New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1895-03-27
CHAPTER XVI.
AN IMPORTANT LETTER.


Hresent at least behind breastWorks.
Their enemies are looking down upon
them from the heights that encircle the
town, awaiting for them to fall an easy
prey through starvation. Colonel May
Hard is awaiting the result Of army red
tape in the matter Of his court martial.
The papers in the case were lost in the
1out of the right and were forgotten in
his efforts to save the left. At any rate,
no one seemed to care anything about
them. The ups and downs in military
life are rapid, and since the eclat attend
ing his gallant services on the ridge
his comrades were disposed to look upon
his sacrifice of himself for another as
rather heroic act, after all, quite in
accord with his peculiar personality.
One day-it was perhaps a week after
the retreat of the Army Of the Cumber-
1and-Maynard was sitting in his tent
with Jakey and the girl found on the
battlefield. Jakey had turned up in due
time and renewed his services with the
deposed colonel. True, that colonel S
position was somewhat anomalous. He
was in no great need of San orderly, but
was disposed to avail himself of Jakey's
friendship. He had neither seen nor
communicated with his wife, feeling a
Discrimination to do SO until something
definite should occur to establish his
future status with the army. Jakey
therefore continued to be the only friend
"present for duty"
"You say" said Maynard to Jakey
On the occasion mentioned, "that you
left her at the house to which told you
to take her and took hand in the
1ght.''
"Reckon''
"Where did you get anything to fight
with?''
'Dead sojer. Tux his gun n car
tridges''
upon my word! I wonder the enc
my stood against such a REINFORCE
nent.'
"Waal, I shot one of 'em anyway.
We was TUX by lots more N we uns n
was runnin. Student I hearn man
say, Stop, thar, y little Yankee ras-
cal? turned roun n sor ossifer on
horseback. He called on me TO- ter sur
render, n I up n shot him.
"You don't mean it?'
"Reckon -
'"Then what did you do?''
"Waal, t'other uns, they went on, n
skedaddled
"Well?'
''Then went back to tn house n
found Jennie, N by tibet time It was
3ttin dark, N the army commenced ter
treat. We uns retreated with tn rest
"a 'em.''
"On foot?'
"Yas, part O. the way. Jennie she
9ps tired, SO we sat down by ther road
a. some cavalry (Jakey had learned
no to call them critter companies) came
3Qpg after the infantry he'd all passed.
94e on 'em said, EFF thet hain't Colo
nj Maynard's orderly N with lit
Ne gal, said another. Then tn fust on
'% TUX me on behind him n t'other un
Mk Jennie on before him, n we uns all
soyored tn retreat
"A valuable acquisition to the rear
Rsrd," observed Maynard, and he be-
ID to question the little girl He dis
spSered that she was the daughter of q
Brmer living on the battlefield who
1ad neglected to remove his family till
tGe last minute. Caught in the midst of
4hght, all became panic stricken, and
The child was separated from the rest.
While he was gaining this Informal
ton an orderly came to his tent and
BQwed him a letter postmarked Coun-
" Cayan, Ireland, and addressed to the
man who had assisted in the escape of
caroline Fitz Hugh. But there were
features OF the address which led May
nard to doubt if it was not for some
sther Ratigan
where did you get this?''', he asked.
lit came In with the mail It's been
wing unclaimed for several days, as no
sRe knows who it is for. There was a
katigan in the til cavalry, but he is
among the missing The letter was tax
3 to the headquarters of that regiment,
and Colonel Burke suggested that you
Might know something about the man. +"
"Ah, yes!" said Maynard sadly. "You
can tell Colonel Burke that I saw Rati-
Tan killed. But this reminds me" he
aided. II must see if can regain his
bdy." Then to the orderly: IT wish
you would say to Major Burke that if
he will give me- an escort I'll 20 out
Under flag Of truce and see if I can find
ct anything about Corporal Ratigan,
whom saw fall from his horse in the
spsmy's lines. Ask him to make out a
lquest for permission to send out the
Lag, forward itand let me know the re-
suit -
The result was permission to send
opt "the flag" and the next morning,
Nter an early breakfast, Colonel May
4erd, accompanied by Jakey and the
little girl, whom Maynard hoped to re-
atore to her parents, each mounted and
all attended by lieutenant and 30
Ren, set out from Chattanooga toward
4ission Ridge. They met the enemy's
Tickets at the base Of the ridge and were
sonduoted to Rossville. Colonel May
1Ard at once requested that he might be
accorded an interview with Colonel Fitz
Hugh, il that officer survived the bat
lie. "A messenger was sent to summon