The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1892-05-27
fery littla creatura enthusiastic in any

fiery little creature, enthusiastic in any
cause she espoused, and Louisianian,
as she had often said, to the core of her
being. He had sympathized with the
south, especially since he had deter
mined to make his home there, and had
convinced himself that the north had, to
an extent, invaded her rights. He did
not believe, however, that there would
be civil war, even after half dozen
states had formally seeded from the
Union. If there should be he felt that
he could not ally himself against the
government. And when ordered, in an
imperious manner, to decide between
the south and the girl to whom he was
engaged, he had decided as we have
seen.
His course had been quickened by his
consciousness of what seemed of late to
be an overbearing disposition on her
part toward him. Aware that her father
was rich and that he was comparatively
poor, he may have been suspicious that
this was the cause of her arrogance. At
least he thought he had given her ample
opportunity to recall her dictatorial
speech. and she had scorned him. "She
cannot love me, after ALL" he said to
himself, as he walked briskly away from
her fathers house. ''If she did, she
would not, she could not, have driven
me away So"
Clarisse would have run after him to
beg him to return three minutes follow
ing her outburst. But it was too late.
The closing of the street door was the
knell of her hope. Still lying on the sofa
she groaned out: "Tve destroyed my
happiness. shall never see him again
never, neverr'
Clarence Burley lost no time in adj
justing his affairs with the firm. His
expressed resolution to go north amazed
and enraged the paternal Dunoyer, who
was delighted to learn of the high and
proper spirit his daughter had displayed
to her recreant lover. Burley returned
to Cincinnati, observing with deep con-
Germ, wherever the boat landed as she
steamed up 20 Cairo, the excitement and
belligerence in all the river towns.
He was in painful perplexity until the
news of the firing on Sumter had cleo
trifed the land. That aroused every
spark of patriotism in his breast, as it did
in myriads of others, and he immediate
ly volunteered. Within few weeks he
quilted the city as lieutenant of COM
pany in an Ohio infantry regiment, and
performed military service under Gen
eral Mcclellan in West Virginia. Dur
ing the campaign there, in which Skin
mishes were exaggerated into battles, he
gained no little knowledge of the duties
of a soldier, and was promoted to cap
taincy. He learned one thing-that he
could preserve his GOODNESS under fire,
and that what is called courage is large
ly getting accustomed to danger. At
first he had imagined that every shot
brought down a man, but experience
taught him how many bullets are
wasted, and how many men in immi-
nent peril escape unhurt. His regiment
was transferred with Mcclellan to Vir-
ginia, where he saw war in grander
and more terrible form, especially after
the commander in chief had been super
seeded, than he had done before.
The hottest engagement in which he
took part as MAORI have heard him
describe twas that of Gettysburg,
which, with the capture of Vicksburg,
should have terminated the conflict, for
after that the cause of the Confederacy
was hopeless. If the enemy had been
less desperate nearly two years fighting
and hundreds of thousands of lives
might have been saved. The southern
ers, like all true Americans, did not
know when they were beaten; or if
they did know it they stubbornly re-
fused to make acknowledgment. 1t
was valor run mad, but it was supreme
~ unwise.
Burley, who is very good fellow, as
he was gallant officer, said to me one
evening, when we were indulging in
"reminiscences of the war, that he had no
expectation of surviving Gettysburg.
81 had a kind Of presentiment that l
should die ON that field, though / re-
garded presentiments as rank supersti-
tons. Nevertheless, could not throw