Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1894-05-12
[coNTINUED.l
CHAPTER VII

VII.
After Bull Run Federals and Confed-
crates began making earnest prepara-
tons for war. The holiday was over.
There was no longer talk Of 60 or 90
day campaign, Of soldiers returning t.
the farm in time to harvest the crops.
While the Federals gathered on the
plains of Arlington to learn the tactics
of war the Confederates remained on
the fields where their first victory had
been won and prepared for what was to
come. There vas fighting in the west,
armies were being raised and troops
low only those which had confronted
each other on that famous field.
Organized and ~reorganize, drill, scout,
reconnaissance, arm and equip. In the
beginning the various companies had
been allowed to select their own officers
by ballot. After Bull Run all commits
sions came from the secretary of war;
all noncommissioned officers were duly
appointed. Duke Wyle was commits
stoned captain Of the Shenandoah
guards, the second lieutenant was adj
vanced, and the orderly sergeant was
promoted TO a licutenancy. Among
those who secured brief ~turloughs were
Captain Wyle and Steve Brayton. The
latter reached home first. The story of
the battle was known, but the story of
the rally-the incident which had d.
rected General Jackson's attention to
Royal Kenton-was news to the people
and a great surprise. Brayton had no
for the yankee" as Kenton was still
called. He told the story over and over
again, always to an interested audience,
and he always wound up with the OBJ
servation:
Il reckon yo' all know that | was
agin him and kinder hoped to put on
the tar and feathers, but I've changed
my mind. Durn my hide if l don't
wish he was captain of our company"
One day as he passed the Percy man
sion Marian was at the gate, seemingly
waiting for him..
II have read of the battle and heard
a great deal of talk about it. she said,
"but would you mind telling mother
and l Of the part taken by our own COM
pany? We are naturally more interest
ed in them than any other participants. >
Sitting on the veranda with mother
and daughter for IN audience and using
a piece of chalk to draw a rude diagram
on the boards, Steve Brayton kept them
deeply interested for an hour.
You were at first driven back?''
queried Marian when he had finished.
"Driv' right back like u flock of sheep,
and thar hain't 10 use to deny it," he
replied.
Where were your officers?"
"Runnin as fast as the rest of us.
"And Mr.. Kenton rallied your
"He did, ma am. Abner jenkins was
carryin u company flag, and he tum-
bled down and left it lyin on the ground.
| was right behind him with Kenton,
and the Yankee lifts it Up, waves it
about and yells for US to halt and rally"
And did the officers rally, tool' per-
sisted Marian.
"Waal, yes, but they was purity slow
about it. We had got the cannon and
were DRAWN it off aforo | saw any of
'em. Reckon they feel nightly cut up
over it, fur they allus said the Yankee
wouldn't stand fire."
Steve Brayton was not a close observ-
er, or he might have discovered a secret
that afternoon. Both mother and daugh-
ter exhibited the greatest interest and
asked him many questions, and when
he took his departure be said to himself;
"Durn my hide if they wasn't more
interested than half the men!"
Two or three days later Captain Wyle
appeared, and Steve Brayton vanished.
The captain expected to create "a sensa-
ton, but was bitterly disappointed. Ey-
erybody was friendly, but Brayton had
told the story of the rally and put the
credit where it belonged. He had plen-
ty of excuses to urge, and his story was
quite different from Brayton's, but
somehow it failed to go. While he was
congratulated on his promotion, which
was strong evidence in itself Of his good
standing with his superior officers, he
had not rallied his flying company and
led it back, and no one could be quite
satisfied with his record. On the sec
ond evening of his arrival he called
upon the Percys. His sole reason for
returning home at that time was to
make this call. The victory which he
had helped to achieve, his promotion,
the Mandatory notices he had received
in his home newspaper, all these things
went to make him believe that he would
be accorded a frank welcome by mother
and daughter and that opportunity
might be given him to plead his cause.
The captains welcome was cordial
enough, and after the first salutations
conversation naturally turned to the
war. He took IN early opportunity to
~laughingly remark:
"Well, l suppose you have heard all
about our Yankee?"
ITO whom do you refer, captain?'
stiffiy inquired Marian.
why, to Kenton, of course. 1 be-
lieve you both knew him? had noidea
sM