Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1869-06-03
METHODIST.
4 sad History


Russell. the Boston TiaprlHsy's South.
ern correspondent, in a letter dated at
Viek-bnrgh, May T., tells the following
SAD, SAD HISTORY.
While wandering over the fields to-day,
in search of the Notifications. picking uf
fragments Of shells, old canteen-. bavanei
scabbards and pieces q havor-acks. w
met "A man about thirty-fye year, of age
Ills clothes were ragged. his beartd bu.hy
and uncombcd, lis hair matted and hi.
face dirty. lie wa a picture Of wreirhei-
ness, although Fowler would ctll him
phrenclogieally a smart and intelligent
man. He Nts rcstlcs-ly pacing about
through the brush and over the hills. with
his hands behind him. and his head bent
down a. if in a deep study.
We hurried mp 10 the spot where be
must meet Us if he kept on in the direc-
tioB he was coming, and waited Tor him.
lie neither looked nor spoke - ~ in pass
ing. nor needed our Good evening sir. ."
until he had passed ~ several pace. lie.
howcyeJ. turned abruptly about. like a
man who suddenly discovers that lac has
forgotten something. and muitcred be-
tween Lis teeth, did you speak to me.
sir 7"
We told him we did. and that We were
anxious TO see where the Federal lines
were located, a We were from Ma--arhu-
sets.
"oh, YES, from Massachusetts, said
he Strengthening up: Il have been in
Massachusetts,, and Was born IN Yer
mont" Then, after "a pause. he clenrhel
his hand and SAID sadly, Il wish ] was
dead now. :.
such a wretched creature ~ he aIIearel
10 be.
"Tf you are goin.. out towards tic bay
on, will show you" said ho, leading the
way.
We began to think the man was insane. I
and after following him nearly a mile. we
halted and asked him how far he intended
to 60. lie stated that we were almost 1
there, and - We kept ON. He soon turn
ed off from the main road into an open
field, surrounded 10y the growth of young
timber and after passing the barren sPo;
which appeared 70 have been AZ some
time the site Of a building. be suddenly
stopped, and pointing - bunch 81 rose
trees, said in "a low tone:
'Thore In that crave lio- the reason
why | wish i was dad. She WIS my
wife. sir
How long has She been dead - asked !
we, as sympathetieally n We could.
"Well. seeing You have taken interest
enough in me to come alone - FAR. IA tell
you the whole story. said he. taking ont
his knife TO trim the rose bush
HIS STORY.
"She was twcnty-niue year, oil. sir.
and she was Southern LADY. too. came
down here long before the war. and had
nice bit Of Land there. ] fell ia with thi-
lady at the city up the river. and W. were
married in 1862. ! kept out ~ ih, war
as long ~ ! could. because / Didn't like
fighting anyhow. a, / was happy nj home.
and because felt more like fighting. il
fought at all. among NV native Vernon
tiers ] hated the Confederacv. and said
so. and got them down on me j.. - one
day a company OF infantry came along
and said they would n eot me On my
threshold At once ii didn't enli-t in the
Confederate army. / lived right there
then where you see the weeds couldn't
get away from them. and finally. with
gun at my breast, said ] would enlist.
and went off, leaving my wife crying in
her handkerchief up 10 her face in this
way, her left hand waving ike this
But no use, i had 10 enlist with the Mis-
sourians. and so | did, with the mental
reservation that | would run away the
first opportunity. But didu't get any
chance for they watched me as close a. a
bloodhound does a Niger. Finally, when
Grants army came down here our brigade
L.
check. | hadn't been home since wen,
away, and my wife wrote me trying TO
cheer me up. The second day we moved up 1
IN plain sight of my house, orr lines |
being along where that fence Is wonder. |
Then the Yankees, they came out of the
woods over there, and began firing.
L wondered what had become of my wife. 1
Tor 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 the waiter girl
All night stood out there by that tree.
wishing L might go and see my wife. But
she didn't know that / was there at all
But determined to desert to the Union
lines the next night, so / arranged to be
IN picket, and 1 was set out there. in the
corner of the field. Just as il was com
ing dark, l lay down ON the ground, so
hat the other pickets might not see me.
md crawling along slowly toward the
house, and when / got within a few rods.
jumped and ran for the house. When
came round the corner, picket discoy-
red what was and fired at me, and the
,allet went over my head. screamed
Mary, Mary, and she knew my voice,
md came right out to meet me ON the
tep, and said, oh dear, dear George, let's
Jury away from here and opened her t,
rms to put them around my neck and
ass me; but some of the Union pickets,
mining there was an advance in the d.
ecsaon OF my house, opened fire just then, =
my wife through the
earl and she fell before she had time to 4
ase me or her. The bullet that killed
Ier went fhrouOh M 80