The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1885-07-03

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How the Clusters Passed Their Honey
moon.
From Mrs. Clusters Book "Boots and Saddles.
We had no sooner reached Washing
ton on our wedding journey than tele
grams came following one another il
quick succession, asking him.to give ur
the test of his leave of absence and
hasten without an hours delay to the
front. L begged SO hard not to be
left behind that I finally prevailed.
The result was that l found myself in a
few hours on the extreme wing of the ar
my of the Potomac, in an isolated Vir-
ginia farm house, finishing my honey
moon alone. had so besought him to
allow me to come that I did not dare to
own to myself the desolation and fright I
felt. In the preparation of the hurried
raid which my husband had been or
dered to make he had sent to cavalry
headquarters to provide for my safety,
and troops were in reality near, although
1 could not see them.
The Generals old colored servant,
Eliza, comforted me, and the Southern
family in the house took pity upon my
anxiety. 1t was sudden plunge into
life of vicissitudes and danger, and I
hardly remember the time during the
twelve years that followed when I was
not in fear of some immediate peril, or
in dread of some danger that threatened.
After the raid was ended we spent some
delightful weeks together, and when the
regular spring campaign began re-
turned to Washington, where remained
until the surrender and the close of the
war.
After that we went to Texas for a
year, nv husband still acting as major
general in command of volunteers. In
1866 we returned to Michigan, and the
autumn of the same year found us in
Kansas, where the General resumed
charge of the 18th (regular) cavalry, to
which he had been assigned with the
rank of lieutenant-colonel in the regu-
lar army. We remained in Kansas five
years, during which time was the only
,fficer's wife who always followed the
regiment We were then ordered with
he regiment to Kentucky. After be-
ng stationed in Elizabethtown for two
ears, we went to Dakota in the spring
# 1873.
On Sunday afternoon, the 25th of |
Tune, our little group of saddened
women, borne down with the common
veight of anxiety, sought solace in
together in our house. We
ried to find some slight surcease
rom trouble in the old hymns;
ONE of them dated back to our
hildhood days, when our mothers
ocked us to sleep to their soothing
trains. 1 remember the grief with
7hich one fair young wife threw herself
n the carpet and pillowed her head on
ne lap Of tender friend. Another
At detected, at the piano, and struck
oft cords that melted into the notes of
he voices. All were absorbed in the
.me thoughts, and their eyes were
He'd with far -away visions of longings.
ldescribable yearnings for the absent,
1grossed each heart. The words of
le hymn
Even though a cross it be,
Nearer, my God, to Thee,
me forth with almost sob from every
roat At that very hour the fears
at our tortured minds had portrayed
imagination were realities, and the
uls of those we thought upon were
cending to meet their Maker From
at time the life went out of the hearts
the women who weep" and God !
ked them to walk on alone and in the !,
adow.