The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-11-28
ROMANCE OF THE WAR.
HOW NORTHERN OFFICER WON A
BRIDE NEAR RICHMOND.

From The Philadelphia Times.
There were three of US out on the gal
lery-the old soldier, his wife and l. We
had been chatting aud laughing merrily.
and then influenced, perhaps. by the calm
ness of the night. we, too, became quiet and
thoughtful. And 50 we sat, watching the
soft moonlight playing over the broad,
green lawn and the twinkling stars pseping
between the great snowy clouds and listen
ing to lonely katydid calling its mate and
mocking bird warbling softly to its
young. The old soldier looked around
tnoughtfully for awhile, then toying with
the buttons Of his coat said half aloud, and
more to himself than to US.
1T was Just such a night as this-juss
such a night. The mo on was full and gave
a soft mellow light. Such night as it was.
couldn't forget it though l lived forever.
II was shortly before the capture of Rich
mond, and We were ordered to burn Banks
place and keep the fiery work up along the
line as far up as the Heath's, where one of
our camps was.
when soldiers are commanded they must
obey, whether to charge battery or burn
some gray-headed mother out of a house
and home. While the order meant some
in five Of any house escaping after the barn
was fired. Only those troops detailed to
carry out the order can realize what il
meant and the hardships entailed. The
order was imperative. No warning was given
unless the great smoke rising up here and
there to signify destruction were taken
as warnings OF what was TO come.
"A squad of men galloped up, the women
and children were told the substance OF the
order, and the match was applied. An hour
later they sat on the grass houseless and
homeless aud nearly dumb with terror.
War brought on a thousand hardships, but
this order brought ruin and desolati n. One
might pity, but one could not protest. On
the night of which | speak we rode up to
the Banks place, a quaint, old farm house
half hidden among fruit trees. There was
no need to knock on the door, for every one
being on the alert for anything and every
thing, we were seen and met by a little girl
who wore gray for her country, but had
eyes as blue as her yankee lovers coat.
''She was trembling SO that she dropped
on the steps in order to keep from falling.
One of the windows opened and the white
head of man raised up off his pillow, but
through nervous excitement he fell back
without saying word.
eve told the girl our orders, whereupon
she fell upon her knees before me and
prayed us to have mercy and leave them
prayed till tears ran down my cheeks like
rain. Then, taking me by the hand, she led
me into a room where lay this white-haired
old man, ill, helpless and bed-riden; then in
another room where lay a girl in the last
stages OF consumption. Then. leading me
quietly out on the gallery again, she said
between her sobs, still holding my hands
between hers and looking into my eyes:
80, leave us our homel I've nowhere TO
go, no one to go to. What will my poor
old grandfather do9 Lie on the grass uRder
that tree and die3 And my sister, dying
with consumption, shall she breathe her last
lying out there, too, without shelter or foods
o, in Gods name spare us our home!-spAre
| usi-spare usp
''When told her orders had to be obeYed
she screamed and tainted, and before she
came to her grandfather and sister had
been taken out in the orchard on their beds
aud the match applied TO that home, but
not by my hands. l would have died In
my tracks Hrst. No. one of the troopers
did ii, but not me. and l couldn't even see
| it done. Besides, l had caught that little
girl In my arms when she tainted, and held
her there, tanning her with my hat. When
she cane TO herself again l led her out in
the orchard, where her sister and grand
| father was.
II found my right hand bleeding pro-
fusely. Her falling against il had re-
| OIJouod u N5t1 WOuuu T0CSiNou
several weeks before. When she saw the
blood she tore strip off the sheet on which
her grandfather was lying and tied 1t up
tenderly, taking more pains than my
mother would have done. We had no time
TO lose; so when the narrow string was tied
! l whispered few words of sympathy to
| her, held her hand in mine a second, and,
saying lust loud enough for her to hear,
| All is fair in love and war, dear mounted
my horse and hurried on to catch my COM
panlons
II looked backbone and Just In time to
see her look first at her home, almost in
ashes, then at the old man and her sister,
after which she bowed down her head and
sebbed fearfulIy How my heart ached for
could we do3 Only ride away and bemoan
the cruelties Of war.
"My eyes we're misty as galIoped along,
going further and further away from one
1 would have liked TO have stayed near and
| helped. My heart beat wildly that night.
1t mad bhumped before many times to bat
tie tunes, but that night it beat to a very
different tune-one that is old, but always
new. 1t aroused strange emotions IN my
| heart and body, and made me care Just a
little more about life than had since I'd
been a soldier.
II didn't intend TO turn coward. Oh, no
| l fully intended to fight on bravely and
| well, buu hJ bilb Shillo JlUl9 70 Jake a ubLlo
more care Of myself than had been doing.
| had been little reckless, a trifle head
strong, and concluded to stop it. II there
was chance of my getting out whole and
sound l wanted to. That was much more
preferable than making my appearance
minus my limbs. There was some one |
hoped to see again some time. and wanted
to appear to the best possible advantage.
Three weeks after that night, while
I crossing the river going over to Maryland,
shot from somewhere, / never knew
where, found a resting place in nv side. l
got over all right, but once over had to be
taken to the nearest hospital, and there |
stayed for number of weeks fighting with
a very mean fever brought ON by the ugly
wound in my side
las lay there suffering night and day
my thoughts Travelled back TO Richmond
many times, aud wondered how Jared my
little girl in gray. l had a tender, warm
feeling for that girl, and, with the excep-
ton OF my mother, l thought of no one
else.
"She had a wonderfully sweet face, and
the vision Of her haunted me night and day,
ana determined to once again some day
| visit Richmond in the quest Of her, though
| ] thought it rather improbable that should
find her.
ut was two years after the war before |
! could take the trip and when did get there