Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1890-09-11
CHATTER v.

l
after reading over tho few words in
three different ways he exclaimed:
81 think have enough to act on!"
Sand you will postpone the execu-
tion?" / asked.
Eyes, feel justified in doing so till |
near further from Washington"
Without waiting to hear more fair
~ flew down to the military prison. 1t
was of Carrie I had been thinking, for
Carrie had been hoping and praying.
She saw me coming, and in her awful
eagerness she ran to meet nc. She must
have OWNED my message before spoke,
| for her white face flushed and the
hunted expression fed her eyes. Cry
ing out: THANK God for the good newsl"
she threw her arms about my neck. and
our lips met in forgiveness and rej6ic-
ing.
At ten o'clock that morning the troop
wagons were ready to draw out, and my
mon stood by their horses impatient for
the order to mount had babe Carrie
and her brother goodbye, and her last
words were still ringing like music in
my ears: what you have done for me.
and mine, Harry Watts, can never be-
forgotten"
Holding my hand, General Boyle said:
"Find out II Brent was In Poweli's
Valley at the date he claims, and, II
you can get evidence to corroborate his
statement, send it through by one of
your scouts at once. II this is not done.
the postponement which ! have as
sumed may turn out to be great mis-
fortune to all concerned"
The old soldier knew the secret OF
my interest. promised to do all that,
lay in my power; then, with mutual,
prayers for the success of our common
cause, swung into the saddle, the.
bugle sounded, and my troop rode out.
of Camp Dick Robinson.
On the crest OF the slope, winding to
tho southeast, i turned and lifted my
hat, and, through the mist and storm. |
saw the futter Of a white scarf, like an
angels wing, and felt that there was
one Union troop followed by tho pray
ers of Confederate woman.
This was my second visit TO Camp
Dick Robinson. When hero before VIC;
were preparing under General Thomas
to advance against Zollicoffer, whose.
host. unframed and boastful. was raid.
ing the shores of the Cumberland. War.
seemed grand thing to me in those.
days. when nearly every regiment
marched to the stirring strains OF its
own brass band, and when every private
had more impediments than a Maori
General carried now. Then the trap
pings of the horses were regal in their
splendor and tho officers we're moving
pictures framed in blue and gold. and
shoulder-straps were so beautiful and
novel that IL was said some OF the
younger men wore them when in bed.
The regimental banners, aside from
what they symbolized. we're things OF
shimmering. silken beauty; now they
were shredded and riddled. and blood
stained, but those very rents had be-
come eloquent with memories that
thrilled us as tho now flags never did
Our officers carried no insignia to dis
tinguish them from the men. The trap
pings OF tho horses we're rusty and |
cracked, our uniforms we're faded and |
some of them rdely patched; our car
bines had lost the gloss of finish; our
troop guidon was tattcred faded rag, /
and the scabbards OF our sabers were
dented and worn. The cheer, the song I
and the wild halloo OF exultant youth 1
were no longer heard in camp or on the
march. On the faces of tho youngest, 1
and the oldest man in that troop was
not twenty-seven, there were set lines
<hnt Ia hnr, oHn
that had been burned deep In the fur
mace heat Of battle. But though not so
fair to the eye. each one of these men
was worth ten OF the volunteers of the
early war.
Our march 70 Cumberland Gap was
over the route taken By Braggs army
year before, when, after the flerce fight
at Perryville, they fell leisurely back,
laden with the rich spoils of Central
Kentucky, while the tardy Union
legions made only a show OF pursuit
Still, the track OF that unhurried retreat
was visible through every defile Of the
tempest-tossed Cumberland range.
The log cabins, clinging like odd birds
nests to the mountain lodges, were
abandoned or inhabited only by women
and children. The fences that had in
closed their patches OF potatoes and
corn were gone, and the men who had
built them we're in the field or sleeping
on it. Along the hard, rutty trail lay
scattered the debris OF wars flood:
broken wagons, the skeletons Of mules
and horses, and ash spots, marking the
site Of old camps; here and there
grave; and over all the naked crests and
valleys the spirit OF silence
and desolation.
Now and then we caught sight Of
horseman far of from the line Of march.
and the fact that he kept out Of reach
convinced us that he was one Of the en-
smy's scouts. from whom we had moth
ng to fear. Now and then a puff OF
smoke could be seen squirting out from
some clifi. far overhead. and the crack
II bushwhacker's rife would follow. II
40 harm was done. we passed on un-
needing; II al man was shot. we encirclcd
he mountain. and never returned with |