The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1897-11-05

was pinned to the earth by the hind
quarters of his dead horse, and that the
animal was fearfully mangled by grape
shot.
Shoulder dislocated, ribs ,b1oken,
leg broken, struck in the groin by car
bine ball, announced the surgeon who
made rapid investigation.
| ANY hope for me?' asked the cap
tain, whose lips had been moistened
with whisky, as it was observed that he
desired to speak.
! The surgeon shook his head and mo-
| toned to the attendants to lift the Off
Ger aside. When they had left him.
Steve Brayton sat down beside him and
| bathed his face with whisky and gave
him to drink. The captain had recog-
nized him at once, but it.was several
minutes before he queried:
"You and Kenton were in the fight
at Harrisonburg and were captured.
How came you here?"
1--WE uns made a bolt fur it on the
road and got away
"And what has happened here?''
"Waal, Kenton was wounded, then
me and him stood off Ike Baxter and his
crowd, then the gals mother died, then
the gal and Kenton hev bin driv away
to the Yankee lines. Sorry fur yo', cap,
and sorry fur the rest of 'em, fur our
hull crowd has bin wiped off the face of
the airthr'
"Have we been defeated?''
Regularly cleaned out, cap. don't
believe hundred of our men got away.
! 'Cordin to what them doctors say, yo'
can t pull through this. Do yo' want to
leave any word with me?"
NO." whispered the captain after a
moments thought.
mot even fur the gal? She won't
bear no grudge when she hears yo' ar
dead"
The captain shook his head and closed
his eyes. Steve moved away after few
minutes to look for other Confederate
wounded, and two hours later the Off
GERS dead body was carried. out with
others to make room for the wounded.
When morning came and the dead
were gathered for burial, Steve Brayton
found many that he could identify. In
nad been w:peu o-t, anu among unem
" oS 4hO 4)dAlC1s DuG SICoG oS w oo IAO
Confederate loss, that of the Federals
was severe. History has said of that
first real cavalry fight of the war that
it was terribly brief in duration and ap-
palling in its list of dead and wounded.
1t was almost night of the day follow
ing the fight before the last of the Fed
erals moved off and left the field. And
how changed was Rest Haven, and what
misnomer the title which had been
given to it in the years of peace!. Gin
ders and ashes showed where the houses
had stood. Across the plain, furrowed
by shot and shell and hoof, its snow
white carpet now spattered and blotched
by thousand blood stains, they had
dug long trenches and covered in the
dead. Trees had been cut down, bushes
uprooted, and over acres of ground was
strewed the wreck of battle.
n Il
have but few more pages to write.
My story has not been all romance, and
it is with feeling of selfishness that
part from those of my characters who
are with us in the flesh today, and whose
hands l have held in mine within the
last twelvemonth. At the opening of my
story Winchester was described as a
quaint old town. That was true of it
quaint old town of quaint houses and
ssroets and people. War wrecked it
again and again. Every street and
square and alley witnessed a death grap-
pie. Every building which escaped the
flames was marked by ball or bullet. A
few months ago I looked in vain for
trace of war, Here and there quaint
old house still stands, but the town is
full of the hustle of these rushing days.
All, but there was trace of war after
all. Up in the cemetery skirted by the
Berryville pike found grave after grave
in which soldiers slept their last long
sleep, each name engraved on the stone,
and behind them the pitiful spot over
which all may sorrow, but no one weep
the resting place of the unknown. :"
1t was many days ere Kenton or Mar
ian OF Mrs. Baxter walked in the SUM-
shine. In the case of the latter perhaps
it was better that her mind groped in
the darkness, and that it was months
before she could realize her widow hood.
General Custer kindly sent her in to
Washington for treatment, and for weeks
and weeks she kept calling out:
Ike said he'd go fur help to captur'
the Yankee, but he hain't dun come
back yit. Ike's goin to be great ossi-
fer and hev sword and prancin crit
ter, and I'll hold up my head with any
of 'em''
Where is Uncle Ben? Gone to his
rest years ago, but he lived to see the
end Of the war and to enjoy for sea-
son the haven of rest which kind hearts
created for him.
There was a marriage in Winchester
about two months after the battle of
Rest Haven. They called it military
marriage, because more than so Federal
officers attended, because a Federal
chaplain officiated, because a Federal
band serenaded the happy couple. Who
do you think gave away the bride? Gen
eral Custer, who became groom HIM
self only few days later. Royal Ken
ton had recovered from his wound, and
the keen edge of Marian's grief had
been somewhat dulled by lapse of time
and the excitement of her surroundings.
1t was better so. Kenton was not held
for exchange under the circumstances,
nor did any one wish him to become a
renegade by joining the Federal service.
After the marriage the bridal couple,
accompanied by Uncle Ben, went north
and there remained till the close of the
war. Steve Brayton was asked to go
nay almost commanded-bu he replied:
''See yere, Yank. I've bin thinkin and
thinkin, and make it out this way:
sorte1 owed the confederacy grudge
fur tho r,ou II froatad NO, and horin