The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-05-28

along the southern line, and our pride could
no longer pick them out of the great masses
that were only reported to us as divisions
and corps.
How many of them-handsome, brave,
exultant boys-dropped by the way, in des-
olate graves along deserted rivers and in
dark morasses, swept beyond the memo
trials of love and patriotism by the hurry
and shock of the contest.
A great many things were swept away
by that three years convulsion; not only
precious lives and hopes, but some preju-
dices and illusions. And some things staid
and took new root in the disturbed soil,
and, shone on afterward by clearer skies,
disclosed themselves and beautifully grew
Among the Invincibles Of our little Wis
consin town when they impulsively offered
themselves to the government with Hip!
ihipr' was a farmer about thirty-fve years
old--a serious, plodding, conscientious
man, with an inheritance of a hundred
hard acres over there in Bellona, and
wife and child who were both born in Sank
county, but who had in their veins some of
the fluid granite that had for century
flowed out of Massachusetts. We all won
dered little when he stuck to the boys
and said in his quiet way that che went
where they did, - for the most of them were
young fellows, with no obligations, who
had "sojered" in an amateur way for the
fun of it; but he was one of those men who
never see any fun in anything-"de seri-
ous," methodical and deeply religious but
never obtruding his convictions or beliefs
upon anybody. Some of the boys told him
when the company was ordered to Mil
waukee that it was all nonsense-his Ieav-
Sno ha rriz. lotS
of fellows who would take his place. He
Dis reported to have said that Jenny would
despise him if he went back"
From what 1 learned Of Jenny after
ward L think she would.
What was odd to most of his acquaint-
.ances was the air of earnest duty that both
he and Jenny cast over the whole proceed
ing
They appeared to have quietly come to
the conclusion that some kind of birth
right was in danger, and they must I'M
complainingly face some self sacrifice and
suffering to defend it. Such an attitude
and disposition were not at all like the
reckless conduct of most of the fellows,
who felt like urchins loosed for a long
picnic.
This typical American farmer lad had
had a pretty little love episode in which
Jenny played Dart. She had been wooed
most assiduously by well TO do state Off
cial who came from Madison TO do his
counting, and who offered to lay at her feet
quite enough of this worlds goods to have
tempted any girl brought up to the toll of
q western farm. ] was told at the state
capital that the sutton had tried bv every
means in his power to get Jenny, and only
one obstacle was in his way-it was this
sad faced farmer boy.
! saw the Invincibles march through the
streets of Milwaukee headed by the Bara-
boo brass band. Very imposing and proud
they looked in their shakes and old fash
Toned pipeclay belts and scarlet trimmings,
and very gorgeous We're the company col
ors that the girls of Bellona had stitched
and embroidered during the long winter
nights up there in cold Sank county. |
even saw the sad face of the young farmer.
that wore, / thought, pale resolution ia
spite of its tan, that was strangely unlike
the jaunty eXultation and careless pride
of the rest of them, when the people ap-
plauded. along East Water street and ladies
waved their handkerchiefs at them from
the windows
We'll, the lnvincibles went out to the
state camp and melted into the til Wis
consin regiment When | saw them again
they had been asSinilated All their local
distinctiveness was gone. They had been
sworn into the service of the United States
and you couldn't tell the Bellona bows in
their unassuming blue surtouts and I'M
dress caps from the other go boys unless
you knew the letter of the company.
Up in the little Wisconsin hamlet Jenny
hung a shake on the wall of the sitting
room, with a wreath of mountain laurel
over 1t and photograph of her man.
under it,
IN Madison a man. sitting in the state
comptroller's Office heard of it all with
conflicting feelings. Jenny respects me-"
he said, land perhaps war will do what
love cannot accomplish" He was one Of
those persistent fellows who make one af-
fair last lifetime.
If there is any more disconsolate place in
the United States than the upper Tennessee
was in the early spring of 1852 have never
seen it. General Halleck. with his head
quarters az ST. Louis, had determined to
break up Il possible the rebel conmunj-
cation between the Mississippi and the
Tennessee rivers, and General Sherman
with number Of brigades of Ohio troops
had gone up the Tennessee for that pur-
pose But in spite of the mono;onous
country, with its burned bridges and
starved inhabitants and amending river
bottoms. our fleet of steamboat; - ntained
o very jolly army. Those desolate shores
| 9ssoed at night 70 the lusty songs Of John