Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1869-06-10

, ONH IHltsuOIu II 1 Uluu Culibb VI
once in the Confederate army. ]
lived right here then, whore you sec
the weeds. / couldn't get away
from them, and finally, with a gun
at my breast, / said / would enlist,
and went off, leaving my wife cry
ing at the door, l can see just
how she stood, with her handker-
chief up to her face, this way, and
left her waving like this. But no
use, ] had to enlist with the Mis-
souriahs, and so l did, with the
mental reservation that would run
away the first opportunity. But |
didn't get any chance, for they
watched me as close rs q blood
hound does a niger. Finally, when
Grants army came down here, our
brigade was sent out to kind O.
hold them in check. l hadn't been
home since ! went away, and my
wife wrote to me trying to cheer
me up.
"Ihe second day we moved up
in plain sight Of my house, our
lines being along where that fence
is yonder. Then the Yankees, they
came out of the woods over there,
and began firing. 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, wish
ing might 90 and see my wife
But she didn't know that l was
there at all. But | determined to
desert to the Union lines the next
night. So l arranged it to be on
picket, and was sent out there in
the corner of the field. just as it
was coming dark, I lay down on
the ground, so that the other pick
cts might not see me, and crawled
along slowly toward the house, and
when / got within few rods |
jumped and ran for tue house.
"When l came round the corner
a picket discovered what l was at
and fred at me, and the bullet went
over my head, / screamed, Mary,
Mary and she knew my voice, and
came right out to meet me on the
step, and said, 'Oh dear, dear
George, let's 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 was an advance in the direc-
ton of my house, opened fire just
then - and and - shot my wife
through the heart, and she fell be-
fore she had kissed me or l her
The bullet that killed her went
through my arm, right there. |
took her up and ran for the Union
lines, shouting I'm deserter, and
they finally let me in, but my wife
was dead. The batteries over there,
hearing the musJ about the house,
began shcllng it, and set it on fire,
and how the maid got out Of the
house I don't see. But l came
back here when the Union lines ad-
vanced, and buried her next day,
an Illinois Chaplain saying the pray
ers. And that's just why l wish l
was dead, l 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 his sleeve, and went
on trimming the rose bush. So
sad a tale and so real, being in the
very place where it happened, bro't
tears to our eyes in spite of US
We could not find it in our hearts
to disturb him with 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 outskirts of
the plantation, we looked back and l
saw him still bending over the rose {
trees. Attertravelingin thewoods.
the bullet and shell-scarred t
oaks, we turned toward Vickshurg,
crossing one corner Of the field as |
we went. 1t was getting dark and |
the stars were appearing, but we
could see his form leaning over the
bush as though he had not stirred I
since we left him an hour before
We paused upon the old rail fence
and said to ourself, "Great God, I
wilt thou not heal this broken S
hoorf %