Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1884-04-04

ders. -.
II found it in the fence corner"
said Zeb, "all shlverin', and its dad
dy and its nanny dead, shot down
by stray bullets when We. stGrmed the
place"
Eyes, and dar war rabbit right
aside ub him. said a black face back
in the dark, over another mans
shoulder.
"An' golly, we kotched and eat
der rabbit" chuckled another black
man.
"Wall, we'll keep the kid; keep i'm
till the cows come home. And with
a grunt of universal approval from
all as they gradually melted away.
old Zeb hoisted the little one high
upon his colossal shoulders and turn
ed suddenly to look and to listen, for
there was shout down the hill and
sudden sharp volley of shots above.
beyond the haystacks. 1t began to
look as if this little squad of raiders
had got into bite. Shouts of the
enemy down the hill; shots OF the
enemy up the hill beyond the hay
stacks. Which way should the sur
prised rand panic stricken soldiers
fly? The colossal old Virginia ser
geant, with the child on his massive
shoulders. was the only officer IN
charge. The blacks were hiding
about behind trees, behind each
other, under saddles, blankets, any
where. The shouts from the advanc-
ing enemy came loud and clear from
below and very near. The campfire,
the song of the soldiers, had done the
mischief. The little squad of ragged,
panic-stricken night raiders was
doomed. The leaves began to fall
like autumn time over old Zeb, the
tall and angular old sergeant.
What plight for soldier! A bat
tie on hand and baby in his arms.
The old sergeant came near throwing
1T away with the heap Of negroes hid
ing under the saddles. Where was
STUART The sergeant put his hand
to his ear and leaned to listen as best
he could between the sharp volleys
from below that were running the
prospects Of next years acorn crop IN
the trees overhead. lie could hear
the clatter of IRON hoofs on the high
bridge to the west. The moon was
setting large and round and low:
Over the bare crest Of this hill and
against the moon he could see the
confederate cavalry pouring in i'm
petuous flight. Stuart, the cautious
and wary leader, had escaped.
Come, men! We must follow our
general on fOot-any way to get out
of this. Come! By the haystacks and
over the ridge
The strong man started up the
stony hill to pass the haystacks. The
child, as ii it was afraid it might fall
wound it's left arm affectionately
about the gray shock of hair And
that little act saved it; that accidental
show of affection won the old fell
lows heart entirely. Why, he would
not have pitched it aside with the ne
groes for gold.
Up the hill he led swiftly, the men
following in groups, knots, singly,
unarmed, limplng, leaning, erect, in
all manners of ways, only so as to es-
cape the ferocious federals charging
u2 the hill from below. They would
see the points of the bayonets enter
ing their camp, by the light of the
burning fence rails, as they fled out
of it, and the blac color had fled
from all the flying contederates as
they neared the haystacks.
Here the gray headed old sergeant,
with the child on his shoulder, paused
a moment right under the haystacks
to get his bearings. The moon had
fallen down behind the crest of the
hill 1t was nearly dark now. The
federal bayonets were only a few
steps in the rear. The ragged and de-
moralizcd confederates huddled close
and helpless up and after the grizzled
old giant, who stood there looking
out which way to lead them, with the
ckild on his shoulder, its arm hugging
the great shaggy head, and waving
the flag.
The tall gray soldier threw up his
hand to MS brow and looked out I'M
der his broad palm to try and see
which way to lead.
Suddenly the haystacks blazed out
before him, and the whole scene was
bright as day. The federals had been
waiting for the confederates to come.
and now, as they stood there, huddled
together and helpless as sheep, they
fired the haystacks in their path of
retreat. and stoad there behind them,
before them, around them, to shoot
them down i'll the light which they
had kindled.
1t was matchless and magnificent
light brighter, 1t pleased the child,
excited and delighted it. What could
it sare for the long line Of cleaning
guns leve!ed only few rods away in
the rear2 What did it know of the
death hiding down IN every cleaning
barrel of that compact mass of
uniformed men Just betore9 Nothing
at all. Its little heart leapt with Won
der and delight at the beautiful uni
forms, the discipline, the quick action
INTO which every gun was brought in
stantly to the shoulder The bayonets
were beautiful-the cleaning bayo-
nets Ill in the bright light.
Tie child seemed to think this a
part of the celebration, and in The full
ness of its delight, just as the federal
officer drew his sword and was giving
the word Fire." the child, holding
tight on to the great, grizzly head with
its left hand. as if to contribute its
part to the celebration, waved its lit
tie flag there in the glare and light.
And in that awful stiffness which
comes always before any dreadful cat
astrophe, plped out in its shrill little
voice, rs it raised itself higher for the
occasion:
"Fof of July"
Put it upon record in gold and red
that the federal officer lowered the
point OF his sword. The heavy breech-
es of the guns struck the stony ground
with thud. The line of blue divided
and the old gray confederate with his
little charge on his shoulder still wav-
ing the little flag passed on through
the line. while cheer after cheer shook
the bullet riddled leaves of the oaks
overhead.
And this is the story of the old con
federate soldier of the Shenandoah,
who had missed the train on the line
of Progress down in old Virginia.