New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-02-06
CROSS OF NINONDALE.
THE
A STORY OF THE CIVIL WAR.
CHAPTER l.
THE EVE OF THE BATTLE.

nearly AZ an end He gazed at the until he had cal
cuated the time and then moved forward towards large
log that lay by side of the path few yards ahead
where he was on the point OF seating himself when the
sound of arrested his movement He stood and
watched until he deserted dark form emerging from the
corner Of an angle the path and then he drew pistol
and cooked It,
"who comes therei"
"A friend. with the COuntersien."
advance friend, with the countersigu. Ana present
! ly: Halt Give me the cOuntersign.
| A whispered word and the captain eased down the
hammer Of his pistol and put the weapon away.
"How is this. Cooneli Do you constitute yourself
Grand Rounds for tonight"
"No M. CAPTAIN. lust came in from headquarters,
and thought would take stroll along the picket line
All here is a seat ready at or hands"
the colonel thus spoke he stood 80 that the moon
beams fell upon his face revealing tall stout frame the
strong heavy jaw, and the firm iron Will that belongs 10
the fighter And this Colonel Henry Ward, very soon
to mount a silver In place of the eagle that now
adorned his shoulerstrap.
The captain looked younGby the side OF his coonei
and yet the was young man-only TWO and thirty
but the years OF his manhood had been spent In the WHO'S
OF the Western forests where he had served the Govern
meEt in tho capacity both civil and military engineers
and where he had fought many battle in the warpah OF
the maraudng redskins
"How long since you have visited line Of our
pickets asked the Colonel after they had seated them
selves.
81 nave luSt come II, SIT We nave Lhculy t@f"t
in advance and found them all on the alert"
And what OF the enemyl"
"IsaT the emmering their expiring camp-hres, and
| all seemed qdiet on their front"
But it won't be so quiet when the day breaks my boy
We shall have music and you viii ave chance TO chris
ten your sword. How does it strike You, Appleton
There they are an army Of eager men, led by Off
GERS who know how fight; in numbers fully equal TO
own; and know that they viii attack US IN tne
morning. Now tell me, canddIy; OOhI you Oesln W
! wish were out OF III"
George Appleton looked up into the face Of his colonel
but the light Of the moon had failed him. and ne couu
not the expression That rested there put me voice
had been kind and sympathetic and ne was noI 46hae
Colonel Ward" he said, Il wouldn't nave keu that
another man should asked me that but know you
Dot6er whom love above all else earth-G mother
whose all Of life is bound mp in me- God knows would
like to live for that blessed mother; Du-Du PsnaW
Why should tell you neither Will finch or not Lei
the coming trial speak for me-" ,..,.-,..,
NV dear boy cried Ward, graspinG the youths hand,
al could doubt your courage ana deyou9n, WouIG
leave the service tomorrow Tor should dou2l every
that you will be called into action tomorrow and
means fqFt but it il nghtlng army, led by fighting
officers, ana had curiosity to Know how you felt
myself in the position o: one who yet painful
duty perform BIT is duty and shall perform 1t
"George" said the colonel after little pause, "do
you puzzled TO account for your presence
| herel know how you loved your mother, and know
how much she loved you and how much she depended
that you had just begun IN your professionalism
people were Just beginning to look upon George appleton
Snmstances attending your situation am at a loss
understand now, you came to throw yourself into the
Not exactly into the ranks, my dear Colonel" re-
turned George in which betrayed the smile upon
| his handsome face. You know Judge Wainwright |
offered commission six months before concluded to
Yes" added Ward; he knew that you were one Of
the thorough militia officers in tue county 'and ne
! And now tell DO you know why your mother was
SO wing-aye anKious-hat you should enter into
The yons man reflected few moments, and then said
Il can only tell you this, Colonel My mother was very
intimate with the family Of Mr. Washburne She IN
| there one evening when letter received from
ia b t fa was announced that President Lincoln had
said that unless the people speedily rallied In greater
our cause would meet with Overwhelming disaster. Ny
~ ~ me 10 read When had read it | said, Amen
Then my mother came 10 10Y side and placed her hand
Nv SON have solemn duty perform. God calls
to from heaven and bids me to be true o. 60 my son!
70 and 90 your whole duty
Then She threw her arms around my neck and blessed
"As YOU may suppose, Colonel, was deeply moved. I
kissed my mother and went 10 bed and IN the morning
went out and enlisted They might give me commission
not, they pleased went to my Office where SAT
turned my business over into the hahds OF my
partner had just got the last item transferred to his
docket when in came messenger from the Adutant |
General i went up and the first thing the General did
found IL to captains commission from oar Governor
Colonel of the one hundred and one men OF my company
NOT one OF us has yet been in action. II we have
fighting the morrow you shall not be ashamed oil Com
Give US your land, my boy God bless you viii
remember your mothers petition, and will not disap
R9ns 50 6 Tead TI1 send y you to h & ae
Before the colonel could finish the sentence the sound
of approaching footsteps interrupted the conversation
and shortly aerward sergeant Of the guard with the
relief up Captain Appleton Dade the colohe soou
night, and went with the sergeant.
Eight hours from the time of the relief Of the guard
hS sword in bs hand ana pair OF slvermOuned revol
vers hi, belt stood leaning against tree in CONVERSE
ton with his first lieutenant Now that we see him by
daylight we find better than he looked az night by
the side % his stawar and bulky colonel He was the
last man would have selected IN drawing room as
ghterthe very last and yet as ne now stood not gem
eral could have looked upon 1n without saying 10 Mm-
20 % exclaimed Neutrality-suspicious. first lieutenant
II hope we shall not have to wait much longer"
Apneton made no reply but turned and looked at his
men, who drawn up behind him There they stOod
most Of them pale, and some OF them tremDhng and all
with their lips tightly compressed and their hands hercely
grasping their muskets.
which these then occupied was one OF the most try
ing The battle had been raging almost an hour kiroy
and Jones, and Wilson with their divsions-six
thousand men, least, fighting and dying not
mile awav the earth was shaken by the thunder OF artI
ery the air was rent by the sharp ringing OF
musketry shell shreked OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES FALLING and
tearing up the turf among the reserves sometimes clip
ping of the tops Of trees, and anon bursting In the air
and scattering their fragments through the forest And
the smoke had come thick and densethe smoke and the
roar and rattle and the howl and the shrek and
anon An these men, standing In reserve, waiting
unit their comrades are tired out ana thnned out ana
their muskets befouled and oVerheaed these reserves
who have yet been battle drawn hero 10 wait
their urn-they have heard all sounds but one, ana that
Is coming - -. |
Men come down through the dark alsit5 u TUG
bearing sretchers formed OF the musket OF those VINO
viii them and on those streichers are men
and Misunderstanding and grooming grooming ana
DING on they come, for friends have been drawn
up In the glade which the surgeon had selected tor s
field hOspital-On they shot with round Duiet
and buckshot; torn with the explosive suG men
crushed with cannOnba and manged with shell ana
here very the surgeons 60 at their aW
I'll work And hence It that Thaddeus Marshall cried
Outg ,., ,.--.,, !
80 I hone we shall not have TO walt much longer y
Appleton walked down before his men, saying as ne
vents -, A.. - -. |
boys God knows don't love this feel the same IA
Won feel NV neart Is paned, and feel II ache and thrOb
hDt ven AZ onr duty They say that the boys OF
Company q trembled when they their own comrades
IL. n III nnll hIDll In |