Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1895-04-03

In the fall of 1862 there was war meetin
in the town hall, and Elijah Cutler made
speech urgin the men folks to come forward
and contribute their services-their lives, II
need be-to the cause of freedom and right.
We were all keyed up with excitement, for
next to Wendell Phillips and Henry Ward
Beecher l guess Elijah Cutler was tho
greatest orator that ever lived. While we
were shiverin and waitin for somebody to
lead off, Conky Stiles rose up and says,
First Kings xix, co." says he. And with
that he put on his cap and walked out OF
the meetin.
"Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and
nv mother, and then will follow thee"
That's what Conky sailor as good as
said-and that's what he meant too.
He didn't put off his religion when he put
on his uniform. Conky Stiles, soldier OIL
civilian, was always Twin, walkin ency-
copedy of the Bible, human compendium
of psalms and proverbs and texts And
had that confidence in him that I'd have
bet he wrote the Bible himself if ! hadn't
known better and to the contrary!
We were with Mcclellan u long spell
There was heap Of sickness among tho
boys, for we weren't used to the climate, and
most of us pinned for the comforts of home
Lookin back over the 80 years that lie be-
tween this time and that. see one figure
loomin up, calm and bright and beautiful
in the midst of fever and sufferin and pri-
walton and death. l see homely, earnest
face radiant with sympathy and love and
hope. and hear Conky Stiles, voice again
speakin comfort and cheer to all about
him. We all loved him. He stood next to
Mr.. Lincoln and General Mcclellan in the
hearts of everybody in the regiment!
They sent committee down from our
town one Thanksgivin time to bring lot
| of good things and to see how soon we were
gon to capture Richmond. Mr.. Hubbell,
| the minister. was one of them. Deacon
| Cooley was another. There was talk at
one time that Conky had soft spot in his
heart for the deacon's eldest girl, Tryphena,
but always allowed that he paid as much
attention to the other daughter Tryphosa,
as he did to her elder sister, and guess he
hadn't any more hankerin for one than he
had for the other, for when the committee
come to go home Conky says to Deacon
| Cooley, "Well, goodby deacon" says he,
Romans xvi, 49,"
We had to look it up in the Bible before
we knew what he meant. Salute Tryphena
and Tryphosa, who labor in the Lord"-
that was Conky's message to the Cooley
girls.
He wrote letter once to Mr.. Carter, who
was one of the selectmen, and he put this
postscript to it: Romans xvi, g." You see,
Mr.. Carter's wife had been Conky's Sun
day school teacher, and Conky did not for
get to "greet Mary, who bestowed much
labor on u.s."
Down at Elnathan jones' general store
the other day heard Elnathan tell how
Conky clerked it for him spell and how
one day he says to Conky: ''That Baker
bill has been runnin on for more'n SIX
weeks. We can't do business unless We
get our money. Conky. wish you'd just
kind O. spur Mr.. Baker upa little"
So Conky sat down on the stool at the
desk and dropped Mr.. Baker short epistle
to this effect: Romans i, IA; Psalms xxi
II; Psalms cxlii, g." Next day who should
come in but Mr.. Baker, and he allowed
that that letter had gone straighter to his
conscience than any sermon would have
gone, and he paid his bill and bought xii
Of salt mackerel into the bargain, SO Ell
nathan Jones says
could keep on tellin things like this da.
in and night out, for lots of just sucl
stories are told about Conky all over Hamp
shire county now. Some Of 'em doubles
are true. and some of 'em doubtless ain t
There's no tellin, but it can't be deniet
that most of 'em have the genuine Conk.
flavor.
The histories don't say anything abou
the skirmish we had with the rebels a
Churchill's Bridge along in May of 1864, blu
we boys who were there remember 1t as TIL
toughest fight in all our experience. The,
were lust desperate, the rebels were, and
we'll, we were mighty glad when nigh
came, for a soldier can retreat in the dar
with fewer chances Of interruption, Out q
our company Of $50 men, only 60 were left
You can judge from that of what the fight
in was at Churchill's Bridge. When the
called the roll in camp next day, Conk
Stiles wasn't there
Had we left him dead at the bridge, Q
was he, wounded, dyin the more awfu
] death of hunger. thirst and neglect?
by --y' says Lew Bassett, "let's G
, back for Conkyl"
That was the only time l ever heard a
oath without feelin of regret.
A detachment of cavalry went out to re-
7 onnoiter. Only the ruin Of the precedi
!. day remained where we boys had stood an
stood and stood-only to be repulsed g
last. Bluecoats and graycoats lay side b
y side and over against one another in til
reconcilin peace of death. Occasionally
manned body, containin just remnar
Of life, was found, and one Of these cripple
bodies was what was left of Conky.
= When the surgeon saw the mimic no
!, here in his thigh, and the saber cash bel
!, in his temple, he shook his head, and "
!. knew what that meant.
Lew Bassett, man who had never bee
: to meetin in all his life and who coul
swear a new and awful way every time
Lew Bassett says, mo, Conky Stiles ain
!, goin to die, for shan't let himP' and |
u bent over and lifted up Conky's head al
! held it, SO, and wiped away the trickles
blood, and his big, hard hands had tt
= tenderness Of a gentle, lovin woman's.
> We heard Conky's voice once and on
once again, for when, just at the last,
), opened his eyes and saw that we were ther
be smiled feeblelike, and the grace of ii
book triumphed once more within him, al
he says-it seemed almost like whispe
;, he spoke so faint and low; "Goodby, boy
Second Timothy Nv, T." :
II And then, though his light went GU
70 the sublime truth Of his last words shol
y from his white, peaceful face.
II have fought good fight; l have Il
10 ished my course; have kept the faith. "
i | i'll s,N hiooe Horn1d