Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-06-12

let slnllaI W tue one ne nhu CdTIleu
on bis journey outward and held it to
the General. The soldier took it, but
for few moments was too much
moved to open it. Then suddenly re-
membering its Importance, he unroll-
ed it and read its contents.
'GoodP- he said his face momentari-
ly Frightening. Calling for bis chief
OF staff, be ordefed that the men be
put in readiness to march at a mom-
ent's notice. This done he seemed to
forget everything again but the
wounded boy.
My brave boy he said kneeling by
him and putting his arms about him.
I'VE owe you every thing. You can't
be much hurt. You must not be
much hurt, You must get well and
l will put you on my STAFF. You have
accomplished more for the cause than
/ ever have.'
"A cap'nY' exclaimed the boy.
Yes, Captain. Anything. You
shall always be with me-
A transient look of pleasure passed
over the boys pale face. Then he
seemed to remember something. You
better send me hoam. My pop won't
know whar ! ben
I'll take you home myself. Order
ly, get an ambulance. Bring banda
ges. Be quickl Why doesn't the sur
geou come2'
The ambulance came, and the sur
geon came; but when he looked at the
child he shook his head.
He will live, doctorT asked the
General, as though commanding the
surgeon to save the boys life.
Again the surgeon shook his head.
The General turned abruptly away to
hide his emotion.
i want to 60 fur to see my pop,
said the boy feebly.
The commander turned and took
him IN his arms, carried him out to the
ambulance, and gently laid him in it.
The surgeon got up on the seat with
the driver, and the General sat at the
rear end with his feet on the step,
while aides and orderlies followed
mounted, an orderly leading the Gen.
erals horse. And thus they went slow
to the boys home.
When they arrived they found the
house surrounded by Confederate cav.
alrymen. The Lieutenant whom the
boy had met two days before, came
out as the ambulance drove up to the
door. That morning, before daylight,
he and his men had surprised Tom
Lane and half dozen Union guerillas
who were sleeping there. A fight had
ensued. Tom Lane was killed, and
his men-three of them badly wound
ed-were prisoners. ~a' s
The cloud on the Generals brow
darkened as he heard the story. He
had brought death-wound to child,
and now he was bringing that child to
home where lay the dead body of
his father, killed by the men whose
cause the son had served so nobly-
killed by his own order.
The General lifted his charge ten
derby from the ambulance and carried
him into the house of mourning. The
wife and mother was there, with some
of the neighbors who had come to be
with her in affection. She sat in a
rocking chair weeping.
Nav said the boy, excitedly I'm
a-goen fur to be cap'nl'
In the gray of the morning the wom-
an had seen her husband shot down |
before her eyes. In the twilight of
evening she saw her boy carried in,
bleeding, with death written in his |
pale face and in his wild eye. The
double af1iction overcame her. She
swooned and was taken to an adjoin-
ing room.
The General laid his light burden on
a sofa. The boy caught sight of a
little girl about his own age who had
came to the house with her mother.
Mag he said, did y git my let
terY
No. said Mag, 4 didn't git no let
ter, but I seen one q them sojers take
sump'n out'n the box
The General glanced sharply at the
Lieutenant. The young officer took a
crumpled bit of paper from his pocket
and handed it to the commander, who
was about to transfer it to little Mag
gle when the Lieutenant whispered to
him that it contained the information |
by which they caught the Union
lists.
The General sat mute with the un-
opened paper between his fingers. A
reproof for his subordinate was on bis |
tongue, but he did not speak it. In |
warfare it is essential to examine pri.
vate papers. The boy who had done
them so signal service had been rob-
bed of his childish scrawl and the in
formation it contained had been used |
to surprise that boys father. With
bowed head the soldier handed the
paper to the little girl.
At this moment the wounded boy
caught sight of his father lying stiff
~