The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1869-11-18
From Lipplncott's Magazine. !
MURDER MOST FOUL.

) From Lippincott's Magazine
{ MURDER MOST FOUL.
STORY OF THE BATTLE OF GETTYSBURG.
Forth from smoke and carnage and thun-
der of the tremendous third day of Gettysburg
there .,taggered Il bewildered fugitive, W ound-
ed, fevered and half blinded by pain and
blood His faded, torn and tattered clothing
(once perhaps u unitorml was blood-staincd
4 here and there, and his hatlcss forehead was
marked by bleeding cut. His left hand,
wrapped in blood bandages, rested in a sling,
and he limped as he went with laborcd gait.
He bore no arms nor knapsack these had
already been flung aside; and now, as he
pursued his way, he divestcd himselfhurried-
lyot all his accoutrements, one after another,
and cast them impatiently to the ground. He
took no path. He pushed on with unsteady
yet rapid strides through the bushes, over
rocks and fences, straight ahead, with lips
compressed in silent agony. His apparently
wild and aimless flight had carried him
some miles from the actual conflict (Which
was not yet decidedD, when his fast diminish
ing strenth was shown in his cebly-tottering
steps and the difficulty with which he kept
from punging headlong to the earth. AT this
moment he came in view of a farmhouse,
and the sight stimulated him to renewed eff
fort. Forward he toiled, full of fresh hope,
= when, half way between him and the goal of
his eNcrtions, there arose 4 high, broad stone
wall Ii seemed to him insurmountablc, and
he groaned in anguish. Nevertheless he es-
sayed to Chamber over the obstacle More
than once he fell back from the attempt, but
at length, as if with his last expiring energies
he managed to drag himself to the top of the
wall. Dizzily he looked about him as he
thought to rest himself a moment, but sud
denly all grew blank and he became uncon-
scious.
lie fell f,tinting and insensible to the ground
on the inner side of the wall, with despair
ing cry for s'Water" He had luckily fallen
near spring house, and u startled girl, pail
, in hand, heard his exclamation and beheld
his fall. She at once approached him, put
water to his lips, and washed the blood from
his face. She continued her mnistrations until
animation began to return to the seemingly
f ltcless form. He opened his eyes and gazed
at her. Smiling family he fondly murmur-
ed
''Indianan -
His ttvcrcd brain evidently mistook her fol
another. Closing his eyes, he lapsed sudden
ly into deep sleep Taking advantage OF
this, she h.etily proceeded to the farmhouse,
whence she soon returned with the old farmer
; and his wife. Spreading u blanket, they
placed the wounded soldier upon it and with
difficulty bore him to bed
''Hc is rcbcl,n said the old man.
'But he is fcllow-human," remarked his
wife.
''And he is wounded-dying, perhaps, far
, from home and triends,' added the girl, who
f was obviously the daughter of the aged
couple
On the fourth day of July it was known tc
all that Lee was beaten and retreating That
general had fallen back into Virginia when
the wounded soldier whose fortunes we arc
following became aware that he had been left
behind in the cnemy's country. He found
himself tenderly cared for in the house of Mr.
Ordolf, q plain but substantial farmer, whose
wife and daughter were assiduous in then
humane attentions to the disabled Confe(er-
ate. They We're mother and sister to him r
his forlorn condition, and his grateful atfec
ton for them grew day by day as he expert
enced their unsellsh kindness. Toward Mary
Ordoil, the daughter, his feelings rapidly
| grew to be OF holier and more tender charac
ter. What she was in form and feature woull
: have been sufficient excuse tor this. and hel
simple daily life, exhibited in all its gentl,
: purity before him and his behalf, was enough
to subduc the most obdurate of masculine
hearts. 1t did not take him long to learn tha
his love was returned, and before he became
strong enough to leave his room he and hi
) fair nurse were ''engaged." Was it balcfu
: conjunction, this of the ''loyal'' maiden an(
) the ''reber' lover? We shall see.
As soon as John Randall (such was tn,
young Confederate nancy was strong enough
/ to march, he felt he could no longer remail
: where he was; he had to choose between
Federal prison and an attempt to escape tt
the Confederacy. He promptly made choice
of the latter alternative. Giving his 'parole'
to the elder Ordolfs and kiss of eXterna
h fidelity to the weeping Mary, he bade them
c all farewell and made the venture He wa
, successful, reaching Richmond safely and,
4 being shortly declared duly exchanged tool
. his part in the remainder of the war till tn,
. surrender of Lee. In the meantime, how
= ever, the Ordolfs heard nothing of him! We
leave it to the imagination of her sex to con
: celyc the emotions, ever varying from hop
to despair, experienced by Mary Ordolf unde
y these circumstances. On the third of July
II 1868, she was sitting on the root of hug
e oak which shaded the spring house, thinking
V mourntully Of that day, two years before
y when the tainting Confederate fell at her fee
If appealing for succor. In the midst of thes,
: "reminiscences she thought she heard a noise
4 on the stone wall near her. Turning to look
o she saw man in the act of leaping to tn,
! ground She recognized him in an instant.
= Mary"
" 'John!''
" And the long separated were once NOR
; united. Within a fortnight they were MARI
e ed
Randall did not long remain with his vouns
wife-his business, he said, calling him {,
a Virginia-and he left her with her parent
u u upon the prcteNt that his home was not quit
:, prepared for her. He was absent two months
d corresponding regularly with her, however
e AT the end of this period he came again, stay
d ing some weeks, and again leaving her 9,
h the same plea. These comings and depart
e urcs were repeated several times, until Mar,
!, and herparcnts beganto suspect that Randall
: for some reason, was either ashamed or afrai,
i to introduce his wife to his own family. Mar,
had been shocked to hear the gosspini
whisper that her husband had another wifi
) in Virginia, and she had to acknowledge tha
i his conduct was not above suspicion, notwith
i standing his plautible assurances. On tn,
a last visit the old farmer insisted that Randall
sho ould at once decide either to settle dow
y there with his wife or take her with him
" Irrtated by the apparent lack of confdenc,
in him, he at once ayowed his determination
to carry her to Virginia and making hurrie,
preparations for the journey, they soon wen