Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1889-01-24

He could see his mother wipe her glasses
and read the story of his r apid promotion; he
could fancy sister Nell's eyes sparkling with
| enthusiasm at the kind words the Michigan
| newspapers had used in describing a gal
| liant raid he had shared against Mosby's
men, and he could hear the tremulous words
of his father: My boy Harryr'
The country through which he journeyed
was wild and romantic enough As far as
he could he avoided villages and crept
along the rugged lanes Of the endless
woods, guided only by q pocIlet-compass
and the never-failing instinct of locality
which is essential to good soldering. But
these detours heightened the journey sad
| ~, and the long rest of midday beside
mountain stream had greatly delayed him,
so that the shadows of night We're closing
over the short day, when he approached
| the worst part of the road-a stony path
leading through glen, whose frowning
| hills were clothed in somber trees.
| A little to his left he saw twinkling
| light in cottage window. Should he press
on in uncertainty trusting to his usual luck,
or seek information at the humble dwelling?
Either alternative was fraught with
| danger. Suddenly the deep baying of a
dog was heard and in a moment the cot
tage door was opened and an old woman,
shading the light of a candle by her hand,
peered into the darkness, while a mastiff
| bounded from her side in fierce fury down
| the slope to where his horse was standing.
A moment more and the crack of rifle
rang in the air, the Kissing bullet snapped
| the branches of trees close to Harry's head.
| In front of him, up the dark road, he saw
| the glimmer of lights and heard angry
voices. He turned to flee, but the road be-
hind him was barred; for the tramp of
| horses hoofs was coming in mad haste
| upon him. One chance alone lay open to
| him-to make a dash down the bed of
| little stream, which lay between him and the
| cottage, and run the gauntlet of the men
on the road above. The dog he sent howl
| ing homeward with bullet in his leg, and
| then setting spurs to his horse, bounded
| over the bushes into the brook. 1t was
| mad ride. Almost dark as pitch, trusting
| only to his horse to find the way, torn by
| the overhanging brambles, now nearly flung
| from his saddle as the gallant beast half
| fell over some big bowlder, with the crash
of bullets ringing round him, and threaten
| ing cries echoed on all sides, he reached at
| last broad, open swamp, into whose black
| slime his chargers legs sunk knee-deep.
Here he thought he was comparatively safe,
and when he had got out of the shadows
of the trees it was lighter, so that he could
see something of the way he was going,
| and, with a sigh of relief, he turned his
| horses head away from the stream.
'Fo' de Lawd, boss, hop hard or yoll done
gone be in dem quick-san's," cried a voice
within dozen yards of hun, and the wool
ly head Of a negro lad peered from clump
of reeds.
Instantly Harry drew the bride
(which way, then, boy, to the Fredericks-
burg pikes Five dollars, if you will guide
me there"
He could see the lads teeth cleaning in
the twilight.
cellar to goodness, boss" he cried, ~
dassent. De road am full of rebs.''
"And the Union troops-have you seen
them?"
NAV" was the unsatisfactory response.
"Dere amt none roun' desc parts"
However, with the lads help he reached
the uplands, and once more set his horses
head toward Fredericksburg. Then night
came on in pitchy darkness. Twice he es-
capped by miracle the bullets of the enemy's
pockets. Thea the highway became impass-
able, and he was driven to skirt the fields
and woods again. Thus the long night
passed, wandering he knew not whittier,
but ever hoping to see the bivouac fires of
his own people. To add to his distress rain
fell in torrents, drenching him to the skin
and chilling him so that he was obliged to
walk on foot to stir the circulation in his
nuu.bed veins.
Then he mounted a little hill, and in the
valley beneath saw lights Pickering to and
fro; he heard the hoarse challenge to sem
tries, and knew that he was on the verge of
a camp-perhaps of Union men, but far
more likely of the enemy.
Dazed with exhaustion he led his horse
forward with blind trust that he would be
right
rich Irish brogue.
"A FRIEND" he called.
advance friend and give the counter
signr' was the stern demand.
But Harry's limbs refused to move. With
a dull groan he sank to the earth-yes, this
big, strong soldier lad-in as helpless a
swoon as ever stole the senses OF tender
schoolgirl in an overheated ballroom.
When he came to himself, he found that
he was lying on an army cot, surrounded
by a group of q dozen men in Federal uni
form.
"Where am I!''
"Among friends, glory be to Godl" an
swered CHEEKY voice; "an' av yell just
be quiet while I'm after pouring this steam
ing glass of punch down your throat-for
which I've lied to the surgeon like Com
missary Gineral, the Lord forgive me
you'll be as right as ninepence in no time at
all, at all.'
The hot, strong spirits nearly took his
breath away, but it brought the color back
to his cheek.
"Tell me where 1 lamp" he said, in stronger
tones.
you're just wild the flower of the Union
army, darlin'-w1d Meagher's Irish brigade;
so shut your eyes an go to sleep wild quiet
conscience, an thank God for the good
comp'ny we've fallen among''
81 do, indeed do, my brave fellow, but
my dispatches
care already in the hands of General
Burnside" said a TALL weather beaten Off
Ger, who entered the tent at this moment,
before whom the kind-hearted soldiers with
drew with respectful obeisance.
So Harry slept.
In the morning when he awoke the sun
was well on the horizon. The tent was
empty. Beside his cot lay an infantryman's
uniform, which some kind hand had put
there to replace his own bedraggled clothes,
which had doubtless been taken some
where to dry. and on a box can of cold tea
and some bread and meat. He ate and
drank, dressed and rose refreshed.
A beautiful panorama met his view as no
stepped from the tent into the open. Before
him lay the River Rappahannock, and on q
hill beyond the town of Fredericksburg.
He saw the dense masses of the Union
troops crossing pontoon bridges in long