart despite outward storms and
cold. But, he came without the right arm
which had done good service for his country
and which was to have been my strength and
shield.
We have renewed all Of the old pledges,
and to-day we take upon ourselves new and
more hallowed VOWS. And ], in my girlsh
strength and devotion Of purpose have prom.
ised to be his right arm, his wife" in life
and in death. the same"
A characteristic, story Of the President is
narrated in letter froth Washington. When
the telegram from Cumberland Gap reached
Mr.. Lincoln that firing WAS heard in the
direction Of Knoxville" he remarked that he
was "glad Of IT," Some person present,
who bad the perils Of Burnside's position
uppermost in his mind, could not see Why
Mr.. Lincoln should be glad of IT," and 30
expressed himself Why, you see," re.
sponded the President, "it reminds mo Of
Mistress Sallie Ward, . neighbor Of mine,
who had very large family. Occasionally
one Of her numerous progeny would be heard
crying in. some out of-the-way place. upoH
which Mistress Sallie would exclaim, There's
one Of my children that isn't dead yet"
Z
IN the battle Of Gettysburg there were no
Iowa regiments. But there were Iowa sol
ders there, many Of whom were wounded
and nuIaber killed outright There was
one company OF Iowa soldiers in the 11th
Regiment Of Regulars. mostly from this Vi
cinity, which was in the very brunt OF the
fight and suffered severely. We presume