National Republican., 1885-10-02
\ pREsENT1MENT.


our camp iirc-IOur OF uS-Whilc All inc .
others slept, fcw nights before sheridan
marched out from the federal lines with the .
tired army corps that were to stand IN the
path of Lee and his heroic army and hurl
II back again and again, aud finally to in
close It as in II wise, until nothing was left
hut surrender.
"Wcll, boys" said John Calvert, the cap
tain of our company. "thc sooner II Is over
the better: we are all tired Of II. There Is
no glory to he gained fighting our own flesh
and blood"
"Now. If 'twcre the British we were in
front Of exclaimed Maurice OBrieu, Of
Harlem tours was a New York rcgimcntl,
ait would be a real pleasure, aud the lonLer
and blOodicr the iightin', faith, the more eN
quisite the pleasure
"Mcin Gott, yes, said Otto Strnussc; "or
II II was the French"
"Can any Of you gentlemen inform me
where Charles l.. Bassctt Is to he found -
asked a tall, military-luoking man with
soft pleasant voice, but withal like one ac-
custOmed to command.
"l am Charles Bassett,' cried the young
est of our group, as he sprnng to his feet
with bound, feeling almost instinCtivcly
that something Of Importance was about to
take place.
"lou are, chg Then come along with
me. Gen. Ord wants to speak with you"
Charley Bassett did not come back, aud,
wondering what Col. Smith had done with
him, we wrapped ourselves In our blankets,
placed our feet to the camp fire, and one by
one went of to sleep, to dream, perchancc,
rs we often did, of our far.on homes in the
north and the sweet girls we had left he
hind us.
Come, boys whispered voice in our
ears before thought we had been well
asleep, "get your arms and aCCOuterments
and make no noise fall in-fall in-thc
regiment Is to march In five minutes!n
Sure enough, most OF the companies had
been already formed ms nOselesslY as pos
sible, and In a few moments we were moving
to the right with the colonel at our head.
In the confusion | had not remarked II
Charley Bassett had come back but on
looking around | observed his handsome
face-indeed, might say his beautiful face
without imprOpriety Of. language. He
looked iadcd, and fancicd somewhat
scared this morning, but all the same his
eyes were brighter, aud his lips redder, and
his teeth winter than | had ever seen them
before.
/ may mention that when Charley was
drafted, In 1863, so girlsh did he look that
the boys called him Miss Bassett In fun, but
changed their tune when Charley licked the
bully Of the company In square stand-up
fight one morning before breakfast, and
changed decidedly when, at Stony Creek,
he unhorsed and captured a confederate
colonel. Indeed, Charley was down for the
next vacant copmission in the l2Tth New
York.
1t was II lovely spring morning toward
the end of March, and In the state of Nir-
ginia the buds were bursting into leaf The
sun, too, had rlscnt, and the birds were
singing In the trees. After marching two
or three miles We entered the forest, and
learned for the first time we were detailed
to attack small redoubt the enemy was
erecting on its other edge, too near our flank
to he either safe or comfortable.
at Is more n accommodating expedition
| than an attacking party we are on said
Capt. Calvert. "lf the rcdoubt is really
there, and II II prove too strong, we shall
halt and send for battery Of artillery"
Ned whispered Maurice o. 'Brien to me,
"Charlcy Bassett doesn't seem to be very
well. Appears to me he's down in the
mouth, an you're the boy can talk him
into good humor. Here, take my place; he
belongs to my section Of fours."
~ did so, and was soon chattering away
to Charley, telling him the cruel wars were
about 10 he over, and he would soon 90 back
to Harlem with saber by his side and a
| helmet on his brow to kill all the good
looking girls in his district.
"Tell me-" said Charley, and his voice
| quivered, ''did you ever have Il PRESENT.
mentY Don't soldiers generally receive
warning when they are about to he killed."
"Why, Charley, my lad. what's the mat
"why soldiers, why
Should We bC melancholy, hnvS
Whose business lis to die
Why, soldiers, Why
"Well, this morning, before was awak-
ened, dreamed that | was Just passing
| through such place as we are now travers-
| ing. The stream we are now crossing, the
stepping stones, that clump of scrub yOn-
| der, were all before my eyes as plain as ! see
them now. The vision would be complete
If two white horses broke out from yOudcr
elbow Of bush and galloped across the
| plain"
"'Pshaw, man you are dreaming now
| What"
Hardly were the words out of my mouth
when sharp report of II rifle was heard ON
the right, and Immediately after two white
horses broke from the spot Charley indi
Gated and gallopcd like mad things over the
green sward.
"COmc, boys: come, boys: close up.
F0urs right, double; Tx bayonets, Charger'
The fact Is, we had come right ON top of
| the redOubt before we knew where We were,
and in moment were In the midst ST a
bloody struggle for possession, Three times
we were repulscd and beaten back, and
three times did we return to the charge,
| resolved not to he refused We were all
veterans, and Of late had become somewhat
accustomed to victory
Come, boys said Col. $, II have
found the sally port. Here Charley Bas.
sett; here, Maurice O'Brien; here, Ned
Brierly-One rush and this corner Is Ours
We followed the colonel and were in the
redoubt In less than half minute, using
the bayonet right and lift.
Ned, old boy" cried Maurice O'Brien
as he rolled on the ground, and the frOtl
and blood oozed from the corners of hi
| mouth, "my goose Is cooked, Good-by.n
! Pm hitm exclaimed Calvert, as hi
sprang into the air with bullet In hi,
heart, and then fell prone to the ground
dead.
As for me, though bullets flew past me IL
| dozens and bayonets by the score flashed
before my eyes, | needed them not. | hat
eyes for nothing except Charley Bassett
| who stood mOtionlcss, pale as sheet
frozen to the ground, MS 1t were, with ter
| rOr.
"Charey, my God :"
"Oh, no, no, am not Charley; am lisa,
bel, and have a bullet here-here. Oh
shall never again see my poor mother, nol
Charley, nor little Emma -"
| These were the last wolds she spoke.
had her taken to the rear, where (the re-,
doubt having been captured) ! explained
| everything to Col. s..
| never felt half so sad in all my life.
had much rather been killed myself, aud |
cursed the bullets for giving me wide
berth. But what about Charley Poor fel-
low! The rest of the story Is soon told.
Charley was Mrs. Bassett's favorite child.
She adored the ground he walked on. She
was dying, and could not die easy till she
clasped her beautiful boy TO her breast.
Bring me my boy, bring me my boy ~ was
her constant cry, reiterated till her husband
went mad-went actually crazy, Every ef-
fort was made to get Charley home for a few
days leave, but unavailingly, and It was
then the idea Of impcrsonation suggested
itself to Isabel, They Were twins, you see.