Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-01-15
THE TWO CABTAiNA
He Was = Queer Fellow ind He Died -
Broken Heart

From the New York Recorder.
He was queer fellow-the captain Of our
company. hadn't known him as o civilian.
but as his first luff'' whea was assigned TO
his company had right To expect something
like friendship and confidence ON his part
The captain ranks his frst lieutenant. of
course, and when he stands ON his dignity he 10
the superior officer" bu. when of parade
there used to be no question Of rank amons
company officer. Captains and heutenants
were ''chums" and partners" and pretty well
posted on each other private affairs.
Capt Tom was less than thirty years old,
and handsome, dRshing fellow, only he was
abstracted and melancholy. He shut himself
up like a clam and kept Won at q distance. He
never sang nor whistled NOT entered into con-
versation outside of military matters. Now
and then walked in on him when his thoughts
were elsewhere. and there was either such sor-
row in his face as to make your heart ache or
such look Of devilish ferocity az to make you
chill.
Down in the ranks there were whispers that
he had been married TO a beautiful young lady;
that after year or 30 they had quarreled; that
she had gone from his horne one day and never
returned-gone with man she loved better.
caught some of these whispers. rs did the
second lieutenant, though we never mentioned
the fact TO each other. We held our captains
sorrow TO be his own, and while We thought
him bit too icy We did not seek to break down
his reserve.
1 knew more about him after our first fight
I.knew that he was utterly reckless OF life
that he courted death. When our company
was detached and advanced as administers
he held US right up TO the work until the
enemys battle line fairly walked over U.S. kill
ing or capturing half our strength. They must
have fired upon him fifty times, but he was not
even scratched. After that 1 knew that the
story had heard must be true and that he no
longer cared to live. i knew IL and pitied
him the more.
At Fredericksburg as we marched against
Marye's Hill fragments Of the same shell
wounded both Of US and We were CARRIED back
across the river and sent TO Washington Nv
hurt WAS in the side, his in the right leg. It
was something 10 keep HIM u bed for . few
weeks, but nothing really serious. Our cots
were side by SIDE, but We had little to say 70
each other. He had grown even more reserved
since the light. When the surgeon came TO
overhaul him and told him that IL was only Q
question OF few weeks he seemed disap-
pointed. think he had cherished the hope
that he was mortally wounded.
Well, one day after we had been there about
a fortnight lay looking at Capt Tom, who Was
asleep, and wondering II the sunshine would
never come back TO his life. Our feet were
toward an aisle or passage way and just oppo-
site his cot, and perhaps ten feet away, was that
of captain who had been wounded In the same
fight. The room large and 90 full OF
wounded officers that no one paid any atten-
ton to any one else unless he was q comrade.
Just simply knew that he was a captain across
there and that he was badly hurt. As Law
looking at Capt. Tom l heard the voice of .
woman in the aisle, and / turned my eyes TO
behold a lady OF about twenty-five, richly
dressed, and with one of the sweetest faces
man ever looked upon. Some one had brought
her to see the captain across the aisle, and -
she reached his cot she uttered little cry u
surprise and giadness.