The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-03-23
A SOLDIER OF TRUTH.
A VETERANS VALUABLE ADDITION
TO WAR LITERATURE.
How an Odd Signal Agreed Upon by
Brothers, Who Were ON Opposite Sides
Was Finally Used-A Mystery the Old
soldier Didn't Try to Explain.

Soldier Didn't Try To Explain.
As the reporter was rapidly hurrying
past the door of a saloon he was met by
an old soldier, who suggestively tipped
his hat
IF you will tell me story, F" re-
marked the reporter, accepting the TIP,
"Ill pay for the potations. l have
thirst for a story; you have thirst for
a drink Let US exchange.
The veteran was quick TO respond, as
the parched soil responds TO the grateful
rain, and, opening the door, he bowed
the reporter in and escorted him to Ia
BILE in a quiet corner, where presently
the potables were served.
81 don't think / could have earned
what l am now so greatly and CRATE
fully enjoying" said the veteran, with
a glowing cheek, as he set down his |
glass, after long swallow, had 1t not
been that today met an old comrade !
from Kentucky, state, you will re-
member, which had soldiers in both |
armies, and good soldiers, l may add
This man, who is now merchant ana
comes to New York to buy goods every
wear. was in the Federal army, and he
had a nephew in the same regiment
with himself and another in the Confed-
crate army. The young chaps were
brothers, and they were mighty fond OF
each other, but they were fonder of their
principles or patriotism or politics, or
whatever you may call it, so they agreed
to disagree, and each one go to the side
he thought was the right side.
1T was sad parting, for they had
been closer together than most brothers,
and before they separated they fixed up
kind of signal to identify themselves
by. SO that if one was wounded and left
on the field he could notify the other II
it happened they were on the opposite
sides in that particular fight. 1t was
boyish kind of lottery chance OF one
in a million, but it suited them, and
that's all they cared for. The signal ar
rangement was to be a light chain with
note fastened to it, and the whole
thing was to be fastened to the bullet
and dropped into the old muskets they
had in those days. This was to be fired
at random I'D into the air to fall among
the soldiers of the opposite side to be
picked up as it might and taken to the
man whose address was in the note,
along with other instructions to be fol-
lowed out by the brother who might be
in condition to do it. You can see how
childish and almost impossible 1T was,
but there was just that chance III 1t that
made it attractive to the boys, and they
told each other goodby and went their
WAYS, the one TO the north, the other &c
the south, each bearing with him MS
chain and note of Identification attached
to the bit of lead that some day might
bear on its wings the message OF death.
The veteran was becoming poetic ant
pathetic, and the reporter suggested
reflling of the glasses, and the srgges
ton met with immediate and pleased
approval.
"For the first two years, continues
the veteran, "the Toys hadn' tany occa
sion to use their signals, for they ha
gone through unscathed, and, besides
they were serving i'll sections OF IN
country widely separated, but III 1906
in the fall, they were with the armi'
fighting through Tennessee, though the
Ter had lost track Of each other except III
Gu general way.
"Just what they knew of each other
whereabouts don't know, but one nigl
IL i'm November there was skirmlsh som
III where in the neighborhood OF knoxvill
ny in which 900 or 600 men ON side we
iio engaged, without result, and both sid
had settled down for the night to wa
~, and fight it out by daylight. The
ao were a lot Of wounded men, ana de'
e. lot
es' through the woods, where most OF {
re- fighting had been. There was cornhe
eeo about a quarter Of mile wide separ;
ing the woods, and there had been sol
10 scrapping in this open ground, thou
on most of the fighting had been done. frt
cover. as these small skirmish line flgl
generally are. :,
az was corporal of the guard u
Ice night, and by o'clock there was OF
9Th an occasional shot. as if each side
ONE quitting reluctantly and 10y inches.
With am not positive, but it seems to me G.
,an. I heard the last two shots before st
,ical ness settled over all. What the deti
yer, of the romance, or the tragedy, OF WI
rom ever you want to call 1T, are q,
fin know. know, though, that during
emu night we had re-entorcements, anu w
as a we began to cautiously peep around
per- soon as the day began to break, we
nese covered that the enemy had by Sc
igue hook or crook taken alarm and depal
in the night, leaving their dead on
field. and among them, when we
out our burying party, we found on
feld, those boys with a bullet through
ndcr lung and another, bearing chain al
and note, buried in his brain. On our
mt is we found the other nephew with
the legs broken by ball and br
,ular through his heart, with cham
have note attached to it. 4"
until The reporter threw up his hands
4 the amazement, not to say doubt.
con- 81 don't try to explain it, y the W
York an fastened to say apologetically.
know it is hard to explain. 1t Is
hard to believe, but what is a MAJ