, 1870-01-23

ny1pR through the MI, the tntle OF Du>AcdJs wv
vhlx OF bullets, the triumphant Jels OF the VIC
to.s. the responding cheer frou the nanL We
| also In deadly grspple the numbering foar iou
! the gu1 boats on the Cumberland ;2new' hto
ee.her formed = picta1c terth1 hung and
'eao., raosa .sooess,ou,, sae1ss rssv,r,s o
vsr surroundlue NE, sr11llt3t Mu.bers, ca'ssons
sn1ll nrns, aocoutreucnts and ammunition
e,rewu broa dcsss, formed my tcat4tdeai Of one
CT EapoleonA taoguinss5 ttelda NJ pictured BY
the graphic pen and prolific fancy OF Neadley
II. an old story noH; hut when indulge Ia q
retrospect Of my army Life, the first impressions
OF q battle neld come before me 80 wildly that l
thlr1 hha&l never forget them. Hor wondered
u gAEed on the faces OF the detd how long II
would oe before would be ciAssed IN The Same
ead category Perhaps Tomorrow; for tho ncge
hSd not Jet terminated. And how 1 WON
detcd my fortunes would ever cart
me- With the "Unknown," and 10.
how horrible that would bel I osteu felt that II
died Like hero Qhould Ike taoso 1r1ends VINO
have always held mo dear TO know whers lay.
Thta feeling never left ne throughout the war.
nor did posae41 1t alone. "Two paces OF tne
y1lest earth," with such An ep1t1ph, deprived, Is
It Il, OF all poetic grandeur hAzn't many charms
for living neru- Many wouldn't 0bjecs to death
with Immortality. Then, Lie Bozsrris. they
1 wou1d nnd It pleasure, and not psin. Nor
I
! were afterwards spelk Any nowp-EaYs 11t
e0nkno.n">ddahd forbid! The sto.,ea Of Leoni.
dAs, Of fahled Curt1us, Of Winkelreid, OF that
young Gaulkh chlefta.n who sacrificed bis ilfe TO
Cesar that the people Of Altss might be saved !;
OF Eustace St. Pierre, who gave up bis body as
1000 70 the Starving garrison al Caais and OF that
immortal n1o IAdd, Needham, and 1fhttuey
whose lies blood stained the stseeta Of Baltimore
that fatal day tn April. 1861 and scores Of Others
all read we'll Around their nh1ne8 rests halo
bright beautiful, and tnpc1!shahle. Such fame
as ,heiIa is worth dying for: but how many heroes
Of the lase war give up their llrea for the lie Of
the nation, WhoBe deeds OF hernIGm and valor
would almost make theirs pale In comparison
which are, By ntfnl freak OF dekttny either COW
cred In the dust OF oblivion or m!serahly eplto-
B1Eed IN this doletul inscription, +" Unknown"
How long gtood there reviewing this process
sion OF thought don't knnv. was Ia deep
reTet1e and Was only aroused from 1t by reeung q
heavy grip On my shoulder, and. turning, found
myself in the grasp Of a tall. heavily-bult, and
well.Afmed man, clothed In gray.
"Ha11oa, my little one, what are Jou doing here
thls time o. night, and what regiment do you oe.
long tos" Eas the g1un inquiry-and you can tn
agtne how It grated on my ear. 11elt 1h1t my
fate depended on my reply and therefore carefully
Btudleott
~ came here TO asstst the wounded, but only
found two on the hill 10 my right Around here
they seemed to be scared, OF rather wa going
TO ray SCARCE The wounded we're either Ill dead,
or the dead were either all wounded. or had been,
or, you See-"
"Wel, never mind thAt"he said; "eos any
arms about you7"
"No, sir, don't need any for this duty"
"What have you In yo1f canteenk Ncd What
regiment did you Say you belonged to7"
I've coIee In one and water In the other
which"
"Eo whistey7n
aEo,"I aald, and added that didn't think
| there was any In camp-hoptn2 to ret come idea
OF his camp through this reeier, /" but fhtisd.
| "What camp7 "he inquired hastily but befort
I had tine to answer he aoded, ait occu1s 10 me
I've seen you before; what regiment did you Say
you belonged TOT"
hadn't Ra1d and didn't wish 10 ellher.yet wa
nearly dying 10 know the same OF hin Was viii
! Ing to give him my name, age, birtnright tant
throw the pottage ln}- anything but this Informs
ton. I wanted come clue TO his nat1on 1rst
whether friend or foe; 10, walvinK his question.
went On with ny story.
.Yon see, the wounded"
"Never mind the wounded, tell you, but tel
| ne whether you're Fed or Confcd, that'a what
want to know, and that, too, right away, for In
In hurry"
(gow wished he Rould hurry odD
"As was about TO eay, Joo see, they woult
| freeze-"
"Freeze notnngr II yon don't tel me you!
