Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1892-08-04

would with me- Tie thought was a
relief. That which had so long OPP
pressed me and made my life one Of
/ uuutterable wretchedness was lifted
from nv mind. | formed my plans.
would get together all the gold could
and take passage for home. Gong
home would be change ST least. The
| thought that Joe Dunbar might be
there gave me strange sensations. 10
be short, | sailed and in due time
reached the old home among the Hid
erburg hills Of Albany County. where
my relations and friends were, and
whom | found about as | left them.
But Joe was not there. ! was question.
ed concerning him. Instead OF con-
Tossing about what had occurred between
us and the manner of his disappearance,
| felt that were | to do so. every one
would regard me as a murderer. The
thought that in some way my quarrel
with Joe might become known was a
new wretchedness to me, and | was
worse than ever Joe's appealing looks
and words were more than ever before
my eyes and in my ears. went away
again ana wandered wherever circum-
stances happened to take me. In this
yay I lived till the war broke out.
Hearing of the call for volunteers |
FASTENED to enlist How eager | was
for the new life to begain. We were
on hand for about the first fighting,
and | have been doing it whenever
there was an opportunity ever since.
The infantry did not suit me. As |
have said. got transferred to the artil-
lery. love it for its noise and dang
ers, especially when the battery is close
up 10 the enemy. 1t would be good
luck to be killed. That's my wish.
It's what fight for =
This was Bill Ford's story.
A year or more after, while the army
was encamped or the Peninsula, nomi-
nally marching on Richmond, a soldier
approached ne. After excusing him
self he said he was Bill Ford, and would
like to say something to me. IL
HIM and told him to ''go
ahead. His first words were: Il
didn't kill Joe Dunbar in California,
after all. He is all right and is
among lot Of Albany boys not mile
to the right. want to tell you the rest
of the story. Bill STAYED in California |
bali dozen years and came home with /
money enough to clear off the mortgage |
from his fathers farm. He enlisted as
/ did. II was only the other day when /
was down to the suffers with some OF |
the battery BOYS, heard a voice little
way of that | felt sure was Joe Dun |
bars When | first heard his voice it |
seemed as though | had been struck /
with three inch shell, as | have so I
often wished | might be. With halfa
dozen other fellows Joe had found some
whisky and was having good time.
have known BIN only for his
voice, he was so changed. ! could
hardly command myself To know
hat | did not kill Joe, and that he,
after all, was on the spot was all like
the opening of the heavens. | made
my way toward him like drunken
man. so excited was l. When | got to
him | fell down at his feet and cried
out: Joe Dunbar! is 1t you?' In
second he said. Bill Ford, old boy! /
Where've YOU been so long? I've hunt
ed for YOU high and low. supposing you
were drowned by the upsetting of the
California. So you were not drowned,
and here we are once more! Come old
boy, let's take something for old times
sake
And we took a drink together, and
talked about the scene in the river for
an hour, and OF our wanderlngs. Joe
said he was only little angry, acct
dentally fell overheard, and went down I
in the water. When he came up he |
struck out for the shore some distance I
below. He always supposed | was at
the bottom of the river He always I
felt guilty for causing it. If We come
out of the fight all right to- morrow we
have agreed to get together again and
talk over our wanderings and write the !
old folks at home"
They didn't get together. according
to agreement. Nor were the promised /
letters to the old folks at home written.
Some of the other Albany boys wrote |
that Bill and Joe both were killed in
the neXt's fight.