The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-07-23
Whining Out the Stnin.

One day an hour after the mail had reached
us down at the front. we noticed a great
change in Sergeant Roberts. lie was our
orderly. and ie was one of these big. kind
hearted. good-natured fellows who have le-
gioas OF friends and mover an enemy. We knew
of his wife and child knew that he loved the
one and doized the other. Yes. on the morn
ing we left the state rendezvous for the Poto-
mac his wife and Child were there to cling to
him with loving words and tear stained faces
to the very last, and it gave some OF us young
fellows sore hearts to witness the parting.
look ont for my boy. serReant!" many
had replied that he would he o father to us and
hoped to ring US safely back when there was
hS rnnn nd Ale there VAS so com %sS
passed our our Ietters. around. which brought
all photographs under "A score oil eyes Our
his letters olsn or to ota
girl. On this day tie, sergeant Iad letter
smile on his lace there was look Of trouble
s ws II rS +. us m hst , eny for the
was in trouble. ut he made NO sign. II, was
the same thing oyer again after a few ,day;.
II look OF sorrow that we wondered if he was
our :, Old Sarge or some stranger acting in
About month after the receipt OF the letter
which worked such u chang. he received one
in handwriting unfamiliar to us. It was a
mans chirOGraphy. and somehow We felt that
il. would add to The sergeant troubles. Some
Of the. boys who saw him olen and read it
hands trem bIed and and his eyes lazed. hat
night at 10 o,,c,ock. In the face Of the, enemy.
no meant to take. everything AWAY. hut that
letter was found alter he had disappeared. 1t
without tn" least. feeling the brother wrote
that the SerGeents wife. after so conducting
hrnn % n a n NJ
with man he named. There were lovers who
were untrue ami wive, who went astray in
those days. and this was only one case out OF
Deserted to the enemy" was the record made
Sergeant Robert, best did not relieve it. He
was a brave and loyal man. and no matter
and that was desertion. but we arg ued that he
had ke mt th he nsw tina"
gone to find wife and child-gone to rlcad and
from MIN. At ihe end OF ,hrSe months we read
into the apsftmsn's Of a citizen and sSst
VIII and their little girl to shout. That's
my old PAPA" Before any one could interfere
and the mother was SO overcome that little or
n? .. Information could got from her. ,.,,
tho sra 10 n we da Sa
and Xii The man who wrecked his life while he
gt I'll ~ hS bsr and tim" x ss i'm
child somewhere and then come Rack to us"
Yes. we felt sure h- would return. Dnd yet
he punished, Had it been In winter quarters
| they might have been merriful. hut We were
military authnri,es would wave aside his per-
| sonml reasons. The life Of a great republic
ssssr G; oE hs eSs %ss sG 70 Ss
| We looked for him as we followed Lee to the
Potomac. hut he id not come. We Looked
formed bNttl'; line at Gettysburg another ser:
Corps Corps to teat fack what every man knew, was
coming. old Sarge was still asent,, Pick
%a III rsrsR n
cried thousand VOICES. and We frightened our
s," and eS,sa the InS s., them n.ck
1t was the voice OF ''Old sarge" He was In
ctizcrs hless. dusty and wayworn. and had
came across the neis to Join w.. We raised
,ch.erpt sight Ugh, Of a HIM. md i went eehoing
lance ns We had no time to shake hands or to
ii tory and afe"ay roll Ing our rt line psfs LACK
There were charge and counter charge. hand
n m desS nstc IN Men
sank down and cried out and crawled about
We knew not who had won until the breeze
eheered as we saw the nircinians IN retreat.
Sarge! Sarge! Where's our Sarge" We
sa.ontel before the bullets had ceased lying
left arm hung limp at his side.
Down there" was nearest to the enemy.
Yes; we fonnd him there. dead and cold. with
back to us to wipe out tho stain on his soldier
record, and he had taken the only way to do It.
In the old days he had carried two photo
graphs next his heart. Now. ms we gave him
burial. we found hut one-that Of his little
Nall Ilth m a at NJ
hands over 1t as We covered h. I'm In. That. and
then We bowed our heads and whspered:,
&C ID forgive our poor Old Sarge and bless
his child forevermore"