The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-09-02

saw my own fathers face in his. When
he spoke, my fathers tones were in his
words. When he laid his hand upon my
shoulder again, IL was as my own fathers
loving touch.
1T can't be possibleu' he half whis-
pered. He would have no boy as young
as this He would not permit them 10
lead this manner of life, if he had >"
And then as if recurring to some hope
or purpose in his own mind he looked at
me appealingly and said:
My lad, you have heart, if you are a
SOLDIER"
"Oh, l hope so. sir l bashfully replied
startled by the strange family resem-
blance and the planters almost desperate
manner.
II felt when I saw your face" he
continued hesitantly, because it re
minded me of one long separated from me
by the wall of political hatred. of a
brother l once loved devotedly, that
might ask you 10 do a distracted mother
ana father a very great kindness. indeed
the greatest kindness that human hand
and heart might do
was almost overcome by the intensity
OF his feeling and the Inconsistencies every
tone he uttered evoked and / stammered
forth some manner of confused assent,
while old Charlie turned his head and
seemed 10 nod appro yingly.
I'VE have daughter in Atlanta-iust
about your age, my lad. Here is her pic
ture"
With an alert glance toward my tired
companions, as if to guard so sacred a
subject from intrusion, he placed a little
ambrotype in my hands.
L saw the sweet face of lass of per
haps sixteen years almost the image of
my own sister; face with a radiant, up
looking smile, half hidden by wealth Of
golden brown curls; a face that looked
with tender eyes above far life's hori-
zon where rested only cloudless, happy
skies
We heard the dull chucking and thud-
ding Of the heavy wheels beyond, the rat
tie of harness and fittings. the sluggish
tramp of weary feet, and saw the laggard
wave of restlessness and rustling creep
down the line which told us the columns
were moving on beyond and that we had
but moment more together.
Here" he said quickly, as he tremb-
l1ngly pushed the packet into my pocket
her name and address and a little note
to her are all there. We cannot hear from
her. Your army is between US. She is
at sort of music school. with an Italian
master-not in good hands, we fear. At
lanta will fall NV God, boy what will
become of our darling Beatrice, in those
hours of defeat, of victory, of pillage,
rapine ana license."
Capt. Cooper and the officers were
already in their saddles. The postillions
and gunners were sulkily creeping to
their places. ! saw the bugle raised to
already restless, and the clarion notes of
the order To mount half drowned the
planters almost despairing words
He clutched at my foot as | reached nv
saddle. / could barely hear him agoniz-
eddy plead;
I'm heavens name, search her out.
Tell her of this meeting. Give her the
letter. Be to her as though she were
your kim"
The infantry beyond had been sent on
at double-quick TO regain our lost time.
Capt. Cooper's piping voice gave an i'm
patient order to Bugler Andy.
Toward !-double-quick !" shrilly fol-
lowed in blaring bugle notes
My place was at the head of the column.
The officer of the day had turned in his
saddle and was scowling at me. l had
only time to bend to the pitious white
face and shout:
Whatever l can-so help me Godn
He clutched me the tighter as if in
mute and desperate appeal. | touched
old Charlie softly with the spur of nv
disentangled foot and we tore ourselves
from the man--it was as though had
struck my own father a blow-and in an
instant more Battery D, with its six
cleaning howitzers was laundering over
the ruined lawn and on and on at a gallon
over the stony road to its place, in park,
in camp.
Every one knows the story of the At
lanta campaign; of the fiery conflicts at
Gainesville, at Allatoona, at Acworth
ana at Big Shanty; of the investment. in
blazing, burning July days, of lordly
Kennesaw mountain where the attacks
and repulses, the feints and sGllies and
the tremendous and savage maneuyers
were like the laws of help to those from
time TO time engaged, and like ma este
and terrible panOramas to those onlook-
ers of both the blue and the gray
held in readiness for instant battle: of
the great flank movement which gave the
federal forces the kennesaw. and Mari
eta for hospital camp and a secondary
base of supplies; of the weeks of thunder
and flame by night, in the terrible artil-
lery duels across the Chattahoochee: of
the vast federal demonstration to the
south, and the hghtning-like thanking
stroke away around to the northeast
where Peachtree's banks opened to 10000
soldier graves and the brave MACPHERSON
fell; of the final investment of the beau
tiful city, the deadly assaults and re-
pulses and their endless carnage; and
then that awful whirl and whirlWind of
half an hundred thousand desperate men
around to the sorth and southeast-a
solid advancing resistless front of half a
score of miles in length, of raining lead,
of bloodred Sayonet, of belching
cannon and of the all-consuming
torch-to the horrible slaughter
of Rough-and- Ready and Jonesbor-
ough; until, just thirty years from
our next first September day, a shout
went up that shook the earth and split
the sky: Atlanta is ours. ~ while the
brave but defeated confederates with
drew to Lovejoy's; and the face of the
earth, almost from Chattanooga TO At
lanta, scared as with flame BACKED as by
deadly frosts, was putrid desolate des-
ert, silent as its buried aud unburied
dead
on dress parade and in drill service
even in occasional gallant brushes with
an enemy, the field artillery guidon and
his tilt flag are well enough and pretty
enough as military trappings but where
there are ceaseless battle and carnage.
the need is desperate for every human at
the guns.
As pleaded for place like this, Capt.
Cooper smiled grimly, took old Charlie
for an extra saddle horse and promptly
turned me over TO our most doughty
fighter, Sergt. Dennis MCGEE, Of the cen
ter section guns.
Faith, III put you where the inimy
niver'N clap eye on ye fur tn smoke"
said Dennis with a wicked twinkle in his
little green ewes.