The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-06-10

far as Washington, since the war
Perhaps we met, under circum-
stances unfavorable to acquaintance,
during the 'unpleasantness, suggest
ed the young captain, with a smile.
Very possibly; and yet-you must
have been quite young for Il soldier"
"Oh! our army was robbed from the
cradle and the grave you know. 1
went in as a drummer boy before I
was fourteen; put a foot through my
drum within a week, and thence forth
carried a gun until the chances of the
field gave me a sword instead.
And now that it is all over, are you
not glad the thing ended as it did?"
Frankly, yes. The experience did
both north and south good, making
them know each other better, and the
south is better off without slavery. [
have no regrets for the past, except
one, purely personal matter, a very
sad memory"
'Ah! We all have them. The earth
hides dear ones from both sides alike.
We are brothers in sorrow-as our
/ solemn service this day, annually, will
ever keep in remembrance.
Perhaps I might think it less hard
/ If L could be assured that she is at
rest, but doubt, suspense, hoping
! against hope, and fearing all imagin-
airy i'll, for one who may yet be alive,
/ are indeed hard to bear. She was so
young, gentle. tender, good and beauti-
/ full; and to think of how she disappear
/ ed, leaving no more trace than a name
written in water, sometimes almost I'M
mans me-"
Indeed I sympathize with you deep
ly, Captain Beverly May 1 ask the
circumstances of your bereavement?
1T occurred in April, 1865 I was in
the fight at Hatch's Rum
so was l." interpolated the colonel,
in an undertone.
and that night I got word that
a foolish old slave had tried to bring
to me, in the army, my little sister
Eunice, that might tell him where he
should carry her. Suddenly they found
themselves on the verge of the battle
field. The old darkey became frighten-
ed, put her in what he thought a safe
hiding place and ran away. When he
guided me back to where he had left
her, we found only trampled ground
and blood. She was gone. And the
cloud of mystery that then fell upon
her fate has never since been lifted
Colonel Swift listened to the nara
tive with surprise and intense interest,
but only said: you will hear from her
again, no doubt. I'm sure you will. "
Then he said nothing more for some
time, until eventually he broke the
silence by extending an invitation to
dine with him when the ceremonies of
the day were over. The young man
hesitated a little, mentioning an en-
gagement at his hotel, but the colonel
insisted: "Let your engagement go. You
will come with me. If necessary [ shall
claim authority as your ranking officer
and command you. " To which the
young man laughingly replied that he
had not forgotten a soldiers duty to
obey orders.
The colonel and his guest were. up
on entering the parlor of the former
received by two ladies, one of middle
age, who was introduced as my wife
Mrs. Swift; the other a lovely girl, OF
whom the colonel said, my adopted
daughter, Miss Eunice."
For a moment the young man and
the girl stood staring at each other
without word or movement, as if para
Ilyzed by surprise. Then, with stimuli
taneous cries, Brother Frank" and
"My sister" they sprang into each
no one could have wondered that the
colonel had found the features of the
southern captain strangely familiar.
At dinner the old soldier explained
''F'rom the moment you spoke of the ole
darkey hiding the little girl away, the
mystery was at end fer me- Some Of
your boys made a pretty stiff stand be.
hind the rocks, where he had bidder
her, and there was hard fighting right
4 around there, but the little one KEEP
lquiet and her presence was not sus
on the brush and his blood ran dowr
on her. Then she screamed. My boys
took her out and brought her to me
and turned her over to the care of my
wife, who was in camp at the time or
some sanitary business. The child's