Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1888-02-29
Counting for the Captain.

ful bearer OF a colonel's commission
In the civil war than myself.
Born in a family of soldiers, educa-
ted and drilled from infancy as a SOL
dier, l gained high rank as boy, and
was able to perform its duties to the
satisfaction Of my superiors.
But, aside from duty, L was ''larky"
as any young college chap In the world.
A box of goods, made by the kind
hands of loyal women, reached my regi-
ment through the United States Chris
tian commission. The Quartermaster
who superintended distribution of the
! comforts brought me. one evening. a
note he had found pinned on pair of
wooden stockings Some fun-lovIng
girl wrote that she would, through
charity, correspond with the soldier re-
ceiving those foot coverings. The
latter was signed Dolly Miller, and the
post-ofllce address was given.
1 took the slip of paper, and, when
the quartermaster had departed, in
dited a note in the best style to the
young lady. The name at the end.
though, was not my own, but that of
Captain 7. b. Reid. in command of one
OF my companies. A fine fellow,
handsome, brave, and young, was Reid,
a great favorite also with the ladies.
He won his rank by gallant service,
| and was a soldier all through. Though
| he could always keep his end up in
| conversation, yet his early education
had been neglected; he wrote a villain
Gus fist, and all his ideas froze up
before they reached the point OF his
pen.
| added V to the initials of my
comrade so as to identify the answer (if
one came) when it reached the adJu-
tant 5 tent, where all mail matters wsre
! delivered.
Three weeks after there was a note
for Captain I. B. V. Reid from
! town in Ohio. OF course the screed
was delivered into my hands. A very
sweet, modest, little letter it was; the
contents told that some girl chum had
written the original and signed Miss
Dolly Miller's name thereto; but the
real young lady said that ''the letter
she received was so gentlemanly in
tone, so interesting in contents, that
| she, patriotic in the extreme would
| carry out the promise made in her be-
| half, and If Captain Reid could find
amusement or pleasure in correspond
| ing with her, she was willing to do
.what she could to cheer him in his
duties and DANGERS
X OF course l answered and spread
myself" No FOOLS letter would do for
this bright, honest Miss Dolly, and,
being fiattered by her high estimate
of my early work, put in my best
licks.'
1t was not long before letters came
and went by each mail. L was really
interested i'll the true, kindly maiden
1 had never met. and had 1t not been
~ \ naEt las
have explained my first deception and
gone in for myself. As it was L felt
rather conscience-stricken when !
found to what extent my gush and
romance had taken hold on the dear
young lady's feelings. But l kept IL
up all the same.
As L ''piled up the agony" on the
miseries of soldiers life, and gave
utterance to a longing for some tender,
loving woman to reconcile me to the
world and its trials. Miss Dolly's letters
became more and more affectlonate
and suggestive. She wrote that she
was an orphan, had considerable money
in her own right, and that she could
love brave soldier and honest gentle
man such as she conceived Captain
Reid to be from the tone of his letters.
IL 1 sent her Reid's photograph, taken
sfrom my album, and received her OWL
fin return. A very sweet, innocent,
fconfding face it was; good girl written
in every feature. Reid spied 1t soor
tafter l placed it among my collection
and he admitted it hugely. l did not
hint that 1t had really been sent tC
him, but L felt more ashamed than
ever.
Sliil 1 continued the correspon-
| fAroz1 n ranlp IL Lind
dare say that L wrote many words that
conveyed great affection, and used
much language that could easily be
construed into almost direct proposals
of marriage; though these were always
qualified by remarks showing how un-
willing L was, or would be, to bring a
| youug wife TO share the privations and
hardships of life in the field.
This interchange of words. growing
continually more tender, was kept up
until after the capture of Mobile; then
my regiment was sent to a point on
the Mississippi river.
During the stirring times of action
and the confusion of change of STA
tion, our letters were, in many cases,
miscarried or failed to reach US.
had not heard from Miss Dolly for
nearly SIX weeks, and earnestly hoped
she had dropped the correspondence,
for it had grown entirely too warm
for my comfort and peace of mind
under the circumstances. .
One day it happened-as things CO.
incident do happen in this world-that
] was sitting in the provost marshal's
Office at the landing when a large
steamboat came down the river. 1t
stopped at port, as all boats had to, IN
compliance with military orders. i
saw several passengers land, among
them a lady. These were left stand
ing on the levee while their passes and
baggage underwent examination
In a few moments the lieutenant
commanding the provost guard came
to me.
Colonel, there IS a young lady here
asking for Captain Reid, of your reg
iment."
OF course 1 was all attention and
activity In a moment. l never doubted
but that it was one of heid's sisters Il
knew he had several) who had foolishly
come to pay him a visit. l was sorry
for il, because our camps were no place
for lady, and there were rather
strict orders against their admission.
/ buttoned up my coat, gave my car
a cant over my right ear, and made my
way toward the lovely damsel. who
stood among most uncongenIal sur.
roundings,
Thunder and Marsl l recognized
Dolly Miller from her likeness to th,
photograph sent me) the moment LAID
my eyes upon her.
Here was a flx-of my own manu-
facture, too. How was 1 to get rit
of itP
went forward and introduced my
self. with all the courtesy of which
; was possessed, as Captain Reid
colonel and his friend.
/ had mentioned myself in some o
the letters had written. purporting t,
come from 7. B. v. r., and a blushin,
| l0nE of niQxlnra cana nvar fho Fl