The Huntington argus. [volume] (Huntington, W. Va.) 1872-1905, 1873-07-19
An Incident OF Gettysburg.

July 9 sun was scorching out all the
beauty OF hill and plain, and drying up
with lava breath every little stagnant pool
aud bubbling rill. The dying smiles OF
sunset had kissed away the last amber
fiushings OF rosy light from the glowing
occident, when holly pursued by half
score Of Dragons, sought refuge in the
clustering underground Of little skirt Of
forest, two miles from the red Aceldama
OF the mornings butchery. In the deep
huah Of that forest privacy, plantive
wall from woman startled me, and throw
ing myself at the foot of the nearest tree,
listened with new and strange interest
TO the following monologue:
at is just oh, it is just, Harry Gatewood,
that !, the wronged aud outraged Lucy
Nenable should be the only one to wit
ness the great dissolving of hunanity's
tiesl Amid the cannon's rear and death
rattle of musketry, I've followed you, lol
these many months, and have sent up
enough prayers to Heaven for your des-
truction 10 have saved my country. I've
watched you, aye, have. under the agony OF
the hearts reeking wounds and the brow
hotinsaniiy Didyou know that at Sharps,
burg and Manassa we fought together, and
you fell on both fields wounded by my own
hand? Aye, the injured woman whose
innocence has been Knocked, and whose
purity sullied, can never bury the memo
ny OF the wrong, or cease TO writhe under
the poignancy OF the hurting sorrow that
has broken her life and frozen the chan
nels of hope and joy was poor and
t.endless, and with the bright curse Of
beauty upon lip and brow, was fitting
slave for your adulation and artifice But
you're dying now; twirl and twist, and
twitch poor worm ofthe dust under the last
life throe as did the babe Alice in the roar
Dg rush OF the Potomac when the life
tresm in a mothers breast was quenched
Never by starvation's fire. God's for an
{ lixir to prolong the struggle, lIa lis
f cree enough; see, he mutters, and his
G .enched hands would grip the monster
\ b, that pangl and all is over It's pitt
j to see thee now that thy proud form is
OF NY waiting :or the tramp OF the noble
cl larger that neighs in the distance or for
Il bloat and loathsome hues o 'decly' dark
fiji iger I'll Gull the wild flowers that
q ow in yonder dell to cover thy white face
a. d bloody breast, and under my hot tears
as k the siness One to blot from Heavens
IRE sster the record Of thy great transgres-
sit mr.
The voice ceased, and silence succeeded,
br oxen only by the roar Of distant cannon
AMI rattle Of musketry An intense de-
ere to know something Of the history ofthe
fem ale from whom the solloquy proceed
Ell, ollures me, despite my WEAKNESS, TO the
spo I from whence the address came The
last traces Of orange light came glintng
down through the overhanging branches OF
the dark green network, aud lay CULVER
ing in little dottiugs Of gold, Illuminating
vith chastened beauty, the fret gray
shadows Of twilight. that were struggling
to hide two human forms clasped in the
hold Of death The one, a stalwart. noble
form had paid the forfeit Of struggle in
the arena OF liberty-the other, queenly
iu stature, was sirikingly lovely her face
halt concealed by the heavy waves Of her
dark hair matted by gore and tears Worn
out and perfectly exhausted by the fearful
labors Of the day, threw myself At full
length upon the little plat Of grass before
me, and soon faneied myself al home again,
filing one Of uLe old hearth seats among
the loved aud loving Of a happy land. The
startling note Of revielie found me 10 ohjsc-
tionable proximity 10 the dead man from
whose embrace the female fsure hal
been extrica'ej bat ty wtat sri agen-
cy even conf cfure vs.. le't fowerless
Dead e must have cen, 'or there was no
motion, no muscular contraction. p1 ouiv-
ering Of toe lie pulse. no jntunat. on what
ever hat lfe still fingered To- rroione hui
man bi-- or 70, during my imperfect scru-
tiny OF the bodies Wbither sine had d.i
and what history Of mystery attached To-
her presence At such = spot, ani at -ucL
A. hour VA an enigma beyoni, all power
Of mi8d 10 solve The field OF act on had
been sharply contested through the night.
and the Zoe driven back 70 their fortified.