The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-11-09
A ROMANCE OF THE WAR.

manu- MHkluB Eull blllu W blluo iVsPSS
iul obeisanCes TO the reporter,
lie was strangely and typiCally attiret
aud his feet were enormous in size, I'll
face was kindly and full OF honest pul
pose. His long, bushy wool was snow
white.
"surely, uncle" interposed the re
porter, "you are not going TO walk a
the way TO Bostonp"
"Deed l is, MASTER" was the answer.
"Where are you irom2"
"0le Virginny,"
"What part?"
"Ise had a little place in Fauquie
county since surrender, ill done heerC
from Miss Eul'ly's gran'chile, Den
done give up,anu hyar IL, seventy.nint
years ole mex December, l4th day, trah
bling cross de country like do patriarch
did in Bible times when dey was out oil
mission o. kindness or to suite al
enemy"
The old negro soon became communi
catiye, and 10 q nelghboring restaurant
where he could rest and refresh himself
he told his story which, robbed Of thu
homely dialect impossible to reproduce
Is as follows:
Long before the war there settled IN
Nottoway county, Virginia, u certain
Thomas BostwiCk, who came from Geor
gia with Ills young wife and purchased
a large plantation near jennings Ordi
nary. Among the goods and ChattelS
purchased by the Georgian was Arion
warranted by his late master as Sound
In limb, OF good temper, faithful, hon
cat and Industrious" Aaron was the
ancient negro who is now trampiup
across the country TO Boston. When
master Tom" bought him Aaron was u
young man and for years held the conf
denc0 Of bis owners, was his friend aud
counselor In health aud nurse and doc
tor In sickness.
"Miss Emily" quoth Aaron, "dat was
Master Toms wife, was mos lubly
lady, gentle rs u dove an fur rs u lily
She had two chilluns-young Master
Willie and young Miss Em'ly. Lord
bless you, master, l nursed dem bofe
fun de- time dey fust killed to dc day WIN
dey wuz lowed to run round do ole
plantation In short dresses. An dubbed
dem chillun. Shuah, did, master"
When the war broke out "young Mas
ter Willie" had grown to mans estate,
and "youug Miss Emily" was the bells
Of Nottoway county. When Virginia
callO,l upon her sous to defend the soil
Of the Old Dominion from the invading
hosts that swarmed down from tho
Northwest, "young Master Willie"
was among the first 10 volunteer, and
until the battle Of Balls Bluff he passed
through the ordeal Of shot and shell un.
scathed. In this holly contested fight
hG was badly wounded, and when the
Coniederates retreated he was left upon
the battlefield and became a prisoner.
He fell into good hands, for Captain
Charles palrymple, OF Massachusetts,
regiment, was his Captor.
Capt. Dalrymple was wounded also,
and after the battle secured leave OF alb.
sence. He had formed an attachment
for his rebel acquaintance, and reaching
home on furlough wrote to him at the
federal prison In Elmlra, N. Y. The
Virginian pinned in captivity and wrote
doIelul letters. The Yankee captain,
with a heart full Of sympathy, applied
to Massachusetts war governor, John
Andrews, and "Master Willie" was pa.
rolled. Out Of gratitude to his Yankee
friend the released prisoner accepted the
latter's invitation 10 spend few weeks
with him at his Boston home.
The bond Of friendship between the
two was firmly Cemented before the
Yankee captains leave Of absence ended,
and he went back to his regiment with
bright visions OF a certain Emily, whose
Nraises had been sounded 10 his ears for
days, and toward whose home the armies
OF the North were marching. Young
Master Willie, furnished with pass,
went through the linesand finally reach.
cd his old home. He had sworn not tC
take up arms against the Mortimer, hui
when, one October night, Burnstde'p
army made sudden march upon the
eneny's lines, and a scouting party
dashed down jennings ordinary, hi
buCkled on sword and pistol, looked VI
his iowling piece aud started out at til
head Of a hastily organized home guatt
to rebel the invaders, By his side rod,
black Aaron, aud his stout heart neve
guailed when bullets whistled about hin
IKE q shower Of hail.
Tho opposing FORCES rushed towart
each otlipr nearer and nearer. Frou
their rifles aud guns belChed o lvrii
flame. Al last there was crash, 6erc
commipgliDg OF gray and blue; shouts
curses, groans Of agony and sarcasm
Of paln. AT last a triumphant rebel vel
and the scouting party were driven baCl
with half tGeir hdmbeF dead.
Aaron was sorply wolnIed. He bear
the scars Of that conflict yet on Ills blac
body; but weak though 10 was from loH
Of blood he began to search for "AIaste
Willie, whom he had seen 20 down 4
| the thick OF the fray. He found him .
last, dead, with bis white face upturne
10 The STARS and tho dew. As he Der
over him, tears streaming down his hlac
face, a groan awoka tho Stiffness OF tti
night, and leaving the dead that was pal
help, he turned TO the living ~ sorUly /
need OF II. Not ten feet from where hj
i young master lay tossed another form |
The blue uniform Of tho epgny. Th
negro bent above the wounded man, Gu
the latter's lips formed the Single word
"Wateri"
II SaS brought 10 him and he dram
eagerly, In the meantime several Of th
other plantation negroes bad CreT
through the woods al Clio late BGenp
carnage, and now questioned AaFo
with Chaltering teeth and quakin
| limbs. He ordered them all back 10 III
plantation lQr npleg md a wagon an
sent q verbal messagG0i ptepRtatlon II
the coming Of the dead 10 young Mil
Emily,
Just rs the pale light Of the stars WI
giving way 10 tue stronger light Of III
coming d6y, Miss Emily, with tears
her eyes, Stood upOn tho porch Of III
plantation house aud received two pR
lles--one was that Of her dead brOthe
I the other that Of bis wounded Yank,
friend, Captain Charles DAlfymple, VT
| lad led tho scouting party. She was q
. that was left now Of the BoswlCkB, L
her father and mother had both die
. early In the war,
With heroic iurllludo ShD hetiofmI
the last office for tue dead, shed tears
heAtlielt sorrow over bis grave, aud tie
brave woman thpt she was, turned b
attention 10 the suffering Lying, 81
nIfRp1 Oantnih DAlfVmhlp hArk IN M