Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1886-11-06

clpieS ana went north or south as cir.
cumstances forced them to do. Moth.
ing of Importance occurred to Frank
until he came to the cross roads. one
of which led up to F., some half a
mile farther north. Here while he was
drinking in scenes that were familiar
to him, and which had but little changed
he was pounced upon by II dozen of
QuantrelFs gang, who had hid them
selves behind the osage-orange hedge
that lined the roadside and waited To
see who the horseman was.
When they found out it was IA union
officer IA hilarious shout went up to
hang the yankee invader" which
was almost done as oon as said. and
the gang left the body of Frank Gill
more hanging almost within the sound
of the voice of his wife and baby,
In the afternoon the news that a man
was hanging from the limb of a tree
down at the crossroads, brought n
crowd from the town, more in curiosity
than pity, rs il wac no unusual sight
at the time. and none dreamed that it
was their old townsman, Frank Gil
more. Nellie learning that Quanirell's
gang had hung another Union soldier
went with the crowd to look on the
remains of the latest victim of the
terrible passions aroused by the civil
wal 1t never entered her mind that
she was going to look on the face of
her babes father, hence, although hav-
ing much sympathy for all her nus
bands comrades, her feelings were
wandering to the far north in pity for
wife, mother or sister, who waited the
coming of one soldier that would
never return, and wandering why God
permitted SO great "A sacrifice.
As she was approaching the place
where the dead body hung. some per-
son in Il voice of establishment sang
out, ''Why that is Frank Gilmore
For n moment her heart ceased to beat.
she was dazed, then with the abandon
of a tigress that springs to the aid Of
her cubs, she pushed the people aside.
When she saw the body she uttered
one scream and fell ~lifeless under her
husbands corpse.
For weeks she fingered between life
and death, but finally recovered. and
gradually came To move about and re-
gain n part of her former strength.
The war was over; the Union cause
triumphant, peace smiled in pity on
the graves of the victims.
Thousands of those who survived
found the nomadic character of a sol
dier untitled them for the domestic life
they had lived before the war, hence
many both northern and southern sol
iiers found the quiet of home unsuitcd
to their habits, and they continued to
wander and drift about to find Il rest
lag place.
In this way, some three years after
the above occurrence, Philip Bruce, a
distinguished southern soldier, driited
into p.
He was a tall, good looking type of
the southern people; he settled down
in the neighborhood, and in IL few
months Nellie and he met under cir
cumstances which gave confidence to
their desires, for it was Il ease of mu-
tual love. Before the autumn leaves
had fallen, they were married and were
really happy.
One evening during the following
winter they were sitting in their neat
parlor before a comfortable log-fire, en-
tertaining an old comradc of Philips,
named De Ache.
Nellie, with her little girl, now four
years old, sat sewing at n side of the
fire while Phillip and De Ache sat on
the other, and fought their battles over
amidst the clouds of smoke that curled
upwards from Il weil-coiored meer-
schaum, De Ache suddenly turned to
Philip, and, leaning e the table that
stood between them. said, phillip, !
never want to see another war, it de.
yelops a devilish spirit in the breast OF
man; nevertheless, l suppose if my
country called on me | would again DO
my duty. There is one act in my
life | regret more than | can tell, il
was the part w took in hanging that
Union officer down at the crossroads
three years ago"
Suddenly Nellie dropped her sewing.
pushed her little girl aside, who had
been leaning on her lap, rubbed her
hands across her eyes, as if attempting
to grasp some indistinct idea that float
ed in her imagination, then rushing
over she caught Phillip by the arm,
bent over him, and placing her face
close to his. she looked into his eyes
with an intense gaze, and spoke in q
suppressed but a vehement voice:
phillip, tell me-oh, speak!-you
were not one of those inhuman butch
ers who hung Frank Gilmore, the
Union officer, down at the crossroads
Don't-don't-say you were!'
Phillip trembled in every limb; for
something in his wife's look was so un-
natural and desperate, that he who had
faced death in every shape, now felt
his blood congealing under her terrible
gaze. He could not utter a word. his
tongue seemed p~arslyzed, he could only
nod his head. AT which Nellie threw
up her hands and pressed them to her
temples, while her body trembled as if
shook by ague. From between her
clenched teeth a moan so sad and
sorrowful came forth that it chilled the
blood of her listener.
MY God! My God!' she said.
..Wbat have | done that so fearful an