Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1899-09-23
UNDER A CLOUD.

noting rather one OF the drudgery Of |
.fcers of the staff, whose soldieriy bear
ing had given way under the continued |
performance of clerical duties, than the |
commander of an army. Before him on |
a table was bundle of papers, one of !
which he had taken up and was finger |
ing absently. Directly opposite stood |
"the general''-my general; we of the |
staff always spoke of him as 1.-The gem
eral," though there were a hundred
generals in the army-with logged
look on his face that BODIED no good to
himself or anyone else.
had attended the general on n sum-
mons to headquarters, and should have
waited in the hall, but curiosity to sec
the new commander of the Army of the
Cumberland, who had achieved renown
at Donelson and Vicksburg, had over
come whatever of modesty / possessed
it was not gem of the first water
and, stalking confidently past staff Of
ticers and orderlies, entered the room
with my chief. Once there, 1 stood back
in n corner where would attract as
little attention as possible, fearing that
I would be ordered to betake myself to
parts more fitted for a second lieuten-
ant than the apartment of the COM
handing general
"Gen. Heath" said the commander,
81 have sent for you 20 communicate
to you the contents of this paper which
j received this morning from the sec
rotary of war"
The general started. 'Thc secretary
of WARP"
Eyes He directs your arrest and trial
by court-martial."
what new persecution Is this?" ex-
claimed the general, impatient1y.
"The secretary seems to hold you re-
sponsible for the disaster at Chicka-
manga"
"Chickamauga? In what way does he
connect me with that blunder7"
"You are accused of purposely leav-
ing the gap in our lines through which
the confederates poured, thus effecting
the rout of the Army of the Cumber-
land"
Gen. Heath made no reply. standing
with his hand resting on his sword-hilt,
his brows knit, his lips compressed.
II regret this new complication" said
the general in chief, presently. "Ihave
especial use for you, and at once"
use for me, general? But just re-
leased on one charge of treachery. and
rearrested on another. Who would fol-
low such n leader? would much rath-
er you would procure the acceptance
of my resignation. Why should serve
n government that distrusts me? My
friends, my family in Virginia, begged
me TO stay with them, to fight for them.
remained true to the union. What has
been the result? At the very outset,
in the spring OF '61, was accused OF
conniving to surrender my command in
Texas. Then there were those rumors
of treachery at Shiloh-that had with
drawn the picket in my front in order
to leave the way open to attack-and
my arrest and confinement by the sec
rotary of war. What use 10 beg for d
copy of the charger What use to de
mand 4 trial? No accuser, no ACCUSE
ton. Then, after months behind bars
the public gaze being attracted else
where by another battle, the secretary
finding it inexpedient to hold me longer
turns me out of prison and orders IN.
to report to you. expecting you K
utilize a disgraced man. And now, be
fore you can assign me to duty, a scape
goat being needed for the disaster n
Chickamauga, an order comes for m,
rearrest. The blunderer who left th'
gap through which Bragg hurled Hoot
has succeeded in covering up his fdenti
ty, while /, who commanded cavaIr,
and had nothing to do with the mail
line of battle, must be sacrificed to ap
pease the public, who are looking 70
victories and get nothing but defeats
l should not have been present a
such an interview, a beardless bo
IN my teens-but ] had been Ger
Heath's aide from the start, and ha
served him through an his troubles
often carrying his messages to thos
high in authority in his efforts to gai
hearing. could have withdrawn. bu
nothing short of an order would hav
driven me from an interview which il
terested me intensely. Gen. Heath, ma
urally restless and sensitive, had bee
1naddened by his confinement and di
grace. This new trial that doomed u
before him rendered him ready to tur
like a hunted beast and rend his pers
cutors. 1t was plain to me that IL
general IN chief was giving his sui
ordinate time to cool. remembers
how he had himself been deprived
his command after Shiloh and shelvt
as mere assistant to the command
in chief. and could understand his p
thence with one who had suffered
mnch Ihore kcenly in a similar manne
When his subordinate Ind finished, Il
superior gave few deliberate puffs
his cigar. then askeds
'Have you no suspicion as to the o.
gin of these rumors?"
'.None whatever"
The general IN chief sat thinLiT
~The wrongs of this war;" he said, pr
emily, will be rigbtsd only as Ops
tunity is given the wronged to rig
them"