The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1898-04-21
THE MESSAGE OF LIFE

| ou SoiIIc luOItuo olIci Wallis, 10 udiI dt
ed here with the principal event; and
both together deserve q larger audi
ence than any that has yet heard
them, because they touch the heart
and arouse those feelings of sympa
thy which make the whole world kin
1t was February, 1865 1 was a
staff officer of division of the Union
Army stationed about Winchester,
Virginia; and military operations be
ing then practically over in that re
gion, | had succeeded in getting leave
of absence for twenty days. The time
was short enough, at best, for one
who had been long absent from his
family and two days were to be con
sumed each way In getting to and
from my northern home l lost no
time in making the first stage of my
journey, which was a brief one, from
Winchester to Harper's Ferry, by rail
Reaching the latter place after dark
found, to my great disappointment,
that the last train for the day for Bal
timore had left an hour before, and
that the next train would start at five
| o'clock the following morning.
There was no difficulty in finding a
lodging, poor as it was; but there was
trouble in getting out of it as early as
l wished. Previous experience warn
ed me that the state of agreeable ex
citement and anticipation that pos
sessed me that night was not favor
able to sleep; and fearing a heavy
slumber in the early hours of the
morning. when | should at last lose
myself, [ gave small reminder to
the negro servant, and received his
solemn promise that he would arouse
me at four o'clock.
The result was exactly what fear
ed. In a most exasperating condition
of wakefulness l lay until it seemed
certain that the night must be half
gone; but an examination of my watch
| by the light of a match showed that
the hour was only few minutes past
| ten, Is there anything more annoy
ing than the Intellectual effert to sleep,
when nature is fairly crying out for
| sleep2 Every noise of the night came
to me with the most painful distinct
ness; the barking of dog, the tramp
of body of soldiers as they went
their rounds, relieving guards, the
| laugh and song of some boisterous
reyellers, and even the musical ripple
of the Shenandoah river just below
me.
The long and vivid story of what
had happened to me since last lesv-
ing home passed through my thoughts
and only added to their excitement
| All the wise remedies for insomnia
| that occurred to me were successfully
tried-and found wanting. Again
my watch was consulted: it marked
half past eleven. Twice after this |
heard the guard relieved; SO that it
must have been later than two o'clock
when sleep visited my weary eyes. A
rude disturbance at my door awaken
ed me, and became dimly conscious
of the voice of the negro outside.
What is it?" cried, testify, What
do you wake me up for, at this time
Of night?"
Deed sab, Use sorry; 'pon my
| honah, | is sab but de train hab done
| gone desc two hours"
1t WAS even so. Broad daylight
seven o'clock in the morning-the
train gone, and no chance to get out
of Harper's Ferry till twelve more
precious hours of my leave had pass
ed-this was the unpleasant situation
to which L awoke on that dreary Feb
ruary morning To make the best of
it, is the true philosophy of life; in
fact, it is folly to do anything else;
but human nature will assert itself,
and grumbled to myself all that
morning, as most of readers would
have done in my place.
Breakfast over, l strolled around
the queer old place, not to see its
| sights, for they were very familiar to
me, but merely to while away the
time. OF all the places in this land
where man has made his habitation,
none is more remarkable for its nat
ural situation than this.
Here the Potomac and Shenandoah
unite and break through the lofty
| barrier of the Blue Ridge; and Har-
per's Ferry, located at the point of
| confluence, is environed by lofty
| mountains, up the steep side of one
the village seems to Chamber and cling
for support. From the lofty top of
! Maryland Heights, opposite, wonder
full natura. panorama may be seen
and of this view Thomas jefferson
wrote that it was worth a journey
from Europe to see it. But if you
are set down at Harper's Ferry, at
the base of these great hills, your
view is cramped and circumscribed
in every direction.
[ went back to the hotel after an
hours stroll, wrote some letters, read
all the newspapers l could find about
the place, and shortly after eleven
| o'clock went out again. This time my
ear was greeted with the music of 8
band, playing a slow march. Several
soldiers were walking briskly past,
and inquired of them if there was
to be military funeral.
No, sir" one of them replied; mot
exactly. 1t is an execution. Two de
serters from one Of the artillery regi-
ments here are to be shot up on Boil
var Heights. Here they comew
The solemn strains of the music
were heard near at hand, and the cor.
tege moved into the street where we
stood, and wound slowly up the hill.
First came the band; then General
Stevenson, the military commandant
! of the post, and his staff; then the
guard, preceding and following an
ambulance, in which were the con
demned men. A whole regiment fol
lowed, marching by platoops, with
reversed arms, making IN the whole
q spectacle than which nothing can
be more solemn.
Close behind it came, as it seemed
to me, the entire population of Har-
per's Ferry; motley crowd of several
thousand, embracing soldiers off du-
ty, camp followers, negroes, and what
not 1t was raw, damp day, not a
ray of sunlight had yet penetrated