The Northern Pacific farmer., 1881-10-06
A RECONSTRUCTED REBEL.
How She was Reconstructed.

1t WAS during the war times. Grant was
laundering at the gates of Richmond, and
Lee was pressing back tho enemy. The
battle days ofthe Wilderness had just been
passed. and the Federals were swinging
around the circle, looking for weak spot.
The Confederates were moving Oh an in
ner line, closing up the gap. On our side
OF beeves, and munitions of war were
moving to the left. From the front new
regiments were advancing to the battle
ground; fresh horses, cavorting in fields of
Virginia clover, were smelling the battle
from afar. On every side were movements
ola great army-cavalry, artillery, infantry.
endless trains OF wagons, tremendous parks
of guns, hospital with the yellow flag,
ambulances carrying the wounded to the
rear. The base was White House. There
stood the two lone chimneys of the Wash
ington mansion. that had been burned.
There was left the spring house of stone,
and from the bubbling fountain soldiers,
teamsters, and stragRlers were filling their
canteens. The river was jammed with it's
fleet of ships of all kinds. There was the
fleet Of the Sanitary Commission, there
were the hospitals, there thousand tents;
reporters from all the northern journals:
excitement on every side, apparent confu-
sion every where, every man intent, how
ever, on his duty, and every one with some-
thing to do. There was the great commis-
sary fleet, bringing stores, provisions, aud
ammunition, moving ont in column, pro-
tected by cavalry; wagon trains passing on
to the front, whence came the noise of re-
serberating cannon.
This beautiful spring morning I found
myself an un- noticed unit in this multitude,
mounted on comfortable horse. with can
teen and canvas bag we'll filed brandy in
he flask and hard tack in the bag furnish
ed by the Reverend John Anderson, once
a clergyman at Stockton, and now member
of congress-, then captain of one Of the
sanitary commissions we'll provided steam
ers He knew would give my brandy to
a wounded soldier, if found one. And I
did. For on the third day thereafter, 1
found, walking from out the hell of conflict.
q soldier Of Badly Smiths brigade, his
arm fairly orn from her shoulder by ashell
gave hima drink, and, clinging with his
unwounded hand to the pommel of the sad
die, turned him over to the operating
surgeon, saw him tossed upon the table, a
sniff of chloroform put to his nose, and in
MON ent the cleaning knife had done its
bloody work, and One-armed soldier was
placed in a comfortable ambulance, and
driven to the rear, with my brandy flask.
I went to the frcnt in company with regi-
ment from Maine-great, handsome
Americans from the pine North; broad
shouldered, thin-faccd Yankee stalwarts.
enlisted for no bounty, going out to give
their lives If necessary, in defense Of their
native land. / am writing this to tell
love story an incident of those heroic days
and so hasten on with my tale. Some
ten miles on our way I came to Vir-
ginia farm. From a field there came
young two-year old colt. thoroughbred,
too young for the saddle. He joined the
to the battle-ground had not the
colonel ordered some of his men to drive
him back and close the gate. This was
done, and tell the story to illustrate the
kindly feelings of Northern soldiers. I
reached the farmhouse-a nice, spacious
oldfashioned Virginia mansion, with
broad porch, standing in grove of trees.
Cherries were ripe, the orchards being full
of the red, ripe fruit, and it was guarded by
Yankee soldiers from Yankee spolation.
Had been the colonel, would have saved
the colt, but would have given the boys all
the cherries in Virginia. Behind the house
was well-an ld-fashioned we'll, with
sweep and iron bound bucket-and here
the soldiers were drinking from gourds and
filling their canteens, falling out of the line
as it went marching by. Soldiers were not
permitted to enter the house. was not a
soldier, and entered. I sat myself, unin-
vited, upon the porch. I was asked to
enter the house by one of the sweetest Of
Virginia girls. As she saw I was not q
soldier, think she wanted somebody to
whom she could vent her rebel indignation
aOo1naf I,inoo1n'o Vor11oo Clo
was genuine rebel. saucy and splendid,
have no doubt genuinely sorry that she
could not go out to fight the invading bar
barian Northmen, to come home as her
brother had-whom I saw-minus leg
and with his rig ght arm in sling, mutilated
for life. Taken into the drawing
room, with the mother, daughter and
rebel soldier, I spent an hour in
causes and its consequences. As
q Californian, I was treated as neutral.
The rebel soldier was willing to admit the
gallantry of northern men. He admitted
also their generosity. 1t was northern
soldier who had found him on the skirmish
line, wounded and bleeding to death, and,
carrying him out from the carnival of
strife, had hid him in clump of bushes,
given him water, bound up his wounds, and
after nightfall had stolen to his hiding
place and carried him into the rebel lines,
at the peril of his own safety. The mother
good, pious, loving soul-looked upon
her handsome, pale-faced and wounded
boy, and dropped a tear as again he told
the story Of his rescue; but away down in
her unfOrgiving heart was hatred of the in
vaaer; hatred Of the men who had saved
her sorrel colt, for on the sire of this colt
her husband was away with Custis Lee, in
the Virginia Black Horse Cavalry, fighting
for her loved south. But the girl! How
her black eyes flashed in rebel indignation;
how she tossed her head in audacious def
anco of the Yankees. Sweet seventeen is
brave. In answer to my bandinage, that
when the cruel war was ended the northern
officers would return to Virginia and marry
all the girls, she vowed and declared, with
all the resoluteness and confidence that is
begotten of youth, beauty, and patriotism,
that indeed she, for one, would not marry
the best man that ever was born north of the
Potomac. Filled with cherries and admira-
ton Of the saucy rebel beauty, mounted
and overlook my company.
AS moved to the front, heard the guns
answering each other with the challenge of
war. Yesterday had been battle day. To.
day there was only an occasional report, as
IL AioA oOuo eleat sAeepy gun, waxing up
to the consciousness of duty unper-
formed. All day, till evening. I was amid
the moving mass of trains, and marching
regiments, and ambulances. Then followed
week of battles, eliminating in the bloody
struggle of Cold Harbor. While the battles
ragged, it seemed as though hell had been
loosed on earth; and when the strife ceased
the crickets were heard singing in the quiet
groves. During the night the stiffness
seemed oppressive. Tree-toads chirped,
and the cuckoo called to it's mate with loving
note. Suddenly the stiffness was broken,
and there burst forth an artillery duel.
Cannon, deep-throated. answered cannon
along miles of battle line. Men sprene to