The National tribune., 1888-11-15
HOW 1 won MY WIFE.
A New York Soldier Secures a Prize.

EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: / have been
much interested in reading the sketches In
THE NATIONAL Tribune of not how battles
were lost, but how wives were won" and TO
keep the ball a-TOlliug VIII relate for the edi-
heation of other comrades the one romance OF
my sOldicr-life.
The first two years of the war I served in the
Army of the Potomac, and during the latter
part OF September, '63. our corps (the Twelfthl
together with the Eleventh Corps, afteFward
consolidated and called the Twentieth Corps,
was transferred to the Army of the Cumber-
land, then camped at Chattanooga, Tenn.
We took transportation at Washington over
the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, and after pass
ing through West Virginia and Ohio stopped
one afternoon IN the loyal little city Of Rich
mond, Ind. 1t was Sunday, and the people,
old and young were passing by on their way
from church. Some stopped a moment to look
at the soldiers, who filed the depot; others
walked leisurely By. I noticed two we'll
dressed girls, one IN particular, whose face
strangely interested me- and / felt a strong de-
sire to bear her speak. had not heard q fe-
male voice for over q year, and acting on the
impulse Of the moment lifted my cap Of faded
blue and spoke to her
She seemed somewhat startled at first. but
few words treasured her. and we were soon
taking ike old acquaintance The two were
sisters, and had brothers in the army to which
we were going, and of course felt interested in
anything pertaining to the war. Troops had
been passing through their city for several DAYS
she said, and the citizens had been gener-
Gus in their hospitality and earnest in their
desire to do honor to the Nations defend
ers. After a few minutes more conversation
she asked if l wouldn't accompany them homo
to dinner This was an invitation a soldier
was never known 10 90 back on, and / surren-
dered Internationally and walked By her side
to her home, but few squares distant, where
f4f md At,, z
welcome, and / was made to feel at home among
them. No doubt the thought of their boys
somewhere down in Tennessee made my re-
eeptlon more cordial than it might otherwise
have been. After an hours pleasant converse
ton dinner was announced, and when we were
seated around the well-fled table the old gen
tienan bowed his head and asked Gods bless
ing to rest on the defenders Of the Union and
the cause so near all loyal hearts
Before dinner was over l was getting along
swimmingly. l had told them of my own home
far away on the banks of Lake Ontario; Of my
people and friends, my army life, and boyhoOd
days before the war, and this girl Whose mama
was Madge) and this hospitable family that
two hours before 1 had never seen or heard of,
seemed like friends I had known for years
The afternoon slipped by alarmingly quick, I
noticed. If l had been offered the choice OF
serving the balance Of my enlistment right
there or going on TO share IN the glOries Of the
Army OF the Cumberland which they won IN
the after days | blush to say / would have
taken the former. However, the choice was
not mine, and when at last l stood with Madge
in the doorway and held her hand for a mo-
ment to say gOod-by, 1 expressed the hope
that some day we might meet again under hap
pier auspices She bid me Godspeed, and left
her standing there and took my way to the
depot.
l found my company all aboard the cars.
# he he'd q
early in the afternoon, and of course a few sly
jokes were INDUCED IN at my expense. The
train soon moved slowly out, and / must con-
fess it was with a feeling of regret that I
watched the lights grow dim in the distance.
Many comrade who had walked the streets
of the HoOsier city that beautiful Sabbath
afternoon 4 few days later found a soldiers
grave on the winding sides of Lookout Mount
ain and Missionary Ridge. There Hooker
capped the climax of his fame, and the Twen-
tieth Corps rested on the banks Of the Ten
nessee. That little episode Of mine in the
HOosier city had not been forgotten IN the stir
ring scenes that followed, and now got out
my quill and wrote to Madge. What OF how 7
wrote will net matter here; suffice il to say she
answered that foolish letter, and the CORE
spOndence began in the shadow of memorable
old Lookout Mountain lasted ali through the
war, and-well, that little brown-eyed HOOsier
girl is sitting on my lap this very minute, and
has been my wife these many happy years.
One word more before I close this chapter. I
did not win name and fame in the war FOR the
Union as many of our comrades did, but I won
what is better still-a loving and devoted wife.
H. U. PEAsE, Bugier, Co. VI, 1st n. Y. /. A,
Wilson, \. Y.