National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1881-03-19

| III.
acting under the Lieutenant's instructions, the
prisoners, including the body of the one that had
been slain, were borne down and placed in the
yawl, and the lieutenant himself soon followed,
1 bearing their victim.
| brought up the rear When all were embarked
the soldiers took the oars and pulled steadily up
the river, keeping near the centre of the stream,
and observing the utmost caution in order to avoid
! detection.
Passing under the aqueduct, we struck over to-
ward the Virginia shore and kept on our course
until we reached the rapids just below Chain
Bridge. There we ran the boat into small Sc
questered cove on the south side of the river, and
made landing. The Lieutenant was the first to
step ashore with his ghaSty load, after which the
rest of us followed and lifted out the prisoners.
The darkness was intense, but by the aid of an
occasional match we succeeded in cropping our
way up to the base of oyerhanging cliff of rocks,
and there, with our hands and the bayonets of the
! two soldiers, at length managed to dig shall
low grave, well above high water mark, in which
| we buried the poor creature whose life had gone
| out under such tragic circumstances.
The sad duty accomplished, the Lieutenant, who
had thus far spoken scarcely word since leaving
the island, advanced to one of the prisoners and,
beforel had time to interfere utter word, placed
his revolver against the mans head and pulled the
trigger 1 sprang forward and caught the hand
holding the weapon, but it was wrenched from my
grasp with such force as to nearly throw me over
backward into the water. stand backl stand
back" cried the Lieutenant, or by Heaven I'll
kill you! Stand back, sayl"
called upon the two men to assist me in dis
arming the mailman, as he seemed to be; but be-
fore we could gather around him two more pistol
shots rang out upon the night air, and there were
four corpses where there had been but one
upon landing.
Now help me dispose of this carbon said the
Lieutenant, in a strangely altered voice Into the
river with it"
We loaded the bodies down with rocks and sunk
them in the deep water of the cove, and entering
the boat, fastened from the scene, reaching our
quarters about daylight.
Our comrades of the night previous who had
witnessed the first act of the tragedy, were anxious
to know the ending, but we were dumb. Rumors
OF the affair reached headquarters, and we were
ordered up and closely INTERCEPTED, but divulged
nothing.
The occurrence had begun to die out of mind
somewhat, when the heavy fresnet succeeding the
Balls Bluff affair brought many dead bodies down
upon its turbid tide. One day was on the island
in command of squad engaged in retrieving the
corpses from the water One caught upon the
ferry rope and went out with boat to bring it
in. As the line was being made fast to the body
the face came upper1nost and recognized one OF
the victims who fell beneath the Lieutenants
aVenging bullets.
That same evening two others came floating by,
were dragged to land, and all three were buried
near the centre of the island, not far from where
| the crime for which they suffered had been CON-
mitted.
soon lost sight of the Lieutenant altogether, he
going up the Valley with Shields, 1 to the PENN
sula. Before we separated / approached him on
Ea1-
the mystery envelOping the affair in which 1
had played an unwilling part, but could get no
satisfaction.
at is nobodys business but my own,' he would
reply. "You may rest assured, however, that she
was worthy of any mans love and respect. She
did not cast off her right to either when she cast
off her woman's garments He would make no
further explanation. One thing seemed to puzzle
him as much as the whole matter did myself He
could not conceive what led his companion into
the association which proved SO fatal, could L.
Tome twas amysterious affair throughout, and re-
mains so to this day. My belief is that the unfortu
nate woman was the Lieutenantswi can give
no for thinking such to be the case further
than this: One day 1 came upon him suddenly
and Unexpectedly. He was in the guard-tent
waiting for Grand rounds. Ientered to notify him
that the men were ready, and found him sitting
his elbows on the table, his head supported by his
hands, and lying open before him letter, the
writing that of woman. I barely noticed the
caption. 1t was dated July &c. 1861, and addressed
to my Dear Husband"
Upon becoming aware of my presence, he
quickly folded up the missive and placed it in an
inner pocket, over his heart. Within week we
parted never to meet again.
Now that he is dead I am, if anything,
more than ever inclined to cast over his
memory the mantle of that charity which
belieyeth no evil; and yet in this mar
rative have simply given the outline of facts
which brought us two together in one of the most
thrilling episodes of not uneventful life-an cpl
sode, too, which helps to prove the old saying
that truth is often stranger than felton, s.