The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1899-11-30

cessionists, who assuming that 1 had
been successfully bribed, relaxed their
watchfulness, thus enabling me more
readily to reach the coast. intrusted
the letter to Maj. Berante for delivery,
who put it in his pocket to be kept for
future use against me, and entered the
confederate service. If you will in
trust me for few minutes with it's
keeping will show you my real re-
ply, my vindication, written with the
juice of lemon on the very document
Maj. Berante has been preserving for
my destruction"
Taking the discriminating letter from
the commanding judge, Gen. Heath
stepped to the fireplace. A thrill shot
through those present, thinking that
he was about to burn it. But no; he
held it before the flame, carefully keep
Ing it far enough to prevent it's ignit-
ing. Not a word was spoken, all eyes
being fixed intently on the paper
curling in the heat. Presently the gen
eral drew it from before the flame,
glanced at it, then raised it aloft so that
it could be seen by everyone in the
room. Across its face brown letters
had come out clear and distinct:
'Yours received. Thanks We march to-
night. HEATH"
Slowly the general in chief rose from
his chair, and, advancing to the vindi-
Gated man, grasped his hand; Margaret
laughed and wept by turns, while the
rest of us threw up our hats and shout
ed. When quiet was restored Gen.
Heath concluded:
"You are aware, general, that during
the period of my service in the west ru-
mors have been current that l have
been secretly and treacherously aiding
the enemy. 1t is now plain whence this
secret malignant influence came. Be-
rante was made prisoner at Shiloh and
had the ear of union officers. Having
been exchanged before Chickamauea
he was present at that battle and had
an opportunity to converse with the
union officers captured there. leave
you to infer whence came the reports
that the confederate successes were
largely due to a friend in the union
army, that friend being myself. At last
4 am confronted with the author of nv
mlstortunes. I am unable to punish
him, for he has come into our lines
pledged to protection, but thank the
Great Jehovah, the God of battles and
of peace, that from this time forward
he will be powerless to injure me-"
Notwithstanding wars horrors, it
has its p.easurable episodes. Ny most
delightful remembrance of that period
OF strife and suffering is the few min
utes following the exit of Col. Archard
and Maj. Berante. There was a sudden
wringing of hands, eyes looking into
eyes that danced triumphant, babel of
congratulations. AS for me, forgetting
myself completely, threw my arms
around everybody in the room except
the general-in-chief. L embraced, sue
cessively, the general, Margaret, PUNK,
and Georgia, whose enthusiasm, great
as it was, did not prevent her giving me
a box on the ear, which she afterwards
admitted was not for the caress, but be-
cause of its publicity.
Our expressions of joy were inter-
rupted by the general-in-chief taking
Heath aside and speaking with him in a
tone which, though too low to be heard
by the Others, broughtsa light into his
eye that L had not seen there for
months. Then the commander of the
armies of the west offered Margaret es-
pecial thanks for the great. service she
had rendered and hurried away. What
he was going to do did not know then,
but the next day the thunder of his
guns told me that he was taking adyan-
tage of the absence of Longstreet's
corps from the army of the Tennessee.
fighting and winningt the battle of Mis-
sionary Ridge-a battle which marked
the beginning Of the end Of the confed-
eracy.
ss - - 5s~
As q love story this narrative must
~ ~ n -. 49, .tl