News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1888-07-19
A STRAY SHOTS FATAL WORK.
A War Episode which Showed the
Better Part of Man.


been idle for some time, and the pros
pect OF action was not unwelcOme. Be
sides, "brush" meant possible sup
ply OF blankets, clothes and commissary
stores, OF all of which we were in SORE
need. Those of us who had them ROLLED
up our ragged blankets; the bugle'
sounded ''fall in," and we were on the
march.
We learned presently that the FEEDER
ais were advancing by Cumberland Gap
where we had about regiment of cav
airy and battery of light artillery. II
was splendid day; the ground was GOV
cred with fresh fall of snow that glis-
tened IN the cold sunshine, and melted
away here and there, showing patches OF
Warm-Iooking brown earth. The, sky
was a soft pale blue overhead, and the
crisp little wind that blew in our faces
had lost the biting edge it had at dawn,
Our spirits rose as we fell into the fam
liar swinging step, and there was no
struggling.
We had tramped steadily forward for
| some time when we heard, all at once, a
sharp firing of small-arms ahead, and
rapid work by the battery. It seemed to
be short, hot fight without the usual
sk1rm1shlng, and we were put at once on
q double-quick. But much to our dis
appointment when we came to the bit of
open country where the firing had
seemed SO brisk, save for the trampled
snow and one or two wounded men and
few dead horses, q broken down Gals
son, sabre dropped here and there, or
blue and gray cap caught on bush or
tossed on the ground, there was no evil
dence that regiment of cavalry and
battery of artillery had here met an
enemy in hand to-hand conflict. The
Federal troop, which proved to have
been single regiment out on q scout,
had retired beyond the Gap, and our
own force had followed in the direction
of its former position.
We were grumbling loudly at having
come so far for nothing, when a woman,
mounted on an old sorrel horse and
wearing a blue homespun sunbonnet,
came galloping down the road. She
dlsmounted at small double-log cabin
near by, and walked rapidly over to the
spot where we were making ready to
camp.
Had we seen anything of her two little
boys, she asked, turning pale agonized
face upon US. They had been perched
upon the fence when the Rebs began
forming in line just across from the cabin,
and the older one, ga leetle turned o
SIN" had taken his little 4-year-old
brother by the hand and run out into
the road to look on. Then, in moment,
and before anybody could cry out to
them even, the Yanks had come thun-
derlng along and they had been caught
between the lines and swallowed up in
the rush and roar of the battle. When
the short tussel was over they were no
where to be seen. She had gone on to
where our lines had been re-established,
and had there got ready leave to pass
over to the Federal camp; but no one
had seen or heard anything of the miss
ing children. Would we help her hunt
them?
Wouldn't we Every man volunteer
ed with a Whoop. We formed O long
line-like skirmish line-and started
searching every foot of ground carefully,
and calling out cheerily as we went. We
peered under the edges of fallen trees.
We turned over brush-heaps. We scat
tered the dead leaves that had drifted
into root bound hollows. We dragged
the little pools of water made by the
melting snow.
We had gone over two or three miles
in this way. The short afternoon was
waning, and the wind was growing
sharp and keen with the lengthening
rays of the sun. A halt was called. |
Some of the officers and older men con-
suited hastily together and were about |
decided to beat around in the opposite |
direction, when suddenly a shout came:
"Here they are -
The shout was caught up and turned |
into glad yell as it rolled along the |
line. I had heard the 'rebel yell" be
fore, and L heard it many time after, |
when it meant victory Mt the close of a |
life and death struggle, but [ never |
heard our boys IN gray sound such |
note of triumph as went up from their |
5hroats that day, as they double quicked |
It to the spot where those TWO little run
aways were lyingl
1t was an old field, whose long neglect
ID burrows were covered with a thick |
growth of yellow sedge, all wet with
melted snow and shining in the soft
'aYs of the setting sun. A bushy squat
pine had shot up here and there; the
,otting rail fence was overrun with
blackberry vines and almost lost in
jingle OF brown withered MULLEN and
ookeberry stalks that grew in its shelter
ng corners.
The children were in one of these
moist, tangled fence corners. Their
title blue home-spun frocks-for they
both wore dresses-were all torn and
lraggled. Their chubby faces were
)rier scratched and dirty. Their bare
leads were matted with dry leaves and
traw. But reckon every man of US
bought Gods blue sky never looked
Town upon prettier picture than they
made lying there, fast asleep and clasped
closely in each others arms.
We held our breath after the first
hOut for fear of frightening them. And
When the grizzled old sergeant whose
cry look was won't to make the recruits
remble in their boots, stepped toward
hem with soft, almost bashful smile
N his lips, and stopped, we all took of
,ur caps and leaned eagerly forward.
low we all envied big, burly, tender
hearted Tom j when the sergeant
him and laid the eldest boy,
II rosy and flushed with sleep, into his
rms The little fellow opened his blue
yes and stared vaguely around, then
lasped his arms about Toms neck and
ave q long sigh of content.
The sergeant stopped again with a
DIV chuckle of satisfaction. "The little
IN is asleep, for sure!" he said, as he
ifted him gently and turned. The next
loment he staggered under his light
urden and almost fell. A hoarse groan
urst from his lips. The little head with
IS tangled mass of yellow crlrls rolled
cavity to one side; the little arms hung
nertly down; the sergeant's hands where
hey supported the tiny neck were all
abbled in blood.
The stray shot had done its cruel work
-clj. 1t had plOughed across the small
'hiIe throat and the baby head was al
lost severed from the little body. The
little 'un" was indeed asleep for sure!
A kind of frozen horror Swept over
ne group gathered in that old field.
10 man dared for a while to look his
eighbor in the face, and when he did
c saw there an expression that he has
OF forgotten yet if he still lives!
Ten minutes before We We're all ready
} toss up for the privilege of carrying
lose two little chaps home. But now
very man of US hung back, dumb and
nnerved. And the sergeant and Tom
uned slowly and tramped away
rough the falling shadows to lay the
wing and the dead together in the wait
lg mothers arms. We followed silent
: with uncovered heads.
When the Federal officers in command
card that the children were lost he Of
red to disarm his men, stack their