Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1894-05-11
The ColonePs Monument
BY COL. GEORGE W. sYMoNDs.

/ had noticed it the week previous,
when l rode up Caney creek, searching
for the house of Gabe Thomas, who,
my agent in Lexington had assured me
with positive emphasis, ''knew every
COW path ant. hog trad in Wolfcounty.
This enconium on Gabe's abilities as
a topographer was not undeserved,
and in three days time, under his
pilotage, was enabled to locate and
make rough survey of the tract OF
land of which | was in search.
Now, on my way back, l had Gabe
rs companion (he was going to visit
some cousins in Magofiin county, whom
he assured me he had not seen "sence
the war; and when, in our course
down the torturous "crick road, we
reached point where there was
superb view of the sloping wooded
ridge stretching away to the right,
and there could be seen shining among
the green foliage white marble obe-
lisk that seemed to me so much out
of place in this mountain wilderness
1 reined my horse and asked him what
it was.
"Kunnel Outherwaitn's monument,
was the answer.
''Killed during the rad of John
Morgan's that you we're telling me
about last night?"
"Who?"
"The colonel-Colonol onther-
waite.
"Bless yorc butes, the kunnel amt
dead Leastways he wuz alive an
kickin' the day afore yo' re'ched my
place, for l seed him moseyin' round
the monument when wuz out on the
ridge lookin' fur stray hogs"
Thisanswer puzzled me exceedingly,
aud to put myself right, | said: 5
..Did you not just say that it was
Colonel Outherwaite's monument?"
"Sartin shorcl" he replied. "Hit's
his'n an no one else's. He sot hit up
nm keeps thet leetle patch o ground
round erbout hit shet NV weeds an
trash an planted with posies. Don't
do nuthin' else, fer thet matter, an
hain't done nuthln else sence s'ren-
der.
Here was mountain mystery, and l
determined to attempt its solution.
''Can we get closer to the monu-
ment!" l asked.
''Sartin shore. Thar's trail a
piece furder down the crick.
81 would like to have nearer view
of the stone. 1t seems to be very
fine one"
"Best thet money c'u'd buy" an
swered Gabe. "The kunnel sent to
Louisville fur hit, an he'd the blamed
thing skulptered out jess esy yo' see hit.
Must a cost him power o money. |
But shucks! He's got lashin's nv
cash, an blue grass land, an guv'ment
bonds, an the like o thet. | ony |
wish he'd tar loose with few dollars
mp hyar in the mountings. But he
don't. jess lives thar on yam side the
ridge with an ole colored man an
'man to wait on him, an hit pears
like he don't hey no ambishum fur
nuthin' but jess thet doggoned stun
monument"
He had turned into the trail while |
he was talking, aud our horses were
slowly climbing the steep ridge slope.
The laurel bushes fringed the path,
shutting in the view ON every side. 1t
was not until we were within few rods |
of the marble shaft that it again came |
within our line of vision.
1t stood in the centre of a little |
plateau, tree-bordered, perfectly |
square, and as level as house floor
Surrounding the stone was heavy |
granite coping, and within the enclos-
ure there grew a tangled profusion OF |
bright-hued flowers.
As we approached the monument there
was no lettering visible, but on the
side that was hidden from us there
was deeply craven in the white marble
this pathetic and enigmatical inscrip-
ton:
can Unknown Soldier of the G. S.
A."
| was staring at the letters, and in
fancy building up a romance about
the senseless dust lying beneath the
stone, which once had had name and
living, breathing individuality |
among the gray soldiery of the Lost
Cause, when Gabe touched my arm.
"Pooty, amt hit?"
"Yeryl" answered coldly. and
then asked in return: "Why should |
Colonel Outherwaite have erected this
expensive memorial to this particular
unknown follower of the stars and
bars?"
"Thet's what stumps me, an the
hull settlement fur thet matter, said
Gabe. ''Ez nigh ez kin git ct hit,
fur I didn't live ia these parts doorin
the wah, the kunnel wuz pizen rank
lniener, an Tom, thet wuz his son, a