Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1893-12-08
A ROMANCE OF WAR.

w 3
cut off up at the shoulder and then be
ready to return to this Internal prison in
Charleston, and to die here with my COM
rades, if need be, if could just see one per-
son and talk 10 her for 10 minutes"
The scene was in the jailyard at Charles
ton, where in the summer of 1864 600 Union
officers were placed under the fire of our
own guns, then bombarding the doomed
city from Morris island.
The speaker was Captain Walters. That
was not his true name, but it will answer
my purpose He was captain of cavalry
from Ohio and had been captain at Camp
BELLS Station, east Tennessee, some eight
months before.
"Why are you so despondent?" asked.
sit is because of late she has been coming
to me in my dreams"
"Who is she?" asked after a painful
pause.
MY wife," he said, with groan.
"Why, did not know you were married,
captain"
took his hand, and in a vague sort OF
way which l meant to be consoling I told
him that much of ones troubles were mag
mary, and that it was better to look upon
the bright side of things. am aware now
that this advice must have had in it a ring
of mockery, for it is difficult to imagine a
situation with less Of the bright side than
ours. But there was something besides the
prison life that was breaking down the cap
tain, and curiosity and interest induced me
to ask him what it was.
If not the exact language, the following
4 &lo ,1,rfo Nfxr 1,of
Captain Walters said:
"Like nine out of ten Of the single young
men who entered the army in 1861, Twas in
love. have no use for the man who has
not been desperately in love before his
twenty fifth birthday.
1.-THE girl to whom I was attached was
the daughter of neighbor. l had known
her since she was an infant and boy in
knickerbockers, and cannot recall q time
when did not love her, and she was worthy
of it from first to last, though there was a
period when / did not think so, and it is
the injustice done her then that is wearing
out my life, and not the sufferings of this
prison.
1--WE were married last August, just three
months before was captured and while
was home on wounded furlough. For one
month was the happiest man in the world,
and that happiness should have continued
had I been worthy of her love. False to
her? No, sir; l was not capable of that
mean though was, but was not incapable
of believing that she might be false to me.
"From the day of our marriage had been
receiving anonymous letters charging my
wife with love for another man. I burned
the letters, nor ever mentioned the matter
to her. But l noticed there were times
when she persisted in going over the Ohio
river to Newport alone to see sick friend
she always told me. My anonymous cor
respondent, it would seem, kept track Of
her, and one day letter came saying that
if 1 would follow my wife the next day she
crossed over the river to Kentucky would
have proof of her infdelity.
1.-THE devil moved me to follow this adj
vice. disguised myself and followed hel
carriage on horseback. Now and then
caught glimpse of the pure, beautiful
face, and it filled me with such a sense oil
my own meanness that more than once
wheeled my horse to 60 back, but would
be changed from this nobler purpose by
Cue ulcIuOry OIL tuo leJueTS.
II kept sight of my wife till the carriage
stopped before a secluded cottage out on
the wooded slopes above Licking river. In
few minutes she came out accompanied
by tall, handsome young man, who car
ried his arm in a sling, but whose bearing
bespoke him soldier, and whose atten
tions to my wife indicated lover. They
entered the carriage and drove back into
the hills.
"My first impulse was to gallop after
them and shoot them both, but Gained
myself, and after hitching my horse found
place where lay concealed till their re
turn.
1.-THE carriage stopped in the same place
but this time my wife did not get out.
could see her, however. lifting up her
face to meet the lips of her companion
Then he returned to the Ohio side, and ]
followed with such storm raging in my
heart as I cannot describe. I shudder tt
think of it now.
II galloped back, changed my dress ant
at once sought out my wife, Ipushed hel
back when she rushed forward to kiss me
and with coarse oaths told her of my dis
covery and charged her with infdelity
She tried to explain, but refused to listen
I will leave you to this lover shouted
and you will never see me again
II dashed from the room just as she fel
fainting to tile floor, and that was the las
l saw Of my wife. I suspected that he
companion was wounded confederate
soldier, who was hiding within our lines t,
recruit his health and to conduct hi
amours. Without telling my own grief
explained my suspicious that night to tn
provost marshal, and then started soutl
to rejoin my regiment and with an intens
desire in my heart to be killed in the frs
fight. Two days before my capture re
ceived letter from the provost marsha
saying he had arrested the man, that h
was Confederate officer who had beel
wounded at Cythiana, and that he was M
wife's uncle, her mothers youngest brother
who, being Kentuckian, had taken u
arms for the other side.
"That is my story. That is why woul
be willing to die if could first see my wifi
for 10 minutes and fall at her feet and as
her forgiveness"
Ten months after this, when peace ha
come and the battlefags were furled,
learned that Captain (now Major Walter
wished to see me at the Lincoln hospital.
knew that he had escaped. rejoined his con
mand and been wounded in North Carr
lima.
Isought my old prison companion ou
BY his cot found beautiful woman si
ting. "My wife," he said by way of Intro
duction. She gave me her little hand, an
as looked from her face to his felt
throb of delight, for knew that explain,
lions had been made and that love had pa
doned doubt.-Buffalo News.
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