4 regiment r1gas away, III freeze on you, and TIM
quick, tool"
Ittonght he had already. 1Gsook as though
waa freezing, but that Was probably because rr1et
| 50 hard 10 Keep cool
| The reluctance manifested IL answering bill
qucst1opR, aud the delicacT shown By me IN uo1
askirI the same Of him, ought to have rebuket
him; but he didn't rehuke "wortn a cent? TX
tilhtened bis grip several times, aad oDce ra1set
me from the ground and shoot ne until fauclet
| myself In the banda Of two instead Of one. Gull
ver'A experience among the Brcbdgra9s, tn
experience Of another youpR hero Of "ateat E1
pectauors !" IN the hands Of an escaped convlc
| IN another graveyard, and q thousand other alni
lar thoughts crossed my fancy with irrcsshbl
force. One thing became ey1dent-that be VIZ
bent On not hearing "that little story OF rrtns,
and, az I couldn't play 1.-THE a1ttul dodgeE
longer, told him belonged 70 Missouri reg
nent, hoping thst this {then) unhappy State va
represented On both ndes-
IA Missouri restments" said he. sWhas reg
| lnaut-lhe Thlrtefuln7n
"Tes, str-n
IoKa-"
!. OF course was glad, and told him %. Il
: asked me some more question:, but soon COZ
|
hls grip then, but yet kept his hand on my shou
der. fiotina1ed that it was awtul heavy, an
I would Ike to have him drop It, which he did vi,
! a Light laugh and Certainly" znd then Ike
him better than ever.
~ cone down." Ea.d be, "to get fevolvin
carttue aaw lying IN yonder tent this afternoon
to use when the ball opens IN the morning"
Swell, why dont Jou go and getii III 50;
and, lt:arted when he caught me By the arm, al
satd:
"Hold. you little fool! watch that hIIl-stia
minute. Donr yo1 sec their plckets sEalklng be
tween TIC uoes, gradually advancing 1hl
way7''
Looking moment saw them no! hundre
rods dlstant, and scarce twenty-five from the ten
containing the cove'ed carbtne. They nitted liz
| Epecttea into The moonlight, and then ranishe
nom view by getting In The shadow OF the trees
This partially accounted for my Isteud,a "hurry
| a few moments before.
"Do yoa tni1k they hare seen us7" asked
lowering my voice.
"Oh, no, not yet: bat they'll be on us soon II y.
donr get away. Got any tnlug TO propose."
No, It WILL be folly 70 try 10 reach the top o.
THE bill without being seen"
"Yes; onr Only alternative is to creep on on,
hants and Inece, hug the shade as much as poss,
be, AID We may escape. Come or" and with ths
word he sutted the acti9r. and followed Init
the Enow On all.fouts We went, tscstug aud quar-
tel1EE mp the hillside as the shadows OF the ssat
tered trees neceahtared, cse+ ping over dead net
AID hotses lying IN our trait, aod stopping cse1
and anon 10 kee whether We Ind been discovered
Once sudden c1uncE1ug Of the bnow To cul
reht checked uB suddenly, stopped cur brcath
and sent our hearta palpitAtng into ops thsoata
ride1less horse, lmptpg on thret
ieet, changing his positlop, explained tn.
cause; and the goId-brntd on the snabracl
OF the Mddle, gllEamaring IL the moonlight
showed thar 1t WIS an Adjutants- Agnin, "I INIT
who comes there! ," rang Ont from rebel p.cIe1
| 70 cur left and rear. A short, brcathless pRusf
followed, when my comrade whispered, II CUES,
It's patrol and rot us. they challenged" au6 or
! We went A itttle further, in narrow strip o
shade, lay the body Of a rebel soldier, and ns "
crept over him he g.oaned! Tea, as trulr AZ sit
here, that deod man groADed! 1t sounded 80 IN.
car1hly-as thonRh demonstrating at the liberty
| We wc1e tak1ng-and made our blood fairly curdle
| In or vcInaI
We reached the crest Of the hill ut last in safety,
having eluded tho vigilance Of lheir seutrtee: aud.
| tAe&pg refuge behind q large stump, We busied
ousxclreA IN mutual congratulations and In WARN,
ing our hands. Here, for the nrst time, TOOK q
lcok At my companion. On hla arm he carried ths
chevrons OF Sergeant, which ! then detected
lcr the nrst time. His countenance was striking
and his frame powerful The former was matke.
with heavy lson.gr2y mcustachc, and large
lunelteshaped scar extending from his cheel
under bis lett 1Aw and chin, as II made by tht
snoe Of hor1e. ! didn't ask how he came by It
but It looked too old for q battle scar. lie va.
elderly, abore forty. Intelligent, frank, open
hearted and brave lie was fa!r type OF oul
Western soldier. jim Gordon was nA name, and
a. never nei him after ward, I canI tel w hethe1
he survived the Ha1 OF not
I = .