Ottumwa weekly courier., 1878-07-24
IDA MITCHELL.
An Incident Of the War.
by CAPT. JOHN TYLER CAMPBELL.
From the Ioliisyil lie Journal

by CAPT. JOHN TYLER CAMPBELL.
| From the Louisville Journal
| Immediately after the fall Of Vicks
burg, in 1866, q portion of the fedora
army under Gen. Sherman marched
in pursuit. of the confederates under
Gen. Joe Johnston to Jackson, the
capital Of Mississippi. After sieg,
of probably a weeks duration, John
ston evacuated that city, and it was
Immediately occupied by the fedora
forces. The Vicksburg campaign wal
then over, and the tired army at Jack.
son returned to the Big Black river
crossed over to the west bank and
went into camp about twelve miles
from Vicksburg. This was one OF
the outposts Of Vicksburg, aud the
lines were arranged 40 as to guard
the passage of the Big Black river and
prevent the confederates from attack
ing that city. 1 do not think the sold
iers of the Fifteenth army corps ever
had moro pleasant quarters or Jared
more sumptuOusly. 1t was to them
a harvest Of rest and recreation, and
they spent their time beneath the
shades of the magnolia, that bloomed
and blossOmed around, in writing
letters, reading books of fiction, and
in the social converse OF tho camp.
One evening while WAS officiating
as "oificer OF the day" an incident Oc.
CURED which shall now relate:
| While at the guard post, about a
quarter of q mile in the rear of the
pontoon bridge over the Big Black
the sentinel ut the bridge reported
that he had captured spy. He ia
the person whom he held had tried to
give him the slip and get to the enc.
my beyond the river. In company
with Sergt. Northfleet, who had
charge of the guard, l went down to
the bridge to SEQ about the matter.
The night was exceedingly pleasant
The moon did not shine, but the mil
lion stars sparkled in the heavens
and mirrored themselves in the clear
winding river at our feet. The pris.
oner said not u word. ] could moi
help gazing into his face it seemed
to me that | had never seen face 90
handsome or eyes 50 beautiful. And
with long golden hair partially coy.
cred up with felt hat. at least two
sizes too large, he stood before us the
picture of Absalom. He wore q
soldiers blue blouse and black pants
"Where are you going ?" asked.
| 81 want to go to Jackson to see q
friend near and dear to me-" he re.
piled.
"Didn't you know that you must
have pass to get through the lines ?
eyes, but l was afraid they would
refuse to give me a pass and ! want
ed to go SO bad. am q stranger to
the officers at headquarters, and I did
not have the courage to ask for a
pass
The young man began to cry and
begged us to let him pass through, as.
suring us that no harm could come OF
il, and that God would bless us all fol-
it.
Sergt Northtfeet called me aside
and told me he had suspicious abou,
that young man. Itold him thought
the young man was a spy. "No, sir
you are Mistaken" replied the scr.
geant. then called the young mar
aside, and after being seated upon g
log, on the roadside, he asked me if
would promise upon the honor of .
gentleman TO keep the secret he pro
posed to reveal. told him l would
to the death. Thereupon the prison.
er said
"Although you behold me here as
man, l am woman my name is Ids
Mitchell. My father is a colonel il
the Union army my mother, broth
ers and sisters are now in ST. Louis
" where we have resided tor the pas
year. 1 ran of from home last weei
and arrived at Yicksburg yesterday
on the steamboat Belle Memphis"
| She began weeping again.
"Well, where are you going p
asked.
She replied al have friend whom
Hove better than life. His name il
Harry Deering. aud he is lieutenan
in Lorings division of the confeder
ate army. heard he was wounded
and l started to go to see him.
must see him before he dies and nov
my dear, good FRIEND she said be
seechingly, 'won't you let me go
Please do"
| ! told her l was so astonishcd I die
not know what to say: "but pleas
tell me all about Harry and what yo,
propose doing"
She said she and Harry had beer
schoOlmates and were engaged to b.
married, and that her father had for
hidden Harry seeing her ut all, ant
in his desperation he had gone int
the confederate army, and that sh'
could have no peace of mind until sh,
could see him, and she had resolved
to go to him ut the risk Of her owl
life, tor she said she had rather di,
than to know that she would neve
see him again, and that if l woul,
not let her through the lines sh'
would end her life right there.
i will not worry the reader by Civ
ing all that was said or my own feel
ings, further than to say that resol
we'd, let the consequences be as the!
might, even at the risk of being sho
myself, to let her 60 through the line
to her Harry and how best to accom-
plish it was the question.
| Sergt. Northfleet was young maj
nineteen years old, and was one o
those modest, plain, straightforward
young fellows who would ut all time
dare to do right aud speak the truth
lie was sympathetic, hearted
and generous knew him wei
when we were little boys. We hat
gone to school together at ''Goos,
Creek" academy at Bowling Green
Pike county, Mo. The older resident
of that place will remember tha
school. Left an orphan, and no
liking the treatment of an uncle will
whom he lived, he had run of an,
Experienced rough life. When tn
war broke out he joined the Pix,
county home guards and participate,
in the battle of Bush creek and sew
eral other we'll known expeditions o
that regiment, and then entered th'
volunteer service.
Northtieet listened to the story o
Ida Mitchell as she related it on ths
still, calm night, under the shades o
a majestic elm tree. His soul spok,
plainly through his cOuntenance tha
he would gladly give up his own lifi
to assist that poor girl.
"We must pass her over. cap" sait
the sergeant, "no one shall ever know
it but ourselves"
"But how about the guard ?"
| 81 will arrange that" SAID North
fleet. 81 will send him back to th
post ON some pretext or other, hold
ing his place myself, and while he
gone the work can be done, and whel
he returns will tell him you hav
gone with the prisoner to camp. Yo1
of course will leave before he re
turns"
The sentinel was sent back to til
post under orders of Sergt. North
tleet. The fair Ida, now overcom
with joy, thanked and blessed us
thousand times; we each kissed he
hand . goodbye, and soon she wa
safely beyond the running river ths
divided the hostile armies.
Did we do wrong in this case
7 Tested by the cold, rigid rules of wa
we did; but, where is the perso
whose soul is not frozen, whose emo
tions have not become callous, who's
heart is not made Of flint that wi
not speak out and say we did right i
I -. Il 4 u y