Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-06-23

than my companions, I soon outstripped
them, As we made u escape we were
at, but got across the bridge in
safety.
~ felt so much shame and mortifica-
ton at having so nearly fallen into a
trap that I could scarcely fix my mind
upou the duties which now demanded
my undivided attention. l knew that /
had committed a great indiscretion in
accepting the singular invitation, and
that if any disaster resulted from it l
richly deserved to lose both my COM
mission and my character. Iconstantly
found myself wondering whether the
lady really intended to betray us, OF
whether we had been accidentally OBJ
served, The question would recur even
amid the excitement of battle. Fortu-
nately my presence and services IN the
field were not required until Generals
Porter and Ripley had been engaged at
intervals for several hours, so that when
my brigade, with Towson's artillery,
were ordered to cross Streets Creek my
nerves and confidence had become
m%easurably quoted and restored. I
need not describe the battle of Chip
pewa. That belongs to and is part
of the history of our country. 1t is suf-
fcient to say at the close of the day we
were masters of the position, and that
our arms were in no way discredited.
The British army had fallen back, leav-
ing their wounded in our possession.
The mansion which I had visited in the
morning was the largest house near, and
to that the wounded officers in both
armies were carried for surgical treat
ment. AS Don as 1 could leave the
field [ went over to look after my
wounded. I found the English officers
lying on the first floor, and our own on
the floor above. I saw in the lower
room the young lady whom I had met
in the morning at the breakfast table,
her white dress all sprinkled with blood.
She had been attending to the British
wounded. On the second floor, just as
I was turning into the room where the
officers were, l met my hostess.
Zone glance at her was quite suf-
Gent to answer the question which I
had been asking myself all day. She
had intended to betray me, and nothing
but the accident of my aid rising for
his handkerchief saved US from capture.
AO0Ao oACCl Wd1As 1 1CuCCtluS upOU
this incident, I was led to doubt whether
1 had not misconstrued her startled
manner as I suddenly encountered her.
That unexpected meeting would have
occasioned embarrassment in either
contingency; and it is so difficult to be-
lieve a lady of cultivation and refine
ment capable of such an act, that I am
now, nearly half a century after the
event, disposed to give my hostess the
benefit of that doubt.
"And now, sir" added the General,
s'this is the third time in my life I have
told this story. do not remember tc
have been spoken to before on that sub.
ject for many years" He looked at mt
and seemed to be considering with him.
self a few moments, and then said
Remembering your intimacy will
General Worth, 1 need not inquire how
you came to a knowledge of YOU
secret"
"Well, General replied, 81 hav,
kept the secret faithfully for more thar
/ forty years, always hoping to Obtain
your own version of what struck me a
t a most remarkable incident in you:
military life