The National tribune., 1901-05-09

sessed of the spirit to get there as soon as
possible"
Whats your hurry to get back to
Nillen?' inquired Shorty. Il thought you
were straining every nerve to get as far
away from there as possible. You're in
no shape to 90 forward. Better go back
and squat as near commissary wagon
as possible, and get some meat on your
rack of bones"
I'm look out for getting meat on my
bones. The Lord