Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1888-01-06
c0URrING F0R THE CApTALN

90 tRIINf FOR IIfE C1IIHIN. |
There was probably no more youthful !
bearer Of a coloncl's commission in the war |
than myself
Born in a a family Of soldiers, educated |
and drilled from infancy as a soldier, ! |
gained high rank as "A boy, and was abe 60 |
perform its duties TO the satisfaction of my |
superi)rs.
But, aside from duty was as "larky"
as any young college chap in the world
4 box of goods made 10y the kind hands |
of loyal women, reached my regiment |
through the United States Christian Com
mission. The quartermaster who supern- |
tended distribution of the comforts brought |
me- one evening, a note he had found pinned |
on pair of woolen stockings. Some fun
loving girl wrote that she would, TIN ough |
charity, correspond with the soldier receiv-
ing those foot coverings The letter was
signed Dolly Miller, and the post Office ad-
dress was given.
took the slip of paper and, when the
Q. NJ. had departed, indited n note ia the |
best style to the young lady. The name I
placed 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' lie had
won his rank 10y gallant service and was
soldier all through. Though he always
could keep his end mp in conversation yet
his early education had been neglected me-
wrote a villainous fist, and all his ileas
| frOze before they reached the point of his
| pen.
/ / added a V. to the initials Of my com
rade so as TO identify the answer tf one
| came) when il reached the adiutants tent
/ where all mail matters were delivered.
Three weeks after there was note for
| Captain Z. b. V. Reid from a 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 lively
| girl chum had written the original and
| signed Miss Dolly Miller's name thereto
/ but the real young lady said that ''the let
] ter she received was so gentemanly III tone,
50 interesting in contents, that she, patri-
| otic in the extreme, would carry out the
/ promise made in her behalf and if Captain
/ Reid could find amusement or pleasure in
corresponding with her, she was willing to
| do what she could to cheer him in his duties
and dangers -
OF course | answered and "spread my
self No FOOLS letter would do for this
bright, honest Miss Dolly and being fat.
tered by her high estimate of my early
work, II put in my best licks.
1t was not long before letters came and
went by each mail. | was really interested
| in the true. kindly maiden | had never
met, and had it not been "for the girl left
| behind me- might have explained my first
deception and gone in for myself. As il
was, felt rather conscience stricken when
| found to what extent my gush and TO
nance had taken hold on the dear young
lady's feelings. But | kept it up all the
. same.
As l piled up the agony" on the miser
les Of a soldiers life and gave utterance 10
! a longing for some tender, loving woman
TO reconcile me to the world and its trials.
Miss Dolly's letters became more and more
aifectionate 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 gentleman such as
She conceived Captain Reid to be from the
tone of his letters
| sent her Reid's photograph, taken from
| my album. and received her own in return.
| y very sweet, innocent, contiding face it
was good girl written in every feature.
Reid sped it soon after ! placed it among
my collection and he admired it hugely. /
did not hint that it had really been sent to
him, but felt more ashamed than ever.
Still ! continued the correspondence. and.
forced to reply in kind, dare say that /
wrote many words that conveyed great af
fection and used much language that could
easily be construed into almost direct pro
pp,als Of marriage though these were al
| ways qualified by remarks showing how un-
willing | was, or would be, 20 bring young
wife to share the privations and hardships
of a life in the field
This interchange Of words. growing CON
tiuually more tender, was kept up until af-
ter the capture of Mobile then my regi-
! mput Nyas enut In "a ppiut ,t, tba Niesi5s;,,t.
river
During the stirring times of action and
the confusion of change in station. our let
ters We're, in many cases, mscarried or
failed to reach us. had not heard from
Miss Dolly for nearly six weeks, and ear
nestly hoped that she had dropped the cor
respondence, for it had grown entirely too
warm for my comfort and peace of mind
under the circumstances.
One day it hapPened-as things coinci-
dent do happen in this world-that ! was
sitting in the provost marshal's Office at the
landing when large steamboat came down
the river 1t stopped at our post, as all
boats had to do, in compliance with military
orders. | saw several passengers land.
among them lady. These were left stand
ing on the levee while their passes and bag
gage underwent examination.
In a few moments the lieutenant com
manding the provost guard came to me
Colonel, there is a young lady here ask
ing for Captain Reid of your regiment"
Of course / was all attention and activity
in a moment l never doubted but that it
was one of Reids sisters Il knew he had
several who had foolishly come to pay him
a visit. | was sorry for it, because our
camps were no places for ladies, and there
were rather strict orders against their ad
mission.
| buttoned up my coat, gave my cap a
cant over the right ear and made my way
toward the lovely damsel, who stood among
the most uncongenial surroundings.
Thunder and Mars l recognized Dolly
Miller from her likeness to the photograph
sent mel the moment | laid my eyes upon
her.
Here was a fix of my own manufacture,
too. How was | to get out of it
went forward and introduced myself,
with all the courtesy of which l was pos
sessed, as Captain Reids colonel and his
friend.
l had mentioned myself in some of the
letters l had written, purporting to come
from T. b. V. r., and a blushing look of
pleasure came over the girls face.
Captain Reid has often written of you,
colonel, and while l fully expected to find
him here to meet me, | am glad that he
sent a substitute | can feel in some way ac-
quainted with, y
Did Captain Reid expect you -
"Why, certainly. l wrote him three
weeks ago that if certain matters did not
change for the better | would come to join
him here, spite of all the discomforts he so
viyidly pictured. The change dia not hap
pen. | was tormented out of life by my
guardian and his son. The latter wished
| me to marry him in order to secure the
fortune now due me that has for ten years
been in his fathers hands
81 know, colonel, that you are aware of
my correspondence with Captain Reid, and
| determined to trust my future with him
of whom ! knew little, rather than to tempt
fate with one | could not like, of whom |
knew everything, and all to his discredt.'
, had to have time for thought and plans
Miss Miller, thank YOU Well. Miss
Miller, | know that the captain never re
, ceived your letter. We have been busy at
Mobile, and have just arrived here have
had no mail for full twenty days Our
camp is all in confusion as yet, aud there is
much to be arranged Will you try and
content yourself for an hour or two while
2 l 90 to camp and notify Captain Reid -
She consented to wait the postmaster's
e private Office was given up to her II was
a pretty aud distressed face | left behind
me as | rode off, considerably worried about
my own part and penalty in the affair.
? went straight TO camp aud sent for
= Reid and there was full hours confab a
good deal of hard swearing on his part a
power of persuasion on my own, before the
matter was settled
knew the captain well he had money,
a good heart, and no entanglements. He
was calculated to make a loving husband