Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-04-02
membercd that when a hnu ~ Co..

~ IVY Il kIdSNI SOVIle
times had to wait till a "second table,
when my mother had and
recognized the sensation. Al last T
heard footsteps, and the door was nv
locked. But instead of my young lady
here was a Confederate field officer. in
f4ll uniform, and wearing his side arms.
he saluted me with Hello, Yank." to
which l promptly responded Hello,
"1ou must be a brave man to be can
tured and locked up by a woman"
"Well," said I, ''that depends.
You're not so hungry as l am, or you'd
know how 1t IS yourself"
II beg your pardon, sir; YOU must
excuse my pleasantly. am Major
the brother of the lady whom you have
Just met. My sister tells me that YOU
did her and our mother a Kindness
some time ago. The food YOU ave
my mother carried her through, and
she is doing we'll now and likely to
1--we for many years yet. But for YOUR
kindness 1 think she must have died.
for the fortunes of war for a long time
before and after your visit prevented
me from doing any thing for her. In
deed, l did not. and could not, know of
the condition of things at home. And
now it is with great pleasure that I find
myself able to do you a service. And
Yankee as you are, and escaped pris-
oner to boot, l am going to supply
your needs, and then take you to
your own lines in safety. l can appre-
ciate kindnesses done to my folks at
home, and my duty to the C%onfederacy
will not stand in the way of my requit-
ing them. My sister has prepared some
food, which | will bring to you at
once, andI wish you to consider your
self an honored guest and not a pris-
oner. OF course you will excuse me
for not introducing you to my other
guests, as it might f6t be the best thing
for either of u.s."
Giving me a chair and a light, he
stepped into anothd: room, returning
Immediately with ! tray loaded with
food. Telling me to eat at my leisure,
he excused himself, saying that he
would return as soon as it would be
safe to do so, and would conduct me to
my friends.
After my long fat, I can assure you
that I ate heartily, 1 think no food
ever tasted 10 good. No one would
have called the coffee genuine Java, for
Uncle Sans blockaders had interfered
with grocery business down South; but
was not fastidious. At last my meal
was ended and my hunger fully salts
fed. 1t vas after midnight when Major
- returned. VIZ went out at the
window through which 1 had entered
the house, and 10 passed the guards.
Going to the stable, two excellent horses
were found ready for use, and mount
ing them, we started at once on our
way.
will not attempt to describe the ride.
Circumstances made us feel like old ac-
quaintances, and in spite of the differ
ences between the Blue and the GRAY.
we chatted with perfect freedom. The
air was balmy, and the sky clear. We
galloped on for more than an hour
without incident. 1t vas a plain coun-
try road, and no one was seen stirring.
After going fifteen Or sixteen miles, the
Major checked his horse and asked me
to stop. Said he:
''There is a Federal picket post half a
mile further on this road. l can not
safely go nearer, and for obvious rea-
sons I must return at once. You are
now free and out of all danger. Again
I thank you for your kindness to my
family. God bless you, and give you Il
safe return to your loved ones in the
North. And when the war Is over I
hope to see you again at my house,
when I may entertain you more becom-
in orJv fbor r hovn n0uy 1ao,,"oL1o ~ IL -
I d~ismounted, gave the Major the rein
of the horse 1 had been riding, took his
hand, thanked him for the favors done
me, and prayed that he too might be
spared to return to his home. We ex-
changed addresses and parted. He gal
loped back to his comrades and I walk
ed forward in the direction of the post,
whistling with all my might:
'.John Browns body lies moulderins in the
grave,
But his soul goes marching on"
1t seemed like a pretty long half-mile
to that picket-post. but at last I heard
the welcome challenge of the soldier on
duty. Behind him, aroused by my noise,
were grouped a half-dozen of the s'boys
in blue" 1t did not take me long to
prove my identity, when 1 received all
needed attention. In due time I reach
ed my regiment and put in a few more
blows for the old flag: At the close Of
the wal 1 returned home to find my
mother in good health and waiting to
give her soldier boy a worthy welcome.
A few months later I received a letter
from my Southern Major. He, too. had
passed safely through the war and had
returned to his home and friends. A
pleasant correspondence followed. Dur
ing the next winter I revisited the old
plantation ''on business" The traces
Of wars desolation were being rapidly
removed. The old lady was in excellent
health, and insisted that on my next
visit, a few months later, / should bring
my mother with me. And if you will
visit me at my own home, I will intro
duce you to the identical darling who
captured and locked up the Yankee Of
ficer on that autumn night.-M Y. Tfib-
Hne.
Feed For Horses.
A good hOrsaman ~yvritas that bis moth.