The Arkansaw traveler., 1886-01-02
UNDER TWO FLAGS,
lAuAa,a Cons,i,u,ioa.l

The civil war was Such biE thing, N lasted se long, and covered such vast expanse of teFrieority, that it vas an easy matter for man to light in both armies, and escape detection and punishment as A deserteT, A few months before Georgia seeded bright young New EnglAnder l settled in one of our country towns. His northern birth caused him to be suS- pected, and on this account he vas prob. ably more outSpoken in the expression of secession sentiments than he would have been under other circumstances, The state went out of the union, the trouble commenced in earnest and volunteer companies began to otganlIe and HV io the front, Oar New England friend felt that the pressure of public opinion was too strong to be withStood. it was hard to light bis own people, bu, if he did not be- come Confederate soldier, the people were liable in some hour ot mad excite ment to lynch him. So he donned a suit of gray and trudged ott to Virginia with a musket on his shoulder
 The un nsilllng volunteer stood camp life very well He bore his part mantnlly in many q skirmish and battle. and in course of time was made lieutenant. He came very near going through the war without a spot on his record, but in fatal moment he yielded to temptation and disgtaccd himself and his uniform.
 lt was a cold wet day in April. ISos The lieutenant had become separated from hiS command on the march. He lost his way and threw himself on the wet ground completely worn oui. Ills physical weakness depressed his mind. and he gave himself up to a n. ot de spondency 4 food of bitter thoughts rushed over him. Why shoald he, an alien, risk his life in defense of a people who hated himS Why should he strug. gle on, he knew no, how many years longer, fighting against kinsmen and friends Following and impulse which seemed irresistible, he rose to h,s fec, and set his face fn the direction of the Fed. eral lines. Before uighttAll he was in the camp of the enemy.
 The poor fellow told his story after ward with mouiniul pAthos, He Said tha, the fedeIais wanted ;o ,;ea, him as a spy. When they refused to believe hts tale of desettion he offered to volunteer as proof ot his good faith The offer was accepted He got into blue uni form, and found himself once more in active service. Two days later General Lee surrendered at Appom attox. la an other month the dcseTter was mustered out.
 The man was jn . quandafy. He dared not go back io his New England home. The people there all knew that he had been in the Confederate army. On the other hand, he could not go to Georgia, where he would be denounced and despiSed as a descf,cr. He dIiitcd to Boston, and there he auowly es- capped getting into prison. His tongue got him into the trouble He remarked .o a lady at his boarding house that he would rather lie in an honored Conied- crate grave down in Dixie than own half of Boston. The lady was furious. She reported the conversation to the provost marshal. and ,ha, officer sent file oi men to march the deserter to his eiiice The unfortunate man unbosomed himself to the m arsh al, concealing nothing, He ad. mitted using the language reported. and said tha, it reflected his state of mind. If he had held out agains, temptation two days longer he could have returned to Georpia with proud record as tried and true Confederate. As it was he felt himself an outcas;, with no country, no flag, no comrades, nothing but a blasted character. The provost marshal was sensible man. He listened in silence, gave his prisoner cigar, and said
 "Ysu may go, but don't talk that way any more"
 Sometimes this follower of two flags passes through Georgia on A business trip. He never hunts up any of his old ex Confederate comrades. Occasionally ' he finds himself in A crowd where they are all telling war reminiScences As soon as he can ho quietly re,ires. He has no war stories to tell. During recent years this man has done fairly we'll in a business way. But prosperity does not satiafy him. He seems 10 be under the shadow of that disgraceful April day in 6s. He is almost monosn aniac on this sut jec,, and to-day he would give up his life, his family, and everything if he could be resting in one of the graves in our cemetery under the shadow of the Confederate monument. What an intol- erable torture such an existence must be