The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1865-11-24
Friday Morning, Nov. %, 1865.
After Murfreesboro.
I'I must pass the lines, colonel" y

Il uluSI pass the llIleS cOlOuel.,' 5fp
Il am sorry, my dear madame, to deny you; /;
but orders cannot be departed from," was the
answer OF the grey-haired officer who sat be-
fore the camp table and addressed young girl
who stood just inside of the tent.
Sand can it be possible that men who pro-
fess to have human sympathy can issue such
orders? ?" ASf PAID +. +,
"Certainly, young lady. Why not. The
soldier has every attention, and the the pres
ence of an amateur nurse could not fail to ir-
ritate and trouble him, therefore retarding his
recovery" o
"Colonel, this is no argument, but sophistry
l have asked permission to pass that L may
seek one whom your own surgeon reports as
mortaly wounded. Do you intend that he
shall die without friend by his side, who can
carry a message to his far-of home, and to
the old mother who will prize it above all 9TH
er words that will be spoken to her in this
life ?" @@~ A-- iva
The old man leaned his head on his hand to
conceal the tears that were tiickiing down his
cheeks, but in amoment he reused himself.
"The case is very bad" he said slowly; shut
the good soldier wants only his comrades
about him when his life is going out. Some
one among them will bear his dying message.
You must not urge me, young lady; am
soldier, and cannot depart from orders; have
no discretion" 4aa s..1 za .44t
The girl turned away with white face and
cleuched hands, and walked silently out from
camp. Many cap was touched respectfully
to her as she passed, for her efrand was known
to the soldiers, and however much they may
have acknowledged the necessity of the harsh
order that Shut her away from Che wounded
man whom she sought, there was many one
among them who would have lacked the firm
ness of the old colonel, when he denied The
passionate plea of the blue-eyed girl who had
just gone away. 1a' n ,,-t'i -'l~
The smoke of terrible struggle at Murfrees-
boro had not yetcleared away; though week
had passed away since the battle, order had.
not yet been brought from the terrible chaos.
The dead were buried, but the living were
scarcely the recipients Of the care necessary
to keep those who were struggling between life
and death on the loyal and right side.
AS invariably occurs Immediately after
battle, crowds of civilians, bent ON every imag-
Unable errand, flocked TO the camp. Relatives
seeking the dead and the living ;.newsmoneers
and the paper correspondents anxious to pick
everything of interest to feed the hungry ap-
petite of the public; peddlers and camp fol-
lowers, thieves and gamblers; all in one hete-
rogeneous mass, sought entrance within the
federal lines. 1t was this influx that brought
the order under which Eleanor Price had been
denied the privilege of seeking in the hospitals
Lieutenant Frank Gordon, her playmate in
childhood, her unfinching champion in his
school-days, and affianccd husband in man
hood. ~. .,-
In the long, roughly-eonstructed shed, inn
provised for hospital, with dying men on ev-
cry side, with horror and disorder, so that it
could not be shut away from the sight, lay
there the figure of man, young and with
well cut features, but gaunt and haggard.-a
Above the mattress upon which he was
stretched hung the coat which had just been
removed from his body, and upon it the we'll
worn and weather-beaten straps which show
ed its owner bore the rank of first lieutenant.
He had been divested of nothing except his
coat, and the gray army shirt was open upon
the breast, revealing the fact that the wounds,
whatever their nature, were there. No blanket
covered his limbs, and the tightly-closed, col
orless lips and dimmed eyes spoke little hope
for the life of Lieut. Frank Gordon. Five
days had he lain in this way, trembling upon
the verge of eternity, and pronounced by the
attending surgeon past recovery. Little could
be done in the fearful crowding of thousands
of lacerated men in the hands of the attend
ants, and the deficiency of hospital aid, and in
every direction he saw strong men turn away
I'm despair. with lesser wounds than his own;
and then with sickening terror he sank back
upon his rough and easeless couch, with
prayer that his spirit might be called while his
eyes remained closed to the misery around
him. - 4a5ss ~ ,.f9fs --'
with letters from Nashville to the general
in command" .Ia
you may give them to my orderly and he
will give you back the generals answer"
sfYou must excuse me, Colonel, 1 am under
orders not to let these letters go out OF nv
hands, unless into those of Gen. Rosecrans-
If you say L cannot 60 up to Headquarters
then must return to report the fact.'' -.
The old gray haired colonel seemed to con-
slider moment, and eyed the young officer
who stood before him well before he answered
him.
"It's against orders, Lieutenant, to pass any
one, but can't see that these orders extend
to officers in the service bearing dispatches.-'
L think you may go. What did you say your
name wasp
"Smith Gordon, Eleventh Michigan, at your
service" .s4' ar
@Gordon? Gordon? I've heard that name
before, l think. Haven't we a Gordon with
us?" 7hE1 WM
''Lieut. Frank Gordon on the staff, sir-shot
I'm the breast, sir; died this morning in hospi-
tai 2" answered the orderly, with the senten-
dousness of veteran. ,7a7t sr'4I
"Ah-hah, yes" responded the colonel, slow
~, u remember. Lieutenant, what's the
matterP You look pale. Yon are not fright
ened at the Idea of a man dying in a hospital,
are you? Here, Orderly, drop of whiskey
for the Lieutenant. May be you have never
Deeh ouuei iue, younSster; it's dirty business.
Take swallow of whiskey, it will do YOU
good. It's none of your internal commissarv
whiskey. l send up to my place for nv whi;.
key. Well, / don't know but you are riobt
Whiskey is bad thing in long run. Shall
/ send my orderly up with you? Very GOOD
if you think you can find the way. You lool5
rather young for this kind of business. Good
morning" -. -.a-f tasss a.s
And the young man took his way alone in
the direction of headquarters until he came to
a turning of the street that hid him from the
ewes that were looking curiously out from the
Colonels's, then he struck off in an entirely
new direction, stopping soldier whom he
met by the way to ask questions of the route.
Within an hour afterward he presented
himself before the attending surgeon of Hos
pital No. 2.
ed?"
Did you say buried ?" questioned the doc
tor.
HE died, believe, this morning If his
pooy sun u remains here, Doctor, should like
buried ?" the physician queried again. 'I
am OF the opinion that he is not dead vet,
Lieutenant 1--WE don't give them much chance
after they are dead"
The doctor did not watch the oro,t oasn
given by the young lieutenant. Who Stood he
fore him, or he, too, like the old CoIonel
would have thought that the air Of tha hos,
pital did not agree with the boyish looEing oc.
ficer, r.' - '''Aiiis Vi
I'VE have to get rid of them very soo,,
Lieutenant, after the breath ia out ~ I'