Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1892-01-14

On the first morning after our bivouar
on the shore of the Coosa file OF con.
federate soldiers marched by the Guard
into the camp. The prisoners. one
thousand three hundred in numbsl
were ranged in single file on the fouy
sides of the inclosure The officer. tbs
captain of regimental company, who
headed the squad of newcomers, then
passed along the line. With him wers
two women. They seemed to be of the
ordinary type of southern women ops
met in those days in the little farm
houses in the mountain regions ~
Tennessee or the Carolinas The elder
one was perhaps forty-five, while the
younger, though sallow-faced. was
rather comedy and scarcely twenty
years of age.
Wintermuth and stood side by sid,
in the line. There was much wonder.
ment among the men as to the purpose
of this inspection. A slight tremor Of
the arm that touched my own on the
right caused me to look at Wintermuth
His face was corpselike, but not word
escaped him The officer and the won.
en- in his company were approaching
closely scanning each man in the lines
as they stood with heads barred for the
scrutiny. When the eyes of Winter.
muth and the woman met, there was
fash of recognition, betraying hatred
too, on the part of the visitors.
When the younger female had quick.
ly scanned the face of my comrade, she
said, sharply: That's the man. Your
name is AL Wintermuth."
Not word fell from the lips of Win.
termuth, but as his face took on deep
er pallor, | felt the tremor in his arm
cease. His muscles seemed to be al.
most rigid
"Step out here" said the officer
Wintermuth obeyed A motion of the
hand to the file of confederate soldiers
who had been quietly standing at order
arms, brought them to where the cap.
tain stood
"March this man to the guard.house
and see he don't escape. At the first
move he makes put bayonet or bul.
let into him."
These were their orders, and without
a word my comrade in arms was gone
There was no time for leave-taking, and
the suddenness and mystery Of the
thing had driven words away The
two women passed without the lines as
they had come in the company Of the
officer.
Within ten days after Wintermuth
left the lines he was dead. Court.
martialed and shot for desertion and
serving with the enemy" was the entry
on the roster after his name.
His story was learned after the war
Business called me into that part Of
Tennessee from which Wintermuth
had come and from relatives the facts
were CLEANED. His family were stanch
unionists. The father and three sons
had enlisted in Kentucky union regi.
ment. Albert being the youngest re-
NAMED at home. He was paying court
to a young girl in the Sequatche Val.
ley. whose family were all ardent sup
porters of the confederacy. The en-
was broken off by the III.
feeling engendered by war. Winter.
muth was conscripted into Georgia
regiment, deserted and Joined Ten.
nessee battalion in Rosecran's army
The families became bitter enemies
The Egglers. driven out of their home
by the change in the shifting tide Of
war, had gone to Georgia, and mother
and daughter were visiting broths1
and son stationed with his regiment AZ
Rome when Streight's men rode
through the streets as prisoners They
saw and recognized Wintermuth Their
story was soon told TO the provostmar-
shall, and willingly or unwillingly the
woman who had once promised to be
he brave young mountaineers wife,
pronounced the words which caused bis
execution as a traitor. st Louis Post
Dispatch.