Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1878-09-20
A Brace Of Heroes.

Bill Redding died yesterday morning.
o. E. Shearer had gone two or three days
previously, though the news did not reach
us until last night by the mails. They
were a brace of heroes. though living hun
dreds of miles apart, and probably stran-
gers to each Other-a brace of heroes with
out any of the brass ornaments or frippery
of the battlefield to distinguish them from
other men, but still with the heroic nature
of the highest school implanted in them.
Bill Redding was the telegraph operator at
Grenada, and at the same time correspon-
dent of the 'Enquirier''-a bright young
fellow of only twenty three, with the Wig
or of youth and the hope of a long life be-
fore him. When the yellow fever broke
out. at Grenada he telegraphed the ''En-
qulrer" a private message saying that the
Yellow Jack threatened to give them
fierce tussle, but he would stay and might
be relied upon for the news. His dispatch
es were graphic and cheerful, coming from
brave man, at first, but day by day. as
the situation became more alarming, they
changed IN their tone. They were graphic
still, but the horrible scenes through which
he was passing gave the eloquence of woe
to what he wrote. One day he commenced
his dispatch thus:
ITO describe the scene is beyond the
power OF mortal man. Although the
| deaths are decreasing, it is not from an
abatement of the disease, but from the
want of material. Our little band of well
ones are quickly counted, and we miss them
| hourly, requiring the strongest nerve and
courage for US to battle against the plague
demon. We imagine we can almost see
it in the air. and we feel like it WAS Turk
ing around us, waiting for an unguardtd
moment to strike US dcwn."
That gives an idea of what brave Bill
+, Redding anl his associates were doing for
| humanity. A eek ago last night he sent
another private message, saying that lie
didn't know how long lie would live, and
| he wanted the amount of his compensation
/ fixed, that he WAS Drawing the dangers for
I his motht and those dependent OH him. A
| liberal sum was NAMED for his services to
| that date, AMI still more for his future pay.
Two Or three days later his dispatches
came with an apology at the foot saying
that he feared that he could not write CO.
herently, as the room in Which he wrote
contained four persons down with the dis
ease and a corpse. The four persons were
Bill Redding's wife, his mother and his
| two sisters. The corpse was that of his
child. Was it any wonder that he could
not write coherently? Two days more
elapsed and dispatches came along as usu-
| al only the wOeful picture drawn in them
| increased in its dark cOlors. There was
no hope at Grenada, but Bill Ri dding still
remained battling in the face of dispalr.
Then two more days passed, and there was
nothing from Grenada. The office could
not be reached by the wires. This was
last Thursday and Friday. The town
seemed to have dropped out of existence.
Saturday the wire was opened again, and
with its opening came the message: bill
Redding is down with the fever. This for
the Enquirer. '''' Yesterday came still
another: "Redding disd this morning at
| half past eight The hero had fought,
and was conqured by Him who conquers
ALL"
Our other hero, Shearer, was the En-
quirer's'' correspondent at New Orleans
a brave, s,ldierly man, who had faced
death on d score of battle-felds, to find it
| in another form, though with MIN still at
the pet - duty. He had served the sNEn-
quirer' faithfully, though but bri.f
| length Of time, and his dispa, c. es from the
| O1C- COllV SiCy WIG tIuOliS Vic UCoV tlldu
came to any Northern paper. His pictures
I of the panic-stricken city, and the gaunt
| spectre of Death as it came up from the
bayous, were more vivid and startling, but
there WIS not the realism of woe and desc
lation in them that pervadtd those flom
! Grenada. 1t was not to be expected in a
large city One day, however, Shearer
dropped out from the list of those sending
our dispatches, and another name appeared
| for New Orleans. Last evening letter
came In from that city, returning draft
we had sent him, with the words. Accept
| many thAIks. but it Came too late to do
him any god He died Wednesday morn
ing at six O'Clock. Will you have the
kindness to mention his death in your pa
per and Gend ii copy to his mother, Mrs. E.
Shearer, Okolona, Miss, for l am sure
that it would be some sat isfactiOn to her
| to know that her sOn'S death was thought
Of SO far away?'
Brave heroes both, Redding and Shear
er! Not III Il e din of battle, where courage
is a matter of enc ulatin. did they fall; not
on the field OF glory. melted by beexAmple
of those around them; hut in meeting the
pestilence that walketh by day, in the full
filment of their duties to their fellow-men,
we're their lives offered up-a sacrifice,
noble, heroic and pure.
.'The noblest death that man can die
Is when lie dies for man.
| -Cincifanat Enquirer, Sept. 2.