New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-04-04

she seemed to be sustained by sheer


she seemed to be sustained by shee
nervous strength.
At last the order to advance was given
and we were to move out at daybreak; ther
came countermanding order, and then
late in the evening, FremoDt's farewell. HI
had been relieved. There was genuine ant
universal grief. Good or bad, competen
| or incompetent-this is not the place t
argue that-he was the life and soul of hi
| army, and it was cruelty wrOnged in hi
removal. Spiritless and full of disappOint
ment. We again turned back from our aim
then would have been Prices opportunity
1t was the loveliest Indian summer
weather, and the wonderful opal atmos
phere of the Ozark mountains was redOlen,
with the freshness of q second spring. Al
had always been my habit in dreamy OF
unhappy moods, rode my poor tired mare
tor comprehensive sake; l ought not tC
have done it. for l never rode her again
The march was long and the MONDAY sun
was oppressive. She, who had never faltered
before, grew nervous and shaky now, and
once, after fording the Pomme de .Terre in
deep water, she behaved wildly; but when
talked to her, called her good girl and
combed her silken name with my fingers
she came back to her old way and went on
nicely. Still she perspired rnnaturally and
l felt uneasy about her when dismounted
and gave her rein to Reedolt, my orderly.
Late in the night, when tho moon was
IN mld-heaven, he came to my tent, and
told me that something was the matter
with Vixen. My adjutant and rushed out,
and there We beheld her in the agony of q
brain fever. She was the most painfully
magnificent animal ever saw. Crouched
on the ground, with her forelegs stretched
out wide apart, she was swaying to and
fro, with hard and stertOrous breath-every
vein swollen and throbbing in the moon
light. Degrandele, our quiet veterinary
surgeon, had been called white it was yet
time to apply the lancet. As the hot stream
spurted from her neck che grew easier, her
eye recovered its gentleness, and she laid
her head against my breast with the old
sigh, and seemed to know and to return all
my love for her. sat with her until the
first gray of dawn, when she had grown
quite calm. and then left her with Degran.
dele and Reedolf, while went to ny duties
We must march at five O'Clock, and poor
Vixen could not be moved. The thought of
leaving her was very bitter, but l feared
it must be done, and l asked Degrandle
how he could best end her sufferings-or
was there still some hope! He shook his
as he was, and said that he feared not; but
still. as l was SO fond of her, if would
leave him six men, he would do his best to
bring her on, and, if he could not, he would
leave her alive. have had few harder du-
ties than to march thatporning. Four days
after Degrandele sent q message to me at
our station, near Rolla, that he was coming
on nicely, and hoped to be in at nightfall.
"Vixen seems to be bette; and stronger"
AT nightfall they came, the poor old crea-
ture stepping slowly and timidly over the
rough road, all the old fire and force gone
out of her, and with only feeble whining
as she saw me walking to meet her. We
built for her the best quarters we could un.
der the mountain side, and spread for her a
colt bed of leaves. There was now hope
that she would recover sufficiently to be
sent to st. Louis to be nursed.
That night an Internal brute of troop
horse that had already killed Ludlow's
charger, led by some 6endish spirit, broke
into Vixen's Enclosure, and with one kick
laid open her hook Joint.
In vain they told me that she was incura-
BILE; could not let her die now, when she
was just restored to me, and forced from
Degrandele the confession that she might
be slung up and so bound that the wound
would heal. although the joint must be stiff.
She could never carry me again, but she
could be my pet, and would send her home
and make her happy for many long year
YOU We WO'ou cdup TWO mlloS, 10 Inc
edge of the town, and she followed, pain.
fully and slowly, the injured limb dragging
behind her; l could not give her up. She
Vas picketed near my tent and for some
lays grew no worse.
Finally, one lovely Sunday morning, |
Ound her sitting on her launches, like a
log, patient and gentle, and wondering at
Ter pain. She remained in this position all |
lay. refusing food. l stroked her velvet |
rest, and coaxed her with sugar. She |
ubbed her nose against my arm and was |
thankful for my caresses, but she |
bowed no disposition to rise The adjutant |
ed me into my tent as he would have led |
ne from the bedside of dying friend. l
urned to look at poor Vixen, and she gave
ne little neigh of farewell.
They told me then, and they told it very
enderly, that there was no possibility that
he could get we'll in the camp, and that
hey wanted me to give her over to them.
he adjutant sat by me, and talked of the
7hen he had known her we'll. We brought
ack all of her pleasant ways, and agreed
hat her trouble ought to be ended
As We talked, single shot was fired and
IL was over. The setting sun was shining
trough the bare November branches and
" warm in my open tent front. The band,
'hich mad been brought out for the only
neral ceremony, breathed softly Kreut-
er's touching "Die Capelle," and the sun
ent down on one of the very sad days of
" life.
The next morning carved deeply in the
ark of a great oak tree, at the side of the
aci6c railroad, beneath which they had
lred my lovely mare, simple VIX; and
me day l shall have to scrape the moss
ON the inscription.
/