Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1871-02-24

companions, l soon cutstripped
them. As we made our escape we
were fired at, but got across the
bridge in safety.
II felt so much shame and morti-
fication at having SO nearly fallen
into trap, that could scarcely fix
my mind upon the duties which now
demanded my undivided attention.
l knew that l had committed great
indiscre tion in accepting that sin
gu!ar invitation, and that if any dis
aster resulted from it l richly de-
served to lose both my commission
and my character. | constantly
found myself wondering whether
the lady intended to betray us, or
whether we had been accidentally
observed. The question would re-
cur even amidst the excitement of
battle. Fortunately my presence
and services in the field were not
required until Generals Porter and
Ripley had been engaged at inter-
walls for several hours; 20 that when
my brigade, with Towson's artillery,
were ordered to cross Streets Creek
my nerves and confidence had be-
come measurably quicted and re-
stored. ! need not describe the bat
tie of Chippewa. That belongs to
and is part Of the history of our
country. 1t is sufficient to say that
at the close Of the day we were mas
ters of the position, and that our
arms were in no way discredited.
The British army had fallen back,
leaving their wounded in our pos
session. The mansion which | had
visited in the morning was the lar
gest house near, and to that the
wounded officers in both armies
were carried for surgical treatment.
As soon as | could leave the field I
went over to look after my wounded.
| found the English officers lying on
the first floor, and our own on the
floor above. l saw in the lower
room the young lady whom | had
met in the morning at the breakfast
table, her white dress all sprinkled
with blood. She had been attend
ing to the British wounded. On
the second floor, just as was turn
ing into the room where our officers
were, | met my hostess.
Gone glance at her was quite suf
fcient to answer the question which
| had been asking myself all day.
She had intended to bctray me, and
nothing but the accident Of my aid
rising for his handkerchief saved us
from capture.
"Years afterward, in rejecting
upon this incident, | was led to
doubt whether l had not miscon-
strucd her startled manner as sud
denly encountered her. That unex-
pected meeting would have occa-
stoned embarrassment in either con
tingency; and it is so difficult to be-
lieve lady of cultivation and re-
finemcnt capable Of such an act, that
| am now, nearly half a century af-
ter the event, disposed to give my
hostess the benefit of that doubt.
"And now, SIR added the Gen
era', "this is Tie third time in my
life | have told this story. | do not
remember to have been spoken to
before on the subject for many
years" He looked at me, and seem
ed to be considering with himself
few moments, and then said: ere
membering your intimacy with Gen
eral Worth, | need not inquire how
you came to knowledge of our Sc
cret."
"Well, General replied, 81
have kept the secret faithfully for
more than forty years, always hop
ing to obtain your own version Of
what struck me as most remarka-
bic incident in your military life"