Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1888-04-12

small detachment embracing his com"
pany, would start on the morrow for a
scout in Lincoln county. he letter
closed with assurances of his love and
n promise to write again as soon as
opportunity offered
There was one letter in this mail
which attracted the particular attention
OF Mai. smith as well as myself. 1t
was addressed to John holland, and
appeared to have been written at
Columbia Tenn, and mailed at Nash
vile The suspicious character OF the
letter, and the threatening allusion to
the "Yanky soldier" induced me to
take q copy of it. which was as follows;
COLUMBY, Aug tn 1868
DEAR JACK; am out of the frying
pan into the fire. | left Wheeler
weeks ago, and am now in the Yanky
lines. Bill Thompson and about -
more was took prisoners last week L
am now with old man Godfrey, but
will leave for Lincoln county next week.
Jake goes with me- Tell the old lady
| will be along in October, if not sooner.
| see Bill Stuart last week rite from
Shelbyvile, and he herd Su Lacy had
got married to a Yanky soldier. don t
beleave the story, but if it is so he had
better sa his praers before l get site on
him. think Tom had better stay at
home; he is too Young to fife and knock
around, as he would have TO do if he
come with us. 1 send this letter by
Bill Thompson TO Nashville No more.
From one you know who. JIM.
l don't remember, if ever l knew,
what disposition al. Smith made of
| Al 4 a I.N Is,
were pretty well satisfied that it was
written by a rebel guerrilla, who was
cheating the gallows of its due every
day that he lived.
Punctuaily on Saturday the pretty
little wife OF the ! ankee soldier called
at the poStoiiicc for her letter. Her
heart beat with delight as ! handed her
the missivc, and she gazed with pride
and satisfaction at the superscript ton -
Mrs. Susan Sitton. 1t was probably
the first time she had ever seen the
name written, and she pondered over it
as if to realize that she was indeed a
wife, and that the superscription was
her own proper address
She soon observed that the letter had
been opened, and this she did not seem
to like very well. told her that al
though it was not the custom OF post
Offices generally to open the letters re-
ceVed, it was, however, the custom of
that Office, except the person addressed
was a tied states soldier. then
showed her the letter from Jim ad
dressed to John o,aud, and called her
attention to the threat against the Yam
kee soldier who had married Sue acy.
In moment the color can q to her
cheeks, and her eyes sparliled with an
ger.
81 know who that is I'll bet dol
lar it's i'm Wyatt. He's n good-for
nothing, secesh rebel, and ined COM
pany that was got up for Wheeler 5
cavalry Tie stole two horses from
Squire aldwcll last spring. | hope
he'll get q bullet in his head before he
ever comes back TO Shelby lie "
perhaps he was an old beau OF
yours, " remarked.
mo, he wasn't. but he wanted to be,
though, and | would have nothing to do
with him. Good day, ST. and the
young la Y darted o. and was out of
sight before / had time to ask furthe'
questions, leaving me alone to reflect
upon the unsophistcated simplicity OF
this newly-marrled Southern belle.
In about a month after the events
above narrated our regiment was or
dered to Bridgeport, Ala, and ! was
obliged TO turn over the postOiiice to
other parties Then followed the bat
ties of Chickamauga and Mission Ridge.
the siege of Knoxville and the famine of
Stringer's Ridge. The winter passed,
the spring dawued, and then anne the
| 1,ve h. Trln nj
campaign against Atlanta. Just as we
reached the ca es of that unfortunate
CITY, and the glistening spires of her
steeples had become visible, l was TAX
en- down with fever and was sent back
to Chattanooga. A few days thereafter
| was favored with a 80 days furlOugh
for home. Passing through Louisville l
was obliged to stop at the quartermas-
ter's office for transportation. There was
crowd of furlougbed and discharged
soldiers present on the same errand as
myself. Our papers were handed in
and examined. and then a clerk called
off the names and handed back the
papers, accompanied with the order for
transportation. The name called next
after mine was that of Robert Sitton.
7 he name appeared familiar TO me,
but : could recognize no acquaintance
ship in the countenance of the soldier
who responded to the name. AS we
passed out of the Office my comrade
was joined by pretty and well dressed
young lady with babe in her arms. |
had seen that lady before. She was
my old patron at the Shelbyville post
office. felt that needed no introduce
ton TO her, and aecosted her at once.
She was prompt to recognize me, and
gave me formal introduction to her
husband, reminding me of my former
distrust of him. and adding 81 told
you he would take me home with him
to Ohio as soon as he was discharged,
and we are on our way now
$50 then YOU are discharged from
the service?" interrogatively remark
ed TO Mr.. Sitton
Eyes, sir; my three years were up
more than 81 weeks ago, but didn't
get mustered out and paid off until last
week. y
"Well, Mr.. Sitton, congratulate