The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1875-12-02
A SOLDIERS STORY.

Gen. Shafer, commanding at De Wallis
Bluff, Ark, sent detachment of cavalry
up into the Cache River country to inter
cept some contraband goods that were be-
ing smuggled throughed the lines to the
enemy. That country was an almost inter-
minable wilderness of swamps and forests
of cypress and gum trees at that time, and
was the last place in America that any one
would be supposed to choose home. There
were occasional spots, however, of a few
hundred acres each, little higher than the
surrounding country, that By much expense
had been converted into handsome and valu-
able estates, with large and pretentious re-
sidences for the wealthy owners, who, though
isolated from the busy world, were content
to forego some of its pleasures for the peace
and quiet seclusion afforded. Once each
year, when the cotton was ready for ship
ment, and the little river was swollen by
the Winter rains, a steamer would come up
to the plantations and take the season S pro-
duct and the planters family to New Or
leans, where the cotton would he disposed
of and years supplies parchased. Then,
after few weeks spent in the society of
the metropolies, they would be carried safe
ly back to the landing at home. Thus the
years were spent until the children, who
had been under instructors at home, were
far enough advanced to be sent abroad to
finish their education.
1t was at one of these plantations that
the squadron of cavalry was halted and dis
mounted about daylight, with instructions
to surround the house and allow no one to
escape The Lieutenant then directed a
Sergeant and six men to 90 through the
house and seize any goods that might be
contraband of war. The detail was made,
and the men proceeded to their work. En-
tering the house, the Sergeant made the
inmates acquainted with the nature Of his
errand, and assured them that all private
property should be respected. When the
party assembled the stairs leading to the Sc
cond story, one of the men, young Prus-
sian, who had landed in this country just
in time to enlist, remained below, and pas
sed into the parlor. Perhaps the single oc-
cupant of the room, beautiful girl, may
have attracted him, and perhaps he didn't
just like this unceremonious style OF ran
sacking gentleman house, war or no war.
At any rate, the squad got along without
him, and came down presently, and con-
tinued their search. All the rooms had
been visited except one into this went the
entire party, lady and all. There were
four large trunks there, all of the same pat
tern, and entirely new The suspicious of
the soldiers were aroused still more when
the young lady asked the privilege of open
ing and displaying the contents of them
herself. The request was granted, but
each man scanned the articles as they were
taken out, expecting the long looked for
bolts Of Confederate cloth would be brought
to light. They were disappointed, how
ever there was nothing but what vas evi-
dently intended for the houshold, and the
last trunk, had been empticd of its con-
tents-not quite, for the Sergeant noticed
that the drawer in the lid had not been
opened, and called the girls attention to it.
With slight tremor of her voice, she re-
piled that there was nothing there but pri-
vate property and she did not wish to re-
move it, This attracted the attention of
the men, who gathered around, when the
Sergeant again demanded that the search
be made Still the girl, who was knccling
by the trunk, with her hands resting on
the lid, made no movement, but looked i'm
ploringly into the faces of the soldiers. She
was beautiful creature, scarcely seventeen,
yet with all the grace and bearing of an ac-
compished lady. Before the Sergeant
could repeat the order or execute it him
self, the Prussian, with a touch of the hat
and polite bow to his superior Office, said
'If the lady give you her word of honor
that there is nothing there We seek, you
should be satisfied "Word of honor !" re-
peated the Sergeant, contemptuously !;
"honor among rebels, indeed y
There was free fight in an instant, for
the Prussian dealt him terrifl blow i'll
the face, which staggered him back among
his comrades, who took sides about evenly
for and against the "Dutchman, ''leaving it
uncertain which would be victorious, when
the Lieutenant, hearing the row, rushed in
and quelled it. In the excitement which
followed the trunk was forgotten, and the
party left the premises and resumed their
march. When the war was over the troops
were disbanded at st. Louis, and the Prus-
sian was lost sight of for several years, un-
til the railroad from Memphis to Little
Rock was revived, when he turned up as a
civil engineer, and assisted i'll locating the
route His name mentioned freqently in
the papers at the time, but when the road
was finished he disappeared again, and /
saw nor heard nothing of him until the
other day / met lady and gentle
man I'm the cars. whose faces seemed fami-
liar, and which proved to be my Prussian
comrade and his wife, the planters daugh-
ter, whom he protected in the war Then
followed a long story of how the railroad was
located across the plantation, and how they
met again-a case of love at first sight
and were married, and had made tour OF
the lakes, and revisited the seminary at
Cincinnati where she educated, and were
on their way to California.