Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1895-12-26
ONE CHRISTMAS EVE.

ana from the SecOuu DIVISION OIL TIE
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 bushwhac kers
fired at me as l rode at full gallop. Such
were the arrangements that 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 humble cabin and
q bit of clearing around it. Now and
then as l rode out from the camp, l
caught a glimpse of woman and two
they seemed coy and frightened. Some
one had told me that it was the home of
Confederate soldier, but I had never
halted nor made further inquiry. One
time l found haversack in the road,
full of coffee and sugar. [ rode up and
hung it OH the gate, and when l was Il
quarter of a mile away l looked back,
and the children were carrying it in.
At another time I left some bacon and
bareback. | knew those children must
often be hungry and why should 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, a bush
Whacker fired at me from the bushes
| and cut a 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 l could not make my usual
| time. I was half an hour late when
9, turn in the road brought the lights of
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
! guilty of the same offense. l 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
| home my children were gathered around
! 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 sleet was blowing into my face
way along the icy road, when | saw the
| figure of a man rise up from the bushes,
not ten feet away. | thought he had a
gun. [ had 10 doubt that he was a
| bushWhacker who thirsted for my life.
| l could not escape by flight, and as my
horse stopped at sight Of him I fired u
shot from my revolver and the figure
| sank down with a cry for help. If he
| had only called out before! If he had
J only remained nluden in the bushes un-
heart realized in an instant that no
! skulking bushwhacker or sneaking guer-
| rilla could utter such a cry. In min
ute was off my horse and bending over
| him.
"You are Confederate" said as
"Yes-that's my home up there!'' he
! whispered in reply.
"And Pm the mail-rider for the Sec
| ond division, Fifth corps. of the Federal
army. You are not bushwhacker or
! guerilla. How came you here!
give days furlough to see my wife
! and chldren!' he gasped.
.'And you had to come secretly and
I have shot YOU down! Where are you
F! hit? Is it bad wound?"
Here, and I know it is MORTAL he
! said as he raised hand to his breast
cts all my own fault, Yank. I heard
you coming and hid in the bushes.
! thought there were more of you. and that
I / was discovered, and [ got up to rush
to the woods. I can't blame you, but
those UP tnere-Ip there -
"Ill 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 a 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 a 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 II"
"And maybe it was you who hung
those things on the gate. which my wife
wrote about?'
Il feared the children might be hun>
gry;'
that sort O lost my head when | should
have kept cool. There's the old cabin.
See the lights! / wrote 'em that maybe
I'd be home tonight, and they are ex-
pectin' me. Hold me tight, Yank-I'm
SO weak-I feel SO queer-I-"
the blood gushed from his mouth in
stream, and he was dead in half a min-
mite. / knocked on the door.
That's papa-that's papaw I 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 wom-
an stood child. and q 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 | must eX-
plain. and yet feeling how utterly hope
less it was to exculpate myself.
thought he was bushwhacker and fired
upon him. / did not ride away and
leave him. but helped him thus far. hop
ing he was not badly hurt. lie knew
how it came about, and he forgave me.
Can you do the same:
Without word she stepped down and