The Hazel Green herald. [volume] (Hazel Green, Wolfe County, Ky.) 1885-19??, 1891-03-20


When 1t was found that Kentucky
must take sides and that her valleys and
hills were to be battlc-helds, Frank
Brent and parted in anger, he to go
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 rccklessly bold in his coming
and his going, and, as consequence,
he had brought on himself the capture,
which l regarded as inevitable from the
first, and he was now threatened with a
death which many believed he deserved.
CHAPTER H.
The following afternoon found me
with my troop at camp Dick Robinson,
when / at once reported to the com
mandant, my old friend, General Boyle
The General had known Frank Brent
since that unfortunate young mans
childhood, and found him in sore dis
tress over the execution, which was to
take place before ten o'clock the follow
ing morning.
II am powerless to help Frank" said
the General, after we had been talking
few minutes, "for the evidence is all
against him. 1t was any other man-if
II had not known him since he was a
child and his mother since she was a
schoolgirl should say without hesita-
ton that he richly deserved his fate"
Recalling the fact that men on our
side as we'll as on that of the South
often had to disguise themselves in or
der to get through to see their friends
when on leave or furlough, said
Under the circumstances, it seems
pretty hard to charge a Kentuckian with
being spy"
''Do you know the circumstances"
asked the General.
"Only in general way" replied.
HE was captured in citizens dress
near Lebanon" explained General
Boyle; "but we might overlook that
were it not for the fact that on the trial
1t was proved conclusively that Frank
Brent, few weeks before his arrest,
wantonly murdered an old and re-
spected Union citizen over on Chaplin
creek, near Pcrryville. lie had fair
trial. and there is no getting away from
the evidence"
"And has he offered no defense?" 1
asked.
"IIe made statement, but there was
nothing to conflrm it,"
Then there is no hope for him?"
81 fear not" said the General, COM
pressing his lips and shaking his head.
But" he added, after pause, 81 am
making an effort to get the date of the
sentence postponed"
what have you done?"
81 have tClegraphed the President anu
am expecting reply at any moment"
And if o favorable answer does not
come by tomorrow morning?"
Then" said the General solemnly.
IL must do my duty as a soldier; in
deed, am powerless to stay the cxccu-
ton"
"And Miss Brent is here?'
"Yes, poor girl. have given her my
private quarters. You will find her
there or at the prison." replied the Gen
eral
Feeling my helplessness more than
ever, and drcading the meeting, which
l had recently been SO anxious to bring
about, | went to the Generals quarters,
whittier the boy, Ike, had preceded me.
will confess to having trcmblcd and
felt nervous when in the past heard
the irregular rattle Of rifles along the
skirmish line, that always impressed
me like a prelude to the opera of death;
but such experiences were calmness
itself compared with my sensations on
once more standing in the presence of
the girl. who, from the hour of our
cruel parting under the locust and tulip
trees before her mothers house, had
never been out of my heart.
1t is not love that leads me TO cxtol
Carrie Brent; for in land famed for the
beauty OF its women she was an ac-