Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1896-1899, 1897-05-29
A TORN STAMP.
[cop1rieht. Isq7. by the Author.l
BY CAPTAIN KENNETH enNER.

(Copyright. 1897 by the Authorl
When the Army Of the Potomac started
on the Wilderness campaign in the spring
Of 1864, there was hasty rally OF scatter
ed commands, and men Of all ranks and
stations who were on furloughs, detached
service and tho like turned from their TEN
porary occupations or pastimes, as do bor-
der settlers in time Of Indian alarm, and
rushed TO the field Of danger. / reached the
Wilderness battle-ground after an air line
run to Washington and a forced march
aoross Virginia, and that, too. without an
ounce OF personal baggage. without mon
ey, with nothing but a soldiers regulation
equipments and a scribblcr's inevitable
portfolio. was "a veteran campaigner. and
after that fight the myriad dead whose
dumb, cold forms would never again utter
love messages reminded me that the dear,
ones left behind me would anxiously await
tidings by every northern mail. A yOlun-
teer soon learned that patriot fire must be
led by dear home ties that in order to fight
well tho soldier must love well, and so
mother and sister and cousin and sweet
heart must share the warriors thought
and affection wrote the usual home let
ters and hastily put on stamps, letting the
other remain so that might use every sec
ond of time before the bag would close.
When the call sounded and the mail courier
was gathering his burden, ] added just
another word, closed It and reached for
etamp, but found nothing but . fragment
of a cent issue. "Has any one spare
stampS'' called out The answer from all
over camp by mockiug laughs and catcalls
told me that had echoed query already
ancient
In my absorption had been oblivious Of
The stamp famine raging around me. The
agents of the friendly commissions who
sometimes forward army letters were not
at hand, 80 l scribhled across the edge of
the envelope, q" A soldiers battlefield letter
10 his sweetheart; no stamp, and tossed
10 into the mail bag, returning the torn
stamp to my portfolio quite carelessly. For
"a fact the kindly coiintCnancc of the Father
~ His Country seemed to smile ON me
from that stamp as glanced at It. re-
called some OF the stories Of the young
British lieutenant and his amatory ardor
until fancied he was my friend whisper
ing 10 me each time that thought about
my wandering Inissiyc, s. It. is all right,
my boy; TINT Wilderness letter Is going
n Lucy. " the whisper would say. We went
jntO battle after hattie, and our marching
and fighting postponed all letter writing
We shOuldared our way to Richmond, and
was one Of the 1000 who crawled away
from Cold HarbOr, MANNED and bleeding,
with a stinging hurt 10 carry for life. We
Were coon eD route tn Washington, and the
river and RAILWAY conveyRnces were weight |
cd with crushed and grooming humanity.
About three days after left the field |
received from the sanitary people two Bos- |
ton crackers and gill of milk punch. |
When saw Washington at che end Of II
week, l WIS burning and thirsting and
longing madly for something to cool the
fever of lip and head and cOursing veins
All about the wharfs where our steamer
put In there were huckstGrs Of every sort OF
repulsive trash--pies, black cakes, fat soak
ed doughnuts--just the sights TO derange
still more the fsmished stomach and unfit
II for the coarse hospital fare which was
apw 70 follow. When we reached the new
diet, 10 was rough, raw and tasteleas and In
every way unsuited 60 the palates of suffer
ting men. Finally. within two or three
slsysstwe were put on board box freight
cara on bare floors and baulesi, with much
tOltine and spasmodic shakings, to Balti-
nore-
The arrival Of new detachment OF men
frcruSthe front attracted the basket ped
alers Of the stFoets, and theT quickly Eur-
Toandat the parsde grpHnd, crying out
tAsir stock With . glipRean that wAs sH-