Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1898-11-06

SA@S
decide. The Confederates who have
come in have been well treated. Some
have enlisted to fight the Indians and
some have been sent home. II you
want to surrender to me I'll send you
into camp
But what's yo'r idea O. this deser-
ton bizness?"
'I'll tell you squarely. The more OF
you that come in the sooner the war
will end, but look upon a common
dog as way above a deserter.'
"Shoo! Shoot"
f. "If 1 was in the Confederate army
I'd march barefooted, live on roots and
sleep without cover before I'd desert.
I'd do it in the first place out of prin-
ciple, and secondly, because when the
end comes not man of you will have
anything but war record as reward
for your services. All who live through
it will get an honorable discharge, and
wives and children and neighbors will
welcome them home. Things will set
tie down, and after awhile the South
will be in. control of herself again.
Then the men who stuck to their flag
will come to the front, but what Of the
deserters?"
Say, Yank, yo' talk, yo dol" ex-
claimed the Confederate with an ad-
miring glance.
"Well, am in earnest"
"And durn me if yo' don't talk sense!
If our captain would only 10 little
chinnin' O. that sort we'd all feel a
heap better. Yes, what of the desert
ers? When them times come yo' speak
of he won't be in it, will he?"
"No, he won't. It'll be known and
recorded that he deserted, his cause, his
flag and his comrades, and nobody will
have any use for him."
"Wall. had no idea of desertin', yo'
know"
"Of course not"
"Jest sorter dropped over for a leetle
talk"
I'm glad you did. War is bad
enough, without pickets trying to muir
der each other. Got to go back now?"
Eyes, 1 think I'll be movin', as the re-
lief will be along purity soon. So yo'
think General Lee is suah to be whop
ped?"
"Sure to be. We all know him for
fighter, but he must cave in to odds.
However,
ooh! I'm goin' to see the thing put
you bet yo'r butes l ami" interrupt
ed the Confederate. I'm goin' to stick
right by till the last guns fired and
mebbe I'll go fightin' on my own hook
arter that. Nobody could hev coaxed
me to desert. l was just sorter AKIN
out O. curiosity, yo' see?"
Il understand. Well, so long to YOU
old man, and l hope to see you again"
A week later both Grant and Lee
were massing fresh troops on that
front. A battle was to be fought, and
each strained every nerve to get ready
for it. There was NO more visiting
among the pickets. They had murder
in their hearts now and were shooting
to kill. One morning, as the red sun
leaped above the tree-tops, men were
rushed into battle line and cloud of
skirmishers went running down in
front The enemy sent forward a
cloud to match, and these men ran and
lodged, crept and crawled, and made
targets of each other. 1t was the pref
ace of a forwards movement of the
lines. 1t was brief prologue. At one
time the Federal skirmishers pushed
back the Confederates-again the Con-
federates gained ground. Tom Boyer
was there among the men Of his COM
pany, and as he rested for a moment
behind hillock he said to the comrade
at his elbow:
I'm arter that Yank' behind the
stump. He'll poke his head out gain
in a mint, and then-whoop! Say, now,
but 1 got him. Come on-we've got
'em on the rum"
The Confederates moved forward a
few rods and were checked. Tom
Boyer knelt beside the man he had
killed with a grim smile on his face,
but as he turned the dead man over
his smile vanished and his face went
white
whats the matter, Tom?"
I've killed him!"
Eyes, you've killed Yank, but what
of it?'
God forgive mel" whispered Tom, as
he looked at the face again.
whats all this about, 1 say?"
God. God. But I have killed the
squarest, farest Yankee in Gineral
Grants hull army! He was the man
who told me TOTO stick"
Copyright, 1898, by the International Lit
erary and News Service)
ALL KNEW THE PLACE.