The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1898-12-30

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tention of having steps taken to rescue the
suffering member from the outrages.
Of course John would expostulate with
Sam for the over-weaning solicitude, but
Sans well-assumed indignation that his
friend should be thus put upon could do
no less than increase Johns gratitude to
Sam, while the post and lodge, being in the
joke, also had much quiet amusement in
the trick, poor old John being the uncon-
scous butt.
Continuing the conversation begun at the
outset of this chronicle, John said:
eyes, l have had my romances, but this
last one is not mine, though l am inter
ested in it.
"You remember that poor girl brought
back from Knoxville in the spring of '64?"
well, l should think I ought to remem-
Der her. I've always thought she was the
cause Of your losing your hair, and"
''Never mind my hair, you blamed scamp"
81 don't mind it. Nobody does. 1t amt
n anybody's way"
''Sam Nelson, I'll hurt you yet"
Don't, John. But what about the girl ?
She's got over being girl by this time"
81 should say she had. She's wei. on the
way to being grandmother"
''You don't say!"
81 just did say"
"How do you know?"
"Lemme tell you"
That's what Pm waiting for"
Before repeating what John now told Sam
it is necessary to say that the two were
members of the same Illinois regiment of in
fantry in East Tennessee in the winter of
1864, until after the campaign that inv lved
the siege of Knoxville, and that Johns son
j ohm was soldier in the Cuban war, hero
of Santiago and one of the invaders of Porto
Rico.
After the siege of Knoxville had been
raised large body Of the federal troops fol
loved Longstreet's retreat into Virginia as
far as Strawberry Plains, Tenn, wher, the
tho most uncomfortable bivouac that was
known in the history of the war. The
weather was, for the most part, intensely
! cold, food was pitifully scarce, and what
little there was was bread made from sick
wheat" and bad corn, and beef from lot
OF unfed cattle that were SO poor and thin
end feeble that the butchers had to hold
them up to knock them down.
The pitiable herd was daily driven across
u ditch, and those that were too weak to
get over, and therefore fell in, were killed
for food, while those that could get over
were held IS being able to live until the
next killing time.
The men were half clad, in dirty, ragged
clothes, and were without shelter, but there
was wood enough to make big fires.
During this time occurred the famous Cold
New Years day." January l, 1894, remem-
bered all over the country as the coolest
day that has ever been recorded in the
United States.
1t was ON that day that John Saxton--
the John row bald, that these chronicles
have been speaking of-then a duty SER
geant, brought into camp girl of Is or l6
years whom he had found, almost starved
ard frozen, in a cabin among the bleak
hills. Her mother lay dead on the one mis-
cradle bed in the cabin; the father, Tom
Marley, had been killed a year before in
the confederate army, and the girl was too
weak to leave the place alone, and there she,
too, would soon have died of cold and star
walton.
The foraging party, of which Sergt. John
Saxton had charge, wrapped the girl up as
best they could in some rough sacks and
Johns deplorably ragged overcoat and
I placed her in one of the wagons that was
/ partly loaded with cornfodder and other
forage. They dug a shallow grave in the
dirt floor of the cabin, buried the dead
woman there and took the girl into camp.
} John Saxton appointed himself Samantha
Marley's guardian, and upon the arrival of
the party at camp she was carried to the
only tent in all the vast encampment. The
tent belonged to a stray sutler who was
there by means the details of which are not
necessary to this record. With the sutler
was his wife, husky woman who was phys
itally the superior of her husband. This
canvas abode and shop was kept comfort
able BY means of sheet iron stove, and in