Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1890-12-05

inS fdlieyS C9 IennSylvanla.
Gettysburg came. and the Army. of
Virginia. .rndely awakened from its
victorious security. was hurled back
across Maryland and into Virginia
again by the military genius of Meade.
In the carnage of the first day tho older
brother was killed. The younger.
while retreating with his decimaied
regiment FROM ap unsuccessful charge,
was taken prisoner. In company with
several other Alabama soldiers, young
Rogers, even then a mere boy. was
brought to Philadelphia. and from
there sent to Fort Delaware rs pris-
oner of war. There he remained un-
til the surrender of Lee at Appomattox
Court House.
The sad news of the battle of Gettvs-
burg was slow in reaching the little
home by Monte Sano. but when it did
come it broke the spirit of Colonel"
John and turned still whittier the head
of the sweet-faced mother: for it was
said that in the battle both boys had
fallen under the shower of Federal
balls. 1t was not long before there
was a "burying" from the house in the
cove, and the body of Colonel" John
was laid to rest among the pines he
loved so we'll.
Aud tho mother? She too would
gladly have died. but nature was too
strong. The time came, moreover.
when she was glad that death had
spared her, for there came to her from
far away Fort Delaware n letter from
her surviving boy, telling of the older
brothers death and the younger ones
ts...N Al.
many times. and as the tears rolled
down her sunken cheeks she fell on
her knees and thanked God that one
son at least had been spared to her. A
Sudden resolution possessed her. She
would leave tho little home in the cove
and go away to the North. She would
go to Fort Delaware and they would
not refuse to let mother see her son
even Confederate" mother. Once
she had looked upon his face again she
weuld have courage to wait for his
release.
Travelling was slow. Weeks passed
before she was enabled to get through
the opposing lines and into Washing
ton. AT last. dying from want, sorrow
and fatigue, she stood in the command
ants rooms at Fort Delaware with
written permission to see and speak
with the boy she loved so well.
They tell sad stories of Fort Della
ware in the South. They call it the
Libby Prison of the North. I don't
like to believe it. Neither do you.
They say that after certain engage
ment the Northern generals accused
the Confederates of outrageous cruelty,
n N rnf nl inf
prisoners were taken from the fort and
ANONYMOUSLY hanged. Perhaps they
were mistaken. aud that there were
better grounds for hanging than that.
BY some means rumor had gained
credence in the prisoners barracks
that something of the kind was to take
place. while the impression prevailed
that special vengeance was to be melted
out to the soldiers of Alabama, because
of alleged outrages committed by regi-
ments from that state. Young Rogers
was not a coward. but he had nodesire
to meet SO unsoldierly death. With
that inventive genius which develops
so rapidly among those held in con-
finement, the prisoners in Rogers
gang" dug out the stonework and
earth under one of the banks, and thus
secured not only comparatively safe
hiding place for pifered provisions,
but also for one or more of their num-
Der when occasion demanded that they
should keep under cover for a time.
The rumor that retaliatory measures
were in order struck CONSERVATION to
many brave heart. and when. for any
reason, n Federal orderly came to the
prisoners barracks and called the
name of johnny Reb." there was
general feeling of misgiving. and an
effort made, when possible, to discover
for what purpose the prisoner was
wanted before answering to his name.
So that when one day the barracks
were excited to a fever point by the
calling of dozen names or more, and
the name of Joe Rogers" rang with
startling distinctness in the ears of
that young Albanian. he did not wait
to be seen. but burricdly crawled into
the grub" hole and held his breath
for fear of discovery and the conse-
quences that would follow. Three
times the orderly called.
.:Jce Rogers! Joe Rogers! Joe Rog-
ers" rang through the long corridor.
Then the prisoners crowded around,
and the orderly seemed to be unaware
that Rogers had failed to answer to his
name. He went away and on the rec
ords it was written that Joe Rogers
had been ,transferred-as even the
officers thought-to he hanged.
A sad look came over the face of the
commanding officer when the white
haired woman gave him the slip of
paper that to her'meant so much.