Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1871-08-31
The Civil Engineers Story.
BIT FRED. rAYLEUR.

Of his cigar; but If you want to hear 7
how close came to passing in my checks c
ouce on a time, will tell YOU"
One of the most wonderful things about S
our army was, that every trade and pro-
fession was 50 we'll represented in each /:
regiment thereof. l remember how sur.
prised our Colonel was, when ordered to '
build railroad between two points, and 4,
puzzled how to begin; but in
half an hour he had the men, who knew
the business thoroughly, picked out from
his own regiment, and myself detailed to
take charge. That's the way we did
things.
The road was wholly in the rear Of orr
lines, and away from danger-not that we
cared for that-whcre the original dwell
ers were ndisturbed-negrocs and all SO
you may believe that the change, to Us
poor fellows who had been in camp so
long, was most agreeable. ! was fortu-
nate enough to be billeted upon most in
telligent and pleasant Southern family, |
not the least pleasant member, to me, OF
which was Yankee schoolmarm who |
had somehow got stranded there After |
running levels all day, through woods and |
swamps, would come back to u delicious
tea" and still more delicious evening
with Mary Doe (such was her fitting
name), and you may be sure that those
evenings were never too long. needn't
make short story long. 1t came to what
such things always will come to before
long; soldiers learn to do quick wooing,
and in two weeks was bound heart and
soul to the service of the schoolmarm
We kept our engagement secret from mo-
tives VI policy, but there was one person
who seemed to watch our meetings and
/ movements with most obseryant and sus-
hic;ous eyes.
| | have said that the family was inteli-
gent and pleasant" but must except this
person-the Only son. He was lumplSh,
brutal. yet mean looking fellow, and | al
ways believed him to be in secret sympa
thy with the Confederates, but too COW
ordly to openly join them like man. II
was manifest to every one except Mary
herself, that this boor was in love with
her; but she. in her innocence, never
dreamed OF such thing, and whel | told
her that We must bew are of Carol Stew
art, her eyes were first opened. Then she
remembered many little things which told
her how deep a love this man must have
felt for her this long tiIn3. uer fears on
my account were excessive, and | could
not laugh them away. She knew, she
said, Of many a treacherous deed done BY
Stewart, and that lie would hesitate at
nothing that could be done underhand,
though lie would never openly iujure any
one.
One night, I found upon my bed an
anonymous note, telling me to beware OF
Mary, for that she was spy of the enc
my, and had arranged with them for my
capture. 1t implored me to hy back to
safety, and was rs stupid production as
I we'll can be imagined, considering that il
was addressed to a soldier. Of course
knew the writer but said nothing even to
Mary. l resolved, however to be on the
; watch, as believed if remained | should
. have the craft and wickedness of Stewart
to combat
|, A day or two after, while directing my
/ work 1--WE had crushed matters, and
t were now laying track), was shot al
: from a close thorn thicket. which was
Y empty before | could reach it. Though
unhit, / felt by no means comfortable
! you may bcicvc-f)r, stick it out as wC
|, may in battle, it 3 hard to go through or
+ dinary business with the constant expcc
tation of bullet into some part of you
e person. Our labor was completed at last
!. and as / walked back from my section tC
the house of Mr.. Stewart, through thu
J. woods | was pondering my love affairs
If and arranging the future in bright lines o
, castles in the air. Suddenly, before hat
. heard sound of footsteps, | was seizet
: from behind, blinded, and my hand
n bound. Struggles were useless, and
\ found that they only made my situation
E. more unpleasant, so | resigned myself t
E the fates, and was led away, not far, t
i some kind of a large, empty building, a
e. Judged from the echoing of our footstep
" on the walls After my legs had been al
4 80 bound, l was cast into small room o
N this same building, Not word had m
o captors spoken from first to last, and til
n only sound ! heard from them was pea
d of triumphant laughter as lock wa
,e turned on me. / managed to work off til
d bandage from my eyes, but though foun
IL my prison anything but secure, | was to
h. tightly bound to think of escaping. NJ
is cries-for began to shout at once, an
of most vigorously too-brought some on
n. TO the door in moment, and surly NJ
III gro voice informed me that if didn
II "quit dat ar operizing," should /
n gagged.
K Having no notion of that, quieted
re Here l lay for twenty-four hours, {
least, without food, or drink, or sleep. A
50 lest the door opened to Carol Stewar
a who stood and smiled upon me for litt
ge time, and then, in the most blunt manne
ce told me that unles promised never to 81
'rt Mary Doe again, must die,
Oh 1 answered as bluntly, Die tits, then
,e- and without word he disappeared, bl
as1 returned in moment and said that nee
et- hope for no rescue, as my comrades hs
30 gone beck 10 the arms sakin1ing me
.s.-