Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1892-03-25

tennessee river ana came uaSnlng up at
the town as fiercely as the Assyrians when
they came down like wolf on the fold.
The smile ended there, however, for
Colonel Phillips and his men took the
town beyond a doubt and spent day
there visiting comrades in the hospital
| and renewing such socialties as had been
formed during the Yankee occupation of
the previous months.
Some of the shrewd soldiers noticed
| that the handsome Colone! seemed 4
heap more interested in one Of the young
women nurses than in poor Billy Neal,
and when they mounted to ride back
they felt like chatting him about it. But
YOU can't chaff Jesse Phillips much, and
never could. The Confederates didn't
care much about Florence, Ala, just
| then, anyway, SO they let the Federals
have it, and did not soon regarrison the
place. All the summer and fall of 1868
the Colonel took occasional trips across
country, with the ostensible object Of
seeing Billy Neal, even continuing them
long after that young man had got we'll
and gone home. If the army was busy
the Colonel was all contentnent, but
when the troops lay around with
out employment simply watching,
he would fuss for day or
two and then announced that he was
going over to Florence to see Billy.
Nothing could break him Of the habit,
and nothing could satisfy him when he
reached the town but visit to that same
kind hearted girl who had forgotten all
North, all South, in the greater problem
of suffering men. He didn't talk about
her much, but his associates knew he
would give up one of his coal-black eyes
any day for the privilege OF possessing
her. And it didn't seem unreasonable to
expect he would win her. She received
him kindly, she treated him we'll; she
really appeared to love him.
The Confederates had been gradually
creeping back into Western Alabama.
They seemed to want the river and the
good towns up there, and Major Falken-
burg, who was in command of their forces
at Tuscumbia, sent over the river and
stationed two companies Of men in the
town, meeting with no sort of opposi-
ton. The Union forces were massed at
Decatur now, and all through the fall
the two opposing forces relaxed the rules
of war little and traded coffee and
tobacco, bread and meat, and such little
things as did not give combative aid or
comfort to an enemy. Big stories about
Major Falkenburg came up to Colonel
Phillips's ears from the soldiers who
talked about the Johnnles, and there
was no evidence wanting that he was
big man wheee he was known.
One night in October, as private in
the North Illinois Mounted Infantry was
swapping truck with a Confederate, he
was informed incidentally that the COM
mander of the Confederate forces was
going to get married.
"Who is your ajor Falkenburg going
to marry?' demanded the Northerner.
''Oh, Miss Charity Blank, at Flor
ence. She's a regular sumner. No
nuther such a woman in all Alabama,"
said the admiring Johnny.
The information drifted up through
the various grades of loyal blue and
finally fell on the ears of Colonel Phil
lips.
''Flres of Tophet!" raved the Colonel,
''she shan't marry him, " with rising in
Election on the last pronoun, expressive
of the unfitness of such a fate for Miss
Charity Blank. But what about it? H.
had nothing to say. He walked around
his tent and tried to think of something
else; tried to forget this, tried to see
some way through it, tried at last to
stop the banns.
The marriage was announced for
Wednesday night a. 8 o'clock, and this
was Sunday. He fused around till he
got permission to go out with another
detail of 200 men, for 1t was we'll known
the Confederates were again in Florence.
Tuesday afternoon he started, made
mastery detour, and just before sun
down faced straight for Florence. He
struck patch of canebrake about mid
night, for the march had never been
abated for darkness. Here he hid his
men and there they stayed all night, all
day Wednesday, and just at dusk they
crept out, six miles from Florence, and
pulled for the town. The surprise was
complete. It still lacked an hour of s
o'clock, and when the rattle of musketry
which told of flying Confederates had
died away the Federals were IN CON-
mand.
They threw out pickets and surrounded
a good portion of the residence district,
particularly the home of old Judge
Blank, where Colonel Philips had often
visited. It wasn't as light as house of
wedding ought to be, but the Colonel
dismounted and knocked at the door.
Just what he meant to do nobody knew.