Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1890-09-26

where we rest Is broken. There is
forest and thicket--a narrow highway
la creek--two or three small farms.
with their buildings filled with wound.
ell men, Fifty rodsin front Of log
house is our picket line. 1t skirts the
cleared land and runs away into the
darker woods on straight line. The
neutral ground between us and the
enemy is in strip not over forty rods
wide.
At 10 o'clock on this night, when the
confusion and turmoil have grown
quiet, but while lanterns flash here and
there through the woods. as men search
for the wounded, am left on post No.
~ for the coming two hours. NY place
Is under pine tree which stands in the
cleared ground. and all along the front
is the dark forest--so dark that white
horse might stand within hundred
feet of me and escape observation. 1t
is starlight night. but clouds are
drifting across the sky and the wind
comes in that gusty way which warns
YOU that a storm is brewing at dis
lance.
For an hour there is no alarm. Grant
is moving by the flank. Lee is moving
to check-matc him. Grant has left a
line to mask his movement. Lee has
left line to mask his. 1t has been a
long terrible day. Darkness brings a
respite grateful for all. We have vir-
tualy said to each other over the
neutral ground: fF
'Let us alone and we won't disturb
youP"
At IL o'clock noise In the dark
woods in front sends my blood leaping.
1t was the noise of footsteps breaking
dry twigs. There are wounded horses
wandering about but this was not tho
footstep of horse. Wounded men
may be seeking our limits. but l listen
vain to catch a groan or low call of
distress.
step! Step! Step"
The sound is on my left front. Some
one is moving TO get tho shelter of the
dark spot directly opposite. He is NOV
ing carefully, but can follow every
foot of progress.
Step! Stepl (HaltD Step! Stcpr'
(SilenceD
Is it ghoul seeking out the dead
and wounded to rob them? Is it
picket from the other line seeking to
locate our posts and report how far
away we are? Is it some human devil
seeking to dabble his hands in blood
after the horrors of the day? Men who
had brothers or friends killed in battle
by daylight sometimes swore fearful
vengeance and went out upon the
bloody field at night to secure it.
Rustic! Step! (HaltD Step! Step"
Coming closer.)
If | raise an alarm here it will go up
and down the line and arouse
thousand men in moment. If | let
this unknown approach me l may he
assassinated. He can not see me in
this gloom. but he is slowly approach
ing in a direct line.
HALT Who goes thcre?"
Deep silence.
If he was stragglcr from our lines
or wounded man he would make
answer.
step! Step!" And now hear him
sink down to the earth.
WHO goes therc?"
Silence.
WHO goes thcrcp"
Silence.
am waiting with musket raised, and
finger on the trigger. l have given
fair warning. Friend could ask nc
more, and All ereny must realize his
danger. As wait something makes n
blot on the darkness. 1t is only few
feet away. and fire point-blank. There
is one long. shriIl scream OF agony.
aud / hear a body fall to the earth.
and then there is deep silence for 8
moment.
What is it?" asks the corporal OF
the guard as he hurries up from the re-
serve stationed scarcely hundred feet
In the rear.
"There-rve shot some oue!'
The alarm runs mp and down the
lines 10 die away after five minutes, and
then we advance to the object. The
corporal is there first. He reaches out
to touch 1t, draws back in alarm, and
gasps: Great heavens, but you have
shot a womanm
1t was true. Some poor soul, crazeJ
by the terrible sounds OF battle-driven
from her humble home - hiding in
some thickct until darkness came.
Then. dumb as the trees around her.
but guided by instinct, she sought to
make her way back to the house-nc
doubt the very hut filed with our
wounded and suffering men. And she
was dead ut my feet-dead of my own
bullet. Quad, of Detroit Free Press.