The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1869-10-14
A SAD STORY.
4 Union Rebel Soldier and his Dead
Wife.

union ReDtl S0idlef and his Dead
Wife.
A correspondent of the Boston Trarez-
Ter writing from Vicksburgh, met a
strange character wandering over the old
battlehelds. The writer tells the story as
follows
We told him that we were from Mas
sachusetts.
oh yes, from Massachusetts,, said he,
Strengthening up. / have been in Mas
sachusetts, and was born in Vermont
Then after pause, he clenched his
hands, and said sadly, I wish was dead
now
why SOP said we, feeling pity for
such Wretched creature as he appeared
to be.
Ii you are going out toward the bayou,
l will show you. said he, leading the
way.
We began to think the man insane and
after following him nearly mile we halt
ed. and asked him how far he intended
to go. He stated that we were almost
there and so we kept on He soon turn
ed off from the main road into an open
field, surrounded by growth Of young
timber; and after passing the barren
spot which appeared to have been at
some time the site of a building, he sud
denly stopped, and pointing to bunch
OF rose trees said, in low tone:
There In that grave lies the reason
why L wish | was dead. She was my
wife, sir.
how long has she been dead 2 asked
we ~ sympatheticaliy as we could.
We'll, seeing you have taken interest
enough In me to GENE along so far, I'll
tell you the whole story, said he, taking
out his knife to trim the rose bush.
HIS STORY.
She was twenty nine years old, sir,
and she was a Southern lady too. | came
down here long before the war, and had
q nice bit Of land here [ fell in with
this lady at the city upt he river and we
were married in 1862 / kept out of the
war as long as [ could, because [ didn't
like lighting, anyhow, as [ was happy at
home, and because | felt more like fight
ing, # fought at all, among my native
Nernlonters. [ hated the Confederacy,
and said so, and it got them down on me-
30 one day company Of infantry came
along and said they would shoot me on
my threshold if [ didn't enlist in the Con-
federate army, lived right there then,
where you see the weeds | could get
away tIom them, and finally, with gun
at my breast, | said | would enlist, and
went off, leaving my wife crying at the
door. L can see just how she stood with
her handkerchief up to her face, this
way, and lett her waving like this. But
10 use. | had to enlist with the Missou-
rians, and so | did, with mental reserva.
ton that | would run away the first OPP
portunity But [ didn't get any chance,
for they watched me as close as blood
hound does niger Finally, when
Grants army came down here, our brig
ade was sent out to kind hold them in
check. l hadn been home since | went
away, and my wife wrote me trying to
cheer me up.
The. second day We moved up in plain
sight OF my house, our lines being along
where that fence is yonder Then the
lankees, they came out of the woods
over there and began firing. l wondered
what had become of my wife, for the
bullets from both sides began to knock
the shingles off the house. One side
there, where you see the cellar like
Well, that S where she went to get away
from the shot, she and her waiter girl.
All night l stood out there by that tree,
wishing | migho go and see NY wife.
But she didn't know that was there at
all. But | determined TO desert to the
Union lines the next night. SO | arrang-
ed i to De on picket and | was sent out
there in the corner OF the field Just as
II was coming dark, lay down on the
ground, 50 that the other plckets might
not, see me, and crawled along slowly to-
ward the house, and when | got within
few rods | Jumped and ran for the
house. -
w hen | came round the corner pick
ct discovered what | was at and fired at
me, and the bullet went over my head
/ screamed, Mary, Mary, and she knew
my voice, and came right out to see me
on the step. and said, 80 dear, dear,
George, let hurry away from here and
opened her arms to put them around my
neck and kiss me; but some of the Union
pickets thinking there yas an advance in
the direction Of my house, opened fire
just -and-and-shct my wife thro'
the heart, and she fell before she had
kissed me or l her. The bullet that
Killed her went through my right arm
there. took her up and ran for the
mon lines shouting, I'm deserter,'
ana they finally let me in bat my wife
was dead. The batteries over there.
began shelhng it, aud set it on fire, and
how the maid got out of the house |
don't see. But | came back here when
the Union lines advanced, and buried
her next day, an Illinois chaplain saying
the prayers. And that just why | wish
/ was dead. | can't do anything. nor
think of anything but her. Oh, she was
such a good wife.
Here he paused and wiped his eyes
with hissleeve, and wen: on trimming the
rose bush. So sad tale and so real,
being IN the very place where it happen
ed, brought tears to our eyes in spite of
us. We could not find it In our heart to
dlsturbswith more questions after finding
out his name, and so left him to pursue
our search in the fields beyond As we
were getting over the fence at the out
skirts of the plantation. we looked back
and saw him still bending over the bunch
OF rose trees. After travelling in the
woods. marking the bullet-and shell.scar-
red oaks, we turned toward Vicksburg,
crossing one corner of the field as we
went. 1t was getting dark and the stars
Weie appearing, but we could see his
torn leaning over the bush as though he
had not stirred since we left him an hour
before. We paused upon the old rail
fence and said to ourself. great God. wilt
thcusnot heal this broken heart.