Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1895-12-25
ONE CHRISTMAS EVE.

quarters the route of the mail-carrier to
and from the Second division of the
Fifth corps was for portion of the way
over neutral ground. With the armies
lying dormant the guerilla and bush
whacker resumed work. and rider after
rider was ambushed from rock and
| thicket. Three different times during the
first week of my detail the bushwhackers
| fired ut me as [ rode at full gallop. Such
| were the arrangements that l had to
| traverse three miles Of the loneliest por-
ton of the route in the twilight and even
ing of winter. Half way across the
| neutral ground was a humble cabin and
a bit of clearing around it. Now and
| then as | rode out from the camp, |
| caught a glimpse of a woman and two
| or three children about the place. but
| they seemed coy and frightened. Some
one had told me that it was the home of
Confederate soldier, but | had never
| halted nor made further inquiry. One
! time l found hayersack in the road,
| full of coffee and sugar. | rode up and
hung it on the gate, and when l was Il
| quarter of a mile away | looked back,
and the children were carrying it in.
At another time [ left some bacon and
| bareback. | knew those children must
often be hungry and why should l bear
them malice?
! During the second and third weeks
| there was no shooting. At the begin
! ming of the fourth, one evening, about
| thirty yards below the cabin, bush
| whacker fired at me from the bushes
| and cut breast button from my over
coat. Three or four days passed with
| out another attempt at murder and then
came Christmas eve. | had an unusual
| ly heavy mail and as the short afternoon
| faded away a storm of sleet and SNOW
set in and | could not make my usual
| time. l was half an hour late when
a turn in the road brought the lights of
! the cabin in sight There had never
been but one light, and that at a kitchen
| window, but on this night there were
| lights at three windows and the glow on
/ the window panes told of a glowing
! fire on the kitchen hearth.
Any other soldier would have been
J guilty of the same Offense. | had pur-
| chased some toys and confectionS for the
| children whose father was fighting on
the other side | had planned that |
| would hang the box on the gate, hello
the house and ride swiftly away. Santa
| Claus would come to them unseen and
| unknown. Afar off in any Northern
| the hearthstone in pleasurable anticipa
ton, Children do not go to war. Why
! shouldn't Santa Claus come to this Con-
| federate home as well as mine?
| The sieet was blowing into my face
and my horse was carefully picking his
L
| figure of man rise up from the bushes,
| not ten feet away. I thought he had q
! gun. | had no doubt that he was a
| bushwhacker who thirsted for my life.
horse stopped at sight of him I fired a
shot from my revolver and the figure
sank down with a cry for help. If he
had only called out before! If he had
| only remained hidden in the bushes I'M
til | had passed! The cry went to my
nrf L rno IN iYoo,4 o,1@ 4ho4
skulking bushwhacker or sneaking guer-
rllla could utter such a cry. In min
ute l was off my horse and bending over
him.
You are a Confederate" I said as l
noticed his uniform
"Yes-that's my home up therev' he
whispered in reply
And I'm the mail-rider for the Sec
ond division, Fifth corps, of the Federal
army. You are not a bushwhacker or
guerilla. How came you hereY
Five days furlough to see my wife
and childrenr' he gasped.
And you had to come secretly and
[ have shot you down! Where are you
hit? Is it bad wound?'
Here. and | know it is MORTAL" he
said as he raised hand to his breast.
Its all my own fault. Yank I heard
you coming and hid in the bushes.
thought there were more of YOU and that
l was discovered. and [ got up to rush
to the woods. [ can't blame you, but
those up there-up there -
ell help you to the house Come, it
may not be so bad. That's it-easy
now Now walk slowly and lean on me.
It's all terrible mistake. Back there
on the saddle I've some Santa Claus
presents for those same children now
waiting to greet you"
"Yank. did you know I was Il Confed-
crate soldier?'' he asked. as he halted
and turned on me.
Il was told So
"And you don't bear my wife and
children no grudge?"
"Why should I?''
"And maybe it was you who hung
those things on the gate, which my wife
wrote about?'
Il feared the children might be hun,
God bless you. Yank! 1t was all my
fault. | was so near home, you see.
that [ sort O lost my head when [ should
have kept cool. There's the old cabin.
See the lights! wrote EN- that maybe
I'd be home tonight, and they are ex-
pectin me- Hold me tight, Yank-Tm
so weak-l feel so queer-I-"
Right at the doorstep he sank down.
the blood guShed from his mouth in a
stream. and ne was dead in half min
unte. knocked on the door:
THAT'S papa-that's papa" | heard
the children cry out.
The door was opened by the wife and
mother The light of the fire shone full
upon the steps-upon me--upon the dead
man at my feet. Each side of the WON,
an stood a child, and third pushed for
ward under her arm to look out. Every |
one of them identified that dead face in |
an instant. but not a word was spoken. |
Each one looked from me to the dead |
and back.
Il came upon him suddenly down |
there" | said, knowing that | mast eX
plain, and yet feeling how utterly hope |
less it was to exculpate myself. Il |
thought he was a bushwhacker and fired |
upon him. | did not ride away and |
leave him. but helped him thus far, hop |
ing he was not badly hurt. He knew |
how it came about, and he forgave me. |
Can YOU do the same?'
Without q word she stennrd down and