The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-08-06
Winning Ont the Stain.

ticed q great change In Sergeant ho-
beYts. lie was our orderly, and no was
one of those big, kind-hearted, GOOD
natured fellows who have leglons OF
friends and never an enemy. We knew
OF his wife and child-knew that he
loved the one and idoEized the other.
Yes. on the morning we left the state
rendezvous for the Potomac his WHO
and child were there 10 cling TO MIN
with loving words and tear-stained
faces TO the very last, n II gave some
! Of us young fellows sore hearts TO VIII
ness the parting.
Look out for my boy, Sergeant!'
many a father and mother had said TO
him as they came TO see us of, and the
blg-hcarted fellow had replied that he
would be a father to us and hoped 10
bring US safely pack when there was
an end to the war.
In the rank and file there was a COM
radeship which made us talk of home,
which passed our letters around, which
brought all photographs under a score
Of eyes. Our "Old Sarge" as we called
| bin. used to read most Of his letters 20
Us, and q dozen or more OF Company g
carried photographs Of his little girl. On
this day the Sergeant had 2 letter from
home, as we all knew, but instead OF q
smile on his face there was Il iook OF
trouble. He was n bit grun with us that
day for the first time. We hoped he
might tell us If he was in trouble, but
he made no sign. il was the same thing
over again, after a few days. ana after
the third letter hts face carried such q
look Of sorrow that we wondered II he
was our "Oid Sarge" or some stranger
acting In hts place.
About a month after the receipt Of
tn FLfsnr xrIfrE rwr.VIreI $40 - Iu,n
! he received one IN a handwriting unfa-
miliar 10 Us. 1t was n mans chirogra-
ply, and somehow we felt that il would
add TO the S~ergeant's troubles, Some
Of the boys who saw HIM open and read
Il never forgot how pale he grew and
how bis hands trembled and his eyes
blazed. That night at 10 o'clock. in the
face Of the enemy. "Old Sarge" dlsap-
peared-dessrted. Perhaps he meant to
take everything away, but that letter
was found after he disappeared. 1t was
from u brother. Coolly and calmly, and
without the least feeling, the brother
wrote that the ~Sergeant's wife. after so
conducting herself as TO ~scandalizs all
her relatives. had brought things to a
climax by running away with a man he
named. There were lovers who were I'M
true and wives who went astray In those
days, and this was only one case out
Of hundreds.
Deserted TO tho cremy' was the
record made for the War Department,
but we who knew Sergeant Roberts
best did not believe It. lie was n brave
and loyal man, and no matter what his
trouble he would not have turned against
his flag. lie had gone without leave,
and that was desertion. but we argued
that he had taken that course because
he knew that he could not get a furlough
with a hot campaign Just opening. He
had gone back home-gone 10 find wife
and c~hild-gona TO plead and condone
or TO speak his contempt and take his
revenge. Weeks went by, and no word
came from him. AT the end Of three
months we read Of u tragedy In Chicago.
At . o'clock one evening a strange man
had forced his way into the apartments
OF q citizen and shot him dead. His wife
was heard TO cry out, "Oh, Will" and
their little girl 10 shout, That's my old
papa!' Before any one could interfere
the stranger seized the child ard disap-
peared. and the mother was so o,ercome
that little or no information could be
got from her.
That's Old Sage!' we said az we
laid the paper aside. He deserted to
hunt down and kin the man who wrecked
MS life while he was fighting at the front,
and that makes him dearer TO US than be-
FORE. lie VIII hide his child somewhere
and then come back to u.s."
Yes. We felt sure he would return, and
yet we dreaded 1t. He was a deserter,
and must be punished. Had It been in win
ter quarters, they might have been merci-
ful, but we were almost in battle line when
he went. and the military authorities would
wave aside his personal reasons. The
life of a great republic was at stake.
What was a wife's honor or a soldiers
love for his child compared TO that We
looked for him as W. followed Lee 70 the
Potomac, but he did not come. We looked
for him as we marched over the turnpikes
OF Pennsylvania, but he Gid not appear.
AS we formed battle line at Gettysburg
another sergeant filled his place. As Han
cock massed his corps 20 beat back what
every man knew was coming. "Oid Sarge"
was still absent. Pickett was massing his
Virglnians. We all knew that and were
waiting. pickett is moving!" cried a
thousand voices, and we frightened our
belts and closed up the lines.
STEADY. men! We can beat them
backl'
1t was the voice Of "Old Sarge" He
was in citizens dress. dusty and way
worn. and had picked up musket and
cartridge box as he came across the fields
10 join us. We raised a cheer at sight
Of him, and it ven echoing along the
lines right and left. The other troops
thought we were expressing our deian e.
We had no tim 10 shake hands or TO
talk. The Virginians were making a page
for history and already rolling our FIRST
line back. There were charge and counter
charge. hand 10 hand fighting, cheers.
shouts. groans. Men fell with the death
rattle In their threats; men sank down
and cried out and crawled about. We
knew not who had won until the breeze
swept over the trampled wheat and lifted
the cloud OF smoke. Then we swung our
hats and eheered as we saw the Virrfnians
retreat. Heroes. one and all, but they had
failed.
'Sargel Sargel Where's our Sarge
we shouted before the bullets had ceased
flying.
Down therel" answered a corporal
whose left arm hung limp at his side.
down there!' was nearest 10 the enc
my. Yes, we found him there. dead and
cold, with half a dozen bullets in his
body. lie had come back TO u. 10 wipe
out the stain on his soldier record. and
ne had taken the only way TO do IL. In
the old days he had carried two photo
graphs next his heart. Now, as we gave
him burial. we found but one-that OF
his little Nell. We laid II on his breast
ard folded his hands over Il as we COW
cred him In. That. end then we bowed
our heads and whispered:
GOD forgive our poor Old Sarge IND
bless bis child forevermorel'-New York
Sun.