Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1878-07-18
LANCASTER WISCONSIN. THURSDAY. JULY IS, 1878.

his love, and promise to write again
as soon as opportunity offered.
There was one letter in this mail
which attracted the particular atten.
ton of Major Smith as well as my.
self. 1t was addressed to John No
land, and appeared to have been
written at Columbia, Tennessee, and
mailed at Nashville. The suspicious
character of the letter, and the threat
ening allusion to the yankee soldier
induced me to take copy of it, which
was as follows:
sCoLUMBY, Aug, -th, 1868.
| DEAR JAcK-I am out of the fry-
ing pan into the fire. I left Wheeler
two weeks ago, and am now in the
Yanky lines. Bill Thompson and
about 40 more was took prisners last
week. | am now with old man God
fry, but viii leave for Lincoln county
next week--Jake goes with me. Tell
the old lady | will be along in Octo-
Der it not sooner. / see Bill Stuart
last week rite from Shelbyville and he
told me had better keep shady-he
said he herd Su Lacy had got mar
ried to Yanky soldier. l don't be-
leave the story, but if it is so he had
better sa his praers before / get site on
him. ] think Tom had better stay at
home, he Is too young to 6te and
knock round as he would have to if
he come with us. / send this letter
by Bill thompson to Nashville. No
more. From you know who jim.
don't remember, if I ever knew,
what disposition Major Smith made of
this letter. | know that both of us
were pretty well satisfied that it was
written by rebel guerilla who was
cheating the galIows of its due every
| day that be lived.
Punctaually on Saturday the pretty
little wife of the Yankee soldier
called at the postoffice for
her letter Her heart beat
with delight as l handed her the
mlssive, and she gazed with pride
and satisfaction at the superscription,
sMrs. Susan Litton.' 1t was probably
| the first time she had ever seen the
name written, and she pondered over
it as if to realize that she was ind aed
a wife, and that the scperscription
was her own proper address. She
soon observed that the letter had been
opened, and this she did not appear
to like very well. l told her that al.
though it was not the custom of post
offices generally to open all the let
ters received, it was, however, the
custom of that office. then showed
her the letter from Jim to John No
land, and called her attention to the
threat against the Yankee soldier
who had married Sue Lacy. In a
moment the color came to her cheeks,
and her eyes sparkled with anger.
4 know who that u.s. she exclaim-
| ed. 'Tll bet dollar it is Jim Wyatt,
He's good-tor-nothing secesh rebel,
and jined company that was got up
for Wheeler's cavalry. He stole two
horses from Squire Caldwell last
spring. | hope he will get bullet in
his head before he ever comes back to
Shelbyville.'
Perhaps he was an old beau of
yours | remarked.
NO he wasn't but he wanted to be-,
though, and / would have nothing to
do with him. Good day, sir, 'and the
young lady darted off and was out of
sight before l had time to ask further
questions, leaving me alone to reflect
upon the unsophisticated simplicity
of this newly married southern belle.
About month after the events
above narrated our regiment was or
dered to Bridgeport, Alabama, and /
was obliged to turn over the postof-
fee to other parties. Then followed
the battles of Chicamauga, Mission
Ridge, the seige of Knoxville, and
the famine on Stringer's Ridge. The
winter passed, the spring dawned up
on us, and then came the terribly Sc
we're, but gloriously successful cam.
paign against Atlanta. Just as we
had reached the gates of that unfor.
tunate city, and the glistening spires
of her steeples had become visible, /
was taken down with fever. was
sent back to Chattanooga, and few
days thereafter was favored with a
thirty day furlough for home. Pass
ing through Louisville | was oblig ed
to stop at the Quartermaster's Office
for transportation. There was a
large crowd of furloughed and dis
charged soldiers present on the same
errand as myself. Our papers were
handed in and examined, and then a
clerk called off the names and hand.
ed back the papers accompanied with
an order for transportation. The
name called next after mine was that
of Robert Litton. The name ap.
peared familiar with me; but / could
recognize no acquaintanceship in the
| countenance of the soldier who re-
sponded to the name. As we passed
out of the Office my comrade was
Joined by pretty and well-dressed
young lady with babe in her arms.
had seen that lady before. She
was my old patron at the Shelbyville
postoffice- l felt that / needed no
introduction to her, and l accosted
her at once. She was prompt to rec
ognize me, and gave me formal in
PRODUCTION to her husband, reminding
me of my former dlstrust of him, and
adding
Il told you he would take me home
with him to Ohio as soon as he was
discharged, and we are now on our
way
SO, then, you are discharged from
the service?' interrogatiyely re-
marked to Mr.. Luton.
yes sir; my time was out more
than six weeks ago, but didn't get
mustered out and paid off until last
| week
well, sir, Mr.. Litton, congr at .
ulate you on your success in this
southern country. You go home to
resume the duties of citizen with a
| good start in domestic matters
yes, sir, have got as good wife