Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1889-07-04
The negro resumed

/ ~ was cotched By some nigger-stealcrs,
taken TO St Louis sold 1T auction, den my
new massa TUX mo toAeXiugton, No, an sold
me TO Mr.. Neff, who keep me till dc war
l heard him say dat he lind dc baby-he tell
| de young massa go, an when Massa Morgan
| come up in Missouri TO- y'ars ergo to lib, |
| spect dey'd know nae, but 'umdon't, but Dick
Sneed did, an he nebb = SEQ me till dc war
commence. Den say 1 kill him, and on dc las
| day OBJ dc Shiloh battle | shoot um wild my
own hand. Heah am dc yaller handkerchief.
tuck it from de bureau de night de rebs
come to hang Massa Luke" and he held up
the handkerchief, on the border of which
were the words embroidered in black:
"LURE MASON"
"Whatl My God can this"
Hole on, boy, hole on, this mans weak
| I'll tell him, you can't said Mr. Neff, dis
| playing an energy Lake had never thought
| he possessed.
10 the failing man he hurriedly explained
that he had found the cradle floating, and
that the child was alive, and that his brother
had reared him Colonel Luke Mason was
| that child The Confederate Colonel was
failing very rapidly, and while Mr. Neff had
| broken the news TO him quickly, he had
done so in a way not 20 excite him. The
dying father reached cut his hand and
clasped that OF his newfound son.
'Aly boy" he whispered, 1--WE found you
at last" Then he called to his daughter,
who started as il from stup0r: "Come here,
Elsie, my child" Placing Luke's hand in
hers no said "Hero is your brother"
Brother and sister silently folded their
arms about each other What was 1t that
held all silent and spell bound under that
wonderful reyelanonl That Luke was the
lost son OF Colonel Morgan none could
doubt, yet not word was spoken, no shout
Of JOY. Wero tue witnesses stunned with
the announcement or was il the presence of
deathl
Lillo came 10 them, and Luke, placing
one arm about her, turned 70 Elsie and said
"Csn you love hor as a sisters'
Eyes, yes" she sobbed
Colonel Morgan, without uttcring another
word, turned his face toward the dark, dis
colored wall, and peace came to his troubled
soul Soquiet was he, so silently did the
change como, that the prayerful watchers
knew il not until all was over.
II was LulSc's regimen:al chaplain who
performed tho burial service, and no and
his sister, whom he had only so recently
known. stood By the grave and watered it
with their tears.
Luke determined at once TO drop the
name of Mason and take his proper name
Morgan. But this he found almost impos-
sible while in the army, as all his papers
were made out in the name % Mason. IL was
afterwards ascertained that Luke Mason,
the original ownor Of the yellow handlser-
chief, was mulatto, who was house serv-
ant of Mr.. Morgan, and his handkerchief
had by some means got into tho possession
Of tho nurse, possibly presented to her BY
the original Luke hilnseS who was quite q
flirt In his way.
Colonel Mason gotta leave of absence for
a few days, aud went with his sister, Lille,
Mr. Nell ana Albert, who had been paroied,
across the river into Kentucky, where they
would be safe. He persuaded Lille to be-
come his wife and they were quietly mar
ried at little country church in Kentucky.
His sister kissed him on parting and told
him TO care for their brother Jasper il ne
should find him. He promised to do SO, gave
her TO Albert and told him 10 care for both
il he should never return
Luke reached his regiment lust in time TO
join General Halleck in the Corinth cam.
paign. His regiment had meanwhile been
fully recruited and assigned to tho brigade
Of General Macarthur.
Old Arkansaw Tom was constantly with
his beloved Colonel Ho seemed to have
lost much Of his joval spirit sInco his three
companions had left him. IL was during
one of the terrible assaults on Corinth that
the brave old veteran fell dead at Luke's
feet. The Colonel stopped to raise tho
fallen man, when he fell wounded and was
carried TO tho rear, so that nc never looked
on the wrinkled face OF his brave old friend
again.
Tho Coloners little wife came to nurse
him back 10 health, and he was able 70 jofn
his regiment just after the taking of ViclKs-
burg, He found his brother, Major Jasper
Morgan, in the hospitaldying from a wound
HIS wife and sister were telegraphed for,
but came too late.
1t was in the charge at Kenesaw Mount
aims that BlackhawlS, who had insisted on
being Lukes body-servant, fell pierced by
bullet in tho bowels. The Colonel sprang
20 the ground and raised the head Of the
dying negro, and asked what he could do To
relieve or help him.
"Nuthin', massa Am do fight ovcrf'
"For the present It is"
II q done fur, any way; yo can't help me-
massa- Would We help me, who tried TO
drown yc when q babyEn
ayes, Blaekhawk, 1 have forgiven you
that"
"But, massa, ye dun know alln
"What else is there TO l1nowl"
alt war me dat sighted do gun an pulled
de trigger dat killed yer fathern
With an exclamation of horror Luke
dropped the head Of the wounded negro and
staggered to his feet. Mounting his horse
be rode to where the regiment was form
ing for another charge, and when next he
saw Blacl1hawlI life was extinct
When peace was declared Luther Nor
gan, or Luke Mason, as we have known him,
had just been commissioned Brigadier-
General But he resigned and went home
His sister had married Albert and they
were rebuilding and refurnishing the old
Neff homestead. Mr.. NcfY had died year
before.
After a short visit TO brother and sister
Luther Morgan and his sweet young wife
went to Ohio and settled in one OF tho small
or towns Of that great state, where he en-.
gagged In the practice of law, in which pro
fession he has won both fame and money.
True to his duty and true 20 his love, he Is
now enjoying the blessings for which he
fought four long years.
THE END