Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1895-08-10
SHApOWl FORD.
ny CRANES W ctiHKE

>-A-Ar
is there something more sske,
the corporal, leaning On his cru;ch.
Yes Jrcte Chad wanted My-
- see ten. Reeve and bear shos.
saa5ovy Ford. said Newton c,sspine
with one hand the plump fingers u BIZ
cousin MIRA. and with the other fi,lt
Cint'>-o>y wrist.
The corporal shook his head Ndly
"Gsn. Reeve is dying boy, Re tell
his tale no more. lou viii find hin
sitting on the ives; porch lie likes :.
be there in the sun. Bu; ne don't know
MS friends He doesn't know even ne
- e; Nyra take q lock al him art
then run home,
Newton led them wondering doVr
the bread 1ravel waik;oward the Wild,
iron. gate They looked back 10 ,h'
lu.,e-.uc lag. the viue-cjad walls tbs
veterans grouped beneath the trees
and on the side porch they saw The
Stout Eru7e q the general seated u al
armchair.
Newton hst been awel when hi
heard That the general was dying
Bu; Gen. Reeve appeared q, na,u-a.
a. ever. sitting quietly in his chair
They s:7ollei around the great facade
uati, they stood a, iae foot @. tho
steps
The general opened his eyes ana
looked down on them pleasantly.
-leae over and play with ne. Ben.
he sid
Newton glanced behind him, and
then all about in much Ps-p-eNity lie
saw none near. To whom. then wa,
the genera. speaking.
Come mp here, Ben. Your mo:ae!
won't care, said the general. oecsuu.
ing test.y - Newton. - they S..
wen, 10 and stood around his chair.
Ny-a looked cu-iously OF his wr!n.le.
face AMI snowy heard. in such con.
tra>, with the new hat and ciitterinc
cord. the nea, hue uniform. and Tie
. brilliant colers q the grand army
badge On Ms breast Newton was q
little timorous and q little hur, The
genera. had known him well, and BOW
called him Ben. However. he ven,
;cred 10 say forgetting ina; the cor,
yoral had told him not TO stop there;
This is ny cousin Myrs come &c
visit Us And : wanted her 70 hear
your story about shadow Ford.
"~shsdowy Ford. The genera. los
his pleasant smile. and instead a Iooa
Of pride appeared upon his face.
les 81. am the officer who held
Hools army back for t~wenty-.our
hours at shalowy Ford !; won he
NJ Urevet a. genera.
And facing aoou, he sp.ed the c.unr
q daises Myra tore il her hand. ana
70 which ,ae had c.uug during he aga:
/ o. her v.si, Z. the home.
The general pr: on, his trembling
fingers and took them from her. He
held them up !u ;ae Sunlight. sne,le5
them, and dropped his hand il his lap
The genera. was c-y.ng This seemed
- strange. SC terrible. that Clinton
/ looked u Newton, AID Newton looked
9, Clinton. sid po;a Lad q mind TO ruu
away.
'" Ia; "a >7s..vr Fa--1 asked
NTra Sde felt ir~.,i1ctivelv an i'm.
pulse = ak = egnetaiu. That nigh,
help - hide the generals emotion.
shadow Iorl was a place down
south somewhere 4 r.ver and he
kept saybo1y from eso9sin. for a day.
And il saved he srn-. Ana there j..
w.e-s lie 20; lis wound, exclaimed
Newton
III Ell you why ! fought 80 hard a.
the ford Ben, lid the general in a
whisper "Iue7e- ,oId zuyt1dy before.
but you'll kseD i, 70 yourself We are
caums and always going to be. and s.
you ought % know. And you e differ.
ent from tae other toys YUu don ;
make fun when any Of III try 20 Dc
what j. right They ell say 3. vas be.
cause ! Vas a. brave as q lion and a
torn hero. and thought II nj countrr.
But i va no such thing, | was
frightened when I heard Hood was q
near u, and only the river Re.
tween. And Ii have reirea,ed Eft,
miles without Stopping Il / hadn',
been FOX just one circumstance. !
never told anybody o. this before. and
don't you repeat il. We were three
miles from the river, SIX hundred Of Us
marching south. when ] saw from the
highway a fine old house set BAG. on
a knoll among the trees Al the side
was q well II was a not morning and
! was thirsty. The sight Of that vel
made my mouth water. So | galloDej
in all alone. An old dsrky woman
brought me a gourd, and had a good
drink OF as delicious water as eve,
tasted. While ! stood at the curb ous
OF the sergeants who had been cont
ing ahead rode in 10 me. accompanied
oy a mulatto on d mule. This mulatt.
was very bright. and told me Hood.
army, forty thousand strong. was mak
ing a forced march toward the ford
and his advance guard was not NOR,
than ten miles away. After question
ing him closely | believed the storv
50 said TO the sergeant: 'You s4nt
:. Lieut. Col. Orion and Maj. upham. III
wait right here. And tell Can.
huiioert to halt the troops where the,
! are, had no mind to oppose an arm,
d mat size with my band. ! wa,
under discretionary orders. II va,
probable that Hood was attemnting :,
I Hank IL main army, which was ma
euvering thirty miles southwark an,
my course would be to send dou,
: word, retreat north, and keep out o
h way OF his rush. My heart Shoe,
J as ! sat there on my horse waiting 70
the major. e 40
H., Then | heard a little cough nm,
looked about, and my blood stonns,
. oea,ing' Tor there stood motherrm,
, mother, as If come forth from, Il.
! grave in the Ohio reserve. ths ne
gray locks the same benign face ~
same stoop, and it seemed Ia me- W
!. same garments she used ~ .as-n
home. ] sat cold and terrified NM. !
she spoke and then I saw this was
living voman ass ""s