The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-09-07

an intense desire to make the COM
muniCatipn. hut has been without con-
Sciousness generally of having done so.
Captain Wilson, however, had no rec
objection of having even thought of
sending any message to his wife, or
wishing that she should know anything
of the disaster that had bcfallcn him.
When he came to figure upon the time
allowance between Sag Harbor and the
point where he was picked up, he found
that his double had appeared to his
wife after his last conscious thought
While he was adrift and before he was
rescued by the. French vessel.
Ill.
In December, 1864, the one Hundred
and Ninth United States Colored
Troops, IN the force investing Rich
mOuu, day before Fort Harrison, about
Il mile from the James river. Lleuten-
ant Colonel bartholomew was then in
command. Its bandmaster, an excel
lent musician, brother of the lieutcn-
ant colonel, was u reserved and taci-
turn man, who messed by himself
avoided quaintanceships, and never
voluntarily spoke 10 anybody, except
as about 10 be told. Some kindliess or
service to the bandmaster by Lieuten-
of Company G), when on the picket line
one day, seemed to arouse II grateful
and mildly friendly feeling in the silent
man, VINO a few evenings after made Il
formal call upon him, the first he was
known to have made in the service.
The strange visitor entered the \ tent
and seated himself in silence, smoked
his pipe a while without utterng a
word, and went away saying simply
Good evening" The lieutenant haV-
ing fallen into his humor. was equally
sparing of speech. Upon Il second visit
the bardmastcr said Good evening"
when he entered as well as when he de-
parted. The third time he called he be-
came loquaCious He said. Come and
see me-" That was all. In that strange
way sprang up quite friendly rela-
tons between the two men, who seemed
to develop a mutual liking and were
often together, but never wasted words
in conversation. From this point on
the story should be told in Lieutenant
Wilson'S own words:
"One Tuesday evening, when I went
to the tent of my friend, the bandmas-
ter, | was very much worried. The
last news had from home, my favorite
sister Ida was dangerously i'll, and ten
days had elapsed since | had had any
news. But, of course, ] said nothing
about that to him. ! simply sat down,
lighted cigar and smoked in silence.
Presently there was q scratching on the
canvas of the tent Mt the door. He
said: Come in An orderly poked his
head in, saying to me: Lieutenant. the
colonel wants to see you | arose and
followed him to the coloners tent.
Colonel Bartholomew stood in n bright
light, holding a telcgraphic dispatch in
his hand; the orderly who had brought
1t over was present, his horse painted
at the door.
IloW's this. Wilson, the colonel de-
manded, as | entered the tent. Have
you been applying for leave of alb
sence?'
''No. SIR ! replied, In surprise.
Very strange! Somebody has. An
order granting you ten days leave of
absence has been telegraphed from fbc
Fortress Monroe, and thence up to
war department at WASHINGTON to
General Ord's Headquarters. and sent
over here by courier
II reiterated that ! had not applied
for any leave of absence, but he re-
piled: No matter. You had better
take 1t. Something important in your
family. no doubt. Some one has got IL
for you. You can ride over to Varina
idii'iht1 anu TAKE the DOUI AT 4 D'c clock,
And as he turned away | heard him
muttering something about must have
devil Of lot of influence to get n
leave sent that way
Il caught the boat. She had n mum
ber of invalided officers and men and
some discharged men aboard but
was the only well officer. A quantity
OF baled cotton was piled on her for
ward deck. On the way down to Fort
| ress Monroe we had two Incidents A
discharged soldier stabbed q sergeant
found an assistant surgeon aboard
going home on sick leave, who looked
after the wounded man. and at the
| first landing | put in charge of the
| local Provost marshal the man who did
| the stabbing and two witnesses In
| the course of the afternoon the cotton
| took fire, some of the men havng
| emptled their pipes on IL, and twelve
| or fifteen burning bales had to be
| thrown overheard.
,"At Fortress Monroe I took the boat
| for Baltimore. an entirely strange city
to me, where | had never been bcfor,
| and about the topography of which
, knew nothing. Somebody on the boat
during the night, had told me I could
| get n good breakfast at the United
| States hotel. so when we landed
hired little darky on the wharf for n
quarter to pilot me there. At the hote
| I encountered n big Irish porter. 9
witty. lively fellow, who amused and
| pleased me SO much that | 'remem-
| bered' him. From Baltimore to Phila-
delphia / went by train, and in the
latter city, owing to my ignorance OF
| the roads. found that .had to take q
cab across the town to get q train fol-
New York by the route 7 had chosen
| That delayed me so that 1t was
o'clock in the evening when / landed
| An Eighth street stage took me VI
town, and I went home at once to my
| fathers house on Eleventh. street. AZ
/ approached 1t I saw my sister Moral
going up the steps to the front door
and followed her. She entered with G
| latchkey. ] passed in behind her. She
went downstairs into the Basement
without notidng me. and ascendet
to the sitting room on the next flool
above, where I found my father
mother and sister Ida, who was very
much better than she had been when
| last heard frslm home. Mother wa,