Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1863-06-11
MY REVENGE,


We met in the beginning of the action,
| and my euemy, Richard Withers-he, &
rebel, l, Federalist; he, On foot, |,
mounted. 1t matters not now why ha
ted him with the tiercest wrath of my
nature. "The heart knoweth its own bit.
terness :" and the details, while most pain
iul to me, would be of trItiiUg interest to
you. Suffice it that orr teud was not 8
political one. For ten years We were the
closest inmates that the same studies, the
same tastes and the same aims could make
Us. | was the elder OF the two and .he
stronger, physically; comparatively friend
less, as the world takes it, and Lad no near
relatives. Young, solitary and visionary,
as we were, it is hard to make you under
stand what we were to each other. Up
to the period OF our enlargement, work
ing together, eating together, sleeping to
gelher, L can safely say that we had not a
JOY or grleI, not pleasure or d veXatlOn,
that We did not share with an almost boy
ish siDgle-heart ednese. But one day
changed all. We arose in the morning
dear trends, and lay down at night bitter
foes. | was a man OF extremes | either
loved or hated with the whole strength OF
my heart. The past was forgotten 10 the
present. The ten years Of kindness, OF
cougeniality, OF almost wOmanly tender
ness, were erased, as with spoLge. We
looked each other in the face with angry,
searching eyes; said but u very lew
words tour rage was too deep To be de
monstrative,) and parted. Then, in my
solitude, dashed my clenched hand upon
the Bible, and vowed passionately:
6 may wait ten Years, Richard With
ers! | may wait twenty, thirty, if you
will, but sooner or later | swear | shall
have my revenge"
And this was the way We met.
| wonder il he thought OF that day
when he laid his hand on my bridle-rein
and looked up to NE with his treacherous
blue eyes. | scarcely think he did, or he
could not have given me that look. He
was as beautiful as a glrl indeed, the con
trast OF his tair, aristuCratic face, with its
regular outline and red, curvlDg lips, to
my own rough, dark exterior, might have
been part the secret Of my former attrac-
ton TO him. But the loveliness of an an
gel. if it had been his, would not have
saved him from me then. There was q
pistol in his hand, but before he had time
to discharge it, ! cut at him with my sword
and, as the line swept on, like gathering
wave, saw him stagger under the blow,
throw up his arms, and go down in the
press. Bitterly as | hated linn, the vision
of his CHASTITY lace haunted me the long
day through,
You all remember how it was al Fred
ericksburg- how we crossed the river at
the wrong point, and, under that rakipg
fire OF the enemy, Were SO disastrously re-
pulsed.
IL was sad mistake, and fatal to many
brave heart. When night fell, lay up
on the field among the dead and wounded
was comparatively helpless. a ball bad
shivered the cap of my right knee, and
ny shoulder was laid open with a sabre
cut. The latter bled profuseiy but by
clint OF knotting my handkerchief tightly
about it, | managed to stauDch it in a
measure. For my knee | could Go both
ing Consciousness did not torsake me,
and the pain was intense; but from the
means and walls of the men about me, |
Judged that others had Jared worse than |.
Poor fellows there was many q mothers
darling suffering there. Many OF my CON-
had never been night from home until
they joined the army spoiled pets OF Tor
tune, manly enough at heart, but children
In years ana constitution, who had been
used to have every little ache and scratch
compassionate with an almost eXtravagant
sympathy-tbere they lay, crippled and
gashed, and bleeding, crushed and dying,
hudGled together--some, where they haO
fallen, some where they had weakly crawl
Ell upon their hands and knees-and never
a woman's touch to bind up their wounds,
or womau's voice TO whisper gentle
consolation.
1t was pitchy dark; and cold misera-
BILE rain was falling upon Us. The very
heavens wept over our miserIes. Then,
through the darkness and the drizzling
rain, through the g1oans and prayers OF
the fallen men about me. beard familiar
voice close by my side:
Water! wafer! water! [ am diving
with tbirst-if it be bot Inouthtul-
water! For Gods sake, give me waterl"
recolIed in dismay. 1t was the voice
of my enemy, the voice of Richard With
ers. They were once dear to me. these
mellow tones; once the pleaSantest music
I cared to hear. Do you think they so
.ottened me now? You are mistaken. |
am candid about it. My blood boiled in
nv veins when | heard him; when |
know that he lay SO close te me, and |
poyerless to withdraw from his detesteQ
neiehborLood. There was water in nv
canteen. l had flied it before the last
ball came. By stretching ont my baud |
could have given him to drink; but | did
not raise finger. Vengeance was sweet.
| smiled grimly to myself, and said down
in my secre, heart: Not drop shall
cross his lips. though he perish. l shall
have my vengeance"
Do you recoil with horror? Listen,
how mercifnl God was TO me:
There was poor little drummer on tie
other side, merry, manly boy of twelve
or thirteen, the pet and plaything OF the
regiment There was something OF the
German in him; he had been with Us
from the first, and was reckoned one OF
the ablest drummers in the army. But he
would never march to the tap OF Chariey's
drum again. He had got a ball in his
lungs, and the exposure and fatigue, to-
getner with the wound, had made him |
light headed. Poor little child he crept
close to me in the darkness and laid his
cheek upon my breast. Maybe he thong bit
L was his own pillow at home; maybe he
thought it, poor darling, his mothers