The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1878-09-20
"Give me your hand, Natalie.


the soldiers side; and when she ha
secured his hand she hurried him aloD
toward the place where she had lef
her mother. 1t seemed along distanc
to Jerome, and once he stopped a
though he wonld turn back. He dit
not fear death; but feared dishonor
"Hark." uttered the child.
The soldier listened, and plaiDl!
heard the voice of the suffering woman
calling for help. He hesitated NJ
longer. On he hastened through th'
storm, and found Lisette sunk to he
armpits in the soft norass Forum
ately a tuft of long grass had beer
within her reach, 10y which she | az
held her head above the fatal mud
1t was no easy matter to extricate he
from the miry pit, as the workmen haC
to be very careful that he himself die
dot lose his footing. At length. how
ever, she was drawn forth, and jerome
led her toward his post.
"HhO comes hereG" cried q voice from
the gloom.
fHeavens!" gasped Jerome, stopping
and trembling from head to foot.
"JVhO comes herel"repeated the voice
Jerome heard the click of q musket
lock, and he knew that another sent
incl had beeh stationed at the post be
had left. The relief had come while
he had been absent
Friends with the countersignl" he
answered, TO the last call of the new sen
tinel,
He was ordered to advance. and
when he had given the countersign, he
found himself in the presence of the
officer of the guard. In few hurried
words be told his story, and had the
officer been alone he might have al
lowed the matter to rest where it was
hut there were others present, and
when ordered to give up his musket,
he obeyed without a murmur. and
silently accompanied the officer to the
camp, were he was put in irons.
On the following morning jerome
Dubois was brought before a court
martial under charge of having deser
ted his post. He confessed that he
was guilty, and then permission was
granted him to tell his own story.
This he did in few words, but the
court could do nothing but pass SEN
tence of death; bnt the members
thereof all signed a petition praying
that Jerome Dubois might be pardon
ed; and this petition was sent to the
general of the brigade, aud through
him to the general of the division, by
whom it was endorsed, and sent up to
the marshal.
Lefebvre was kind and generous to
his soldiers almost to fault, but he
could not overlook so grave an error
as that which had been committed by
Dubois. The orders given to the sen
tinel were very simple, and foremost
of very necessity was the order forbid
ding him to leave his post until prop
erly relieved. To a certain extent the
safety of the whole army rested upon
the shoulders of each individual senti
mel, and especially upon those who at
night we're posted nearest the line of
the enemy.
II am sorry" said the gray haired
old warrior, as he folded up the pc ation
and handed it back to the officer who
had presented it. 81 sure that man
meant no wrong, and yet a great wrong
was done. He knew what he was do
ing-he ran the risk-he was detected
he has been tried and condemned.
He must suffer-
They asked Lefebvre if he would see
the condemned.
"No, ,nol' the marshal cried quickly.
''Should see him and listen to him
one-half bis story, 1 might pardon him !;
and that must not be done. Let him
die, that thousands may be saved"
The time fixed for the execution of Du.
bois was the morning succeeding the
day of his trial. The result of the in
terview with Marshal Lefebver was
made known to him. and he was not at
all disappointed. He blamed no one
and was only sorry that he had not died
upon the battle field.
Il have tried to be a good soldier, :"
he said to his captain. 81 feel that l
have done no crime that should leave
a stain upon my name"
The captain took bis hand and as
sured him that bis name should be held
in respect.
Toward evening Pierre Valiant, with
bis wife and child, were admitted to see
the prisoner. This was ,isit which
jerome would gladly have dispensed
with, as his feelings were already
wrought up to a pitch that almost un-
manned him; but he braced himself
for the interview, and would have
stood it like hero, had not little Ma
talie, In the eagerness of her love and
gratitude, thrown herself upon his
bosom and offered to die in bis stead.
This tipped the brimming cup, full and
his tears flowed freely.
Pierre and Liette knew not what to
do. They wept and they prayed and
they would have willingly died for the
noble fellow who had been thus con-
demned.
Later in the evening came compan.
ion, who if he lived, would at some time
return to Jeromeis boyhood home.
First the condemned thought of his
widowed mother, and he sent her q
message of love and devotion. Then he
thought of brother and sister. And
finally he thought of one-a bright eyed
maid-whose vine clad cot stood upon
the banks Of the Someone whom he
had loved with love such as only great
hearts can feel.
"Oh. my dear friend~ he cried, ,bowing
his head upon his clasped hands, ayou
need not tell them hlsehood but if the
thing is possible, let them believe fell
in battle"
His companion promised he would
do all he could, and if the truth could
not be kept back, it should be so faith
fully told that the name of Jerome
DCbOis should not hoar disoroco IN tho