Waterbury evening Democrat., 1890-08-13

boy came to my quarters with the letter
from which the foregoing is an extract
The boy was we'll mounted. and hia
spattered dress and tho TANKS of the
animal. which were covered with GRIM
son foam, told how hard he had ridden.
JCsSaminC County, seventy miles to
the north, was my old home, and on the
other side of the Lexington pike from
my fathers house was the fine blue
grass farm of the Widow Brent, the
black boys mistress and tho mother of
Miss Carrie Brent. whose remarkable
letter had just read.
"IIavc you como STRAIGHT from Mich
olasville. lxc?" l asked the boy, after |
had directed an orderly to have the horse
cared for.
II came ovah from Nicholasville last
nigh, sab, wild Miss Carrie, an done
left her dis early mawnin' wild Massa
Frank at cuE!r Dick Robinson. whar dey
tolc her SO now yo4l was jcs' bout ovah
hcah; so she tolV me to tino you an glib
you de lettah," said the boy.
ordered my cook to give Ike some
thing to cat, and then ! took turn
about tho camp TO think over the situa-
ton.
1t was early November, 1868, and word
had come North that Longstreet was
hard pressing Burnside at Knoxville.
Troops were being buried South, by
way of Cumberland Gap, TO the help of
the Ninth Corps. and rs the rest of my
regiment was in East Tennessee, my
orders were to push through and join it
without any unnecessary delay.
II | had not received this letter l
should have been riding for the South
east within an hour; but ! was suddenly
reminded that We needed larger supply
Of ammunition for our recCntly-received
Spenccrs, and that time would be gained
by going to Camp Dick Robinson to get
fresh mounts for about half my men. 1t
was not violation of orders to go
by this route. and after ! had made up
my mind, which did not take me many
minutes, tried to make myself believe
that the hope of again meeting Carrie
Brent had nothing TO do with my change
OF plans; but looking back after the
lapse of these many years, ! am conf
dent could have reached East Fennes-
see without fresh horses or more am
| munition.
| loved Carrie Brent as heartily as
/ disliked her brother, but my dis
| like for Frank was not because he was q
Confederate: for many Of my dearest
lSinsmen and friends had enrolled them
selves under the same banner. Captain
Brent doubt IL he was regularly com
missioned-commanded before his ar
rest, an irregular troop who had giveI
themselves tho name Partisan Rang
crs." These men had shown themselves
TO be experts in gathering up horses
while they were cruel i'll their treat
4 ment of the non-Combatant Union meI
of the State. Unfortunately such con
duct was not peculiar to the Southern
side.
When it was found that Kentucky
must take sides and that her valleys and
hills were to be battle-felds, Frank
Brent and parted in anger, he to &C
South with John Morgan and his Lex
ington Rifles" and to don the blue and
yellow and fight under the old flag. He
had been recklessly bold in his coming
and his going, and, as a consequence
he had brought on himself the capture
which regarded as inevitable from the
1 first, and he was now threatened with {
death which many believed he deserved
| CHAPTER II.
The following afternoon found m'
with my troop at camp Dick Robinson