Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1874-11-12
A Love story Of the Rebellion.


We were sitting in our room at the Glades Ho-
tel, in Oakland, Nd, one day, with charming
lady who had dropped in on a visit. One of our
windows looked into that Of another room 30
placed by the conition of the maiu building that
haif Of its interior could be seen. We were
looking and admiring little chubby, blue-eyed
two-year old, white as snow, who was pulling a
boquet to pieces and tossing ont the Fragments
or clspping her little hands with delight as the
train went laundering by
"These rooms," said our fair visitor, "have
some very tender associations for me-"
"Why 30 y we asked.
"Well," she answered, ''during the war the
greater part OF the hotel was seized by the Gov
ernment as a hospital and we were crowded into
few rooms. My sister and I had this. In that
room where that little beauty is were two Union
officers one sick of the fever and another Of a
wound 1t was hard to tell whether they were
slowly dying or slowly getting well. lnever saw
| such ghostly skeletons to be alive. We were
'secesh' and not modest about it either, but still
our hearts ached for the poor young men, so III,
perhapssdyings far from friends and relatives"
"It bothers one to know how this should be
hospital" we said, sit is so far removed from
active operations"
at was thought" she answeiod. 'that the
mountain air of the glades would be more favor
able to,recovery than elsewhere, 30 this was made
u hospital. On, day one of these officers
dragged himself to the window, and under the i'm
do anything for them, and he answered, gasping
for breath, that u little chicken soup would save
their lives. Chickens we're rare in those days
| All army is hard OIL poultry. The men will work
all night, after marching through the day, to So
cure few chickens that while the hospital
nurse and physicians had an unlimited supply
Of luxuries in the way of wines, potted meats
and canned vegetables, they were without
anything fresh. We knew where few
chickens were hid in cellar, by neighbor, and
We coaxed one out Of the owner, aud after a deal
Of vexatious trouble--for at every turn we were
met by fixed bayonet aud All insut--we got the
soup ready, and as the guard in the hall would
not permit us to approach our patients. My
sister attempted to hand the bowl to the officer
In the window Just AZ he was feebly reaching
for it, and she stretching herself half out to give
ii to him, harsh. ugly voice below cried aloud,
"Look out, ere-poison " She nearly dropped
herself, soup and all. Drawing back she took
the spoon and began eating the broth. oh,
bother 7 cried the officer. don't waste it that
way; I'm not afraid and she gave him the soup
1t seemed to revive them, aud they continued
steadily to improve, as day, after day We
supplied them with chicken broth until the
cellar was empty. During this time We sat
| at the window talking, and we sang
to them-ssng my Maryland and all the
| Southern songs we knew, until they were well
| enough to leave the hospital and returned to du-
| ty. They both seemed sorry to go, and forced
on some hospital stores and some coffee.
which last we needed sadly. Then one gave a
ring and the other brooch as tokens OF their
kind feeling.
| "And did they never return " we asked.
| "One did not, fer poor fellow, lie was killed
| in the very next battle in which he was engaged
| His companion wrote us about it, and the writer
| Insisted upon opening a correspondence with my
sister and soon his letters grew into love let
ters, and after time they were engaged, Near
| ly year subsequent our patient got leave OF
absence and came on to be married. He put up
at a hotel, and will you believe it, our own bro
| ther, who was in the Confederate service, and
knew nothing Of my sisters affair." led band OF
guerillas at night into town and captured his in
| tended brother law from his bed. This not
only deferred the marriage, but deprived the
young West Pointer OF his promotion, that had
been promised for gallant services in the field.
| II was really aggravatng for exc anges had al
most ceased, and 1t looked AZ if the lovers would
have to wait until this cruel war was over be-
fore they could be united.
"You Ihould have appealed to Abraham Lin
colu to give married brigadier for an unmarri-
cd lieutenant.
"We did better. Procuring passes. we went
through the lines and appealed to JEFF Davis.
JEFF said he would put my brothers prisoner in
his sisters keeping. They have been happily
married these many years. He is breyet-brig-
adier-general now, and it all came OF our nurs'
ing the enemy in that room.
Here is the foundation Of a drama superior tC
that given by Boucicault in Belle Lamar.