Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-06-12
nv pop fur2, moaned the boy.

my pop tur! moaneu the BOY.
Little Maggie was standing by look
ing on with childish wonder
Mag said Tom, Il writ v that let
ter. Iwrit it all myself, all ont. The
sojers tooken it, ] reckon
/ The General drew the girl up to the
lounge and put her hand in that of the
boy. The two children remained in
this position to the end. The boy soon
began to wander. He was riding with
the paper pellet in his mouth; he was
passing the pickets; he was convers-
! ing with the officers and soldiers. All
the while the General was trying to
soothe him, smoothing back the un-
combed locks from his forehead or
pouring a little water between his
lips.
Suddenly the boy sat up.
I'm a-goen fur to be a cap'np he
shouted, then fell back. dead.
The next afternoon the army, begin.
ming a movement for which the little
courier had paved the way, had struck
its tents and was marching along the
road that led past the Lane house. As
the head of the column emerged from
a wood the men saw a funeral process
sion, composed Of some officers, sold.
iers and few country people, leave
the house and march along to an in
closed lot in field near blythe fam
| lily burial place.
Two cofins, the one but half the
size of the other, were borne by Con-
federate soldiers They contained the
bodies of Tom Lane father, and Tom
Lane SON, the one of the Union and
the other of the G Confederacy. Di,ect.
ly behind walked the General, Then
a company of soldiers, a Captains es-
cort, and next group of nelghbors.
The procession moved slowly on
ward to the inclosure in which grave
had been dug. The two cofins were
lowered, and laid side by side in one
grave. The General, who held in his
hands bundle of green spr!gs. cast
them into the grave. The earth was
shoveled in and volley fred by the
soldiers over the grave.
By this time the head of the ad-
vancing column had reached the bur-
ial-place, where the General was stand
ing with uncovered head, while the
last shovelfuls of earth were being
thrown upon the grave. The men of
an army are quick to gather news,
and not soldier but knew already the
story of the two Lanes.
AS the column marched by, the men
of the leading company, seeing their
General standing with head uncovered
raised their hats The action was fol-
lowed by the next and the next COM
pany, and was taken up by regiment
after regiment, troop after troop, bat
terry after battery; the twelve thousand
men had passed and uncovered. Then
the little group of mourners and spec
tators disbanded, and the General, who
was Joined by his staff, mounted his
horse and rode on in the direction the
troops were marching.
That night in bivouac the following
order was promulgated:
l. Captain Thomas Lane, Junior, aged
twelve years, is announced as aide;de-camp
on the staff of the General commanding, will
be obeyed and respected as such.
2. The customary mourning will be observ-
ed by the officers and men of this command
for thirty days for Captain Thomas Lane,
ing, who died gallantly in the service of the
Confederate States. His commission has
been applied for and will be forwarded to his
family.
The next morning before dayligh
the Confederate armies which had be-
come separated and liable to be cap
tured in detail, formed a junction, and
together attacked and turned the Un-
ion left.
On a mantel in the house where the
two Lanes died, is frame containing
q Captains commission.
On the day, each year, sacred to the
memory of those who fell in that dire
full contest quarter of century ago,
the grave which holds the father and
son, is covered with flowers brought
by the neighbors for miles around.
Among these flowers on every ami
versary, is a wreath composed of buds
of red rose. These wreath are sent
by the same person. Though no name
comes with them, it is we'll understood
that they are from the man who sac
rlfced chlld to save an army.-F. A.
Mitchell, in Youths Companion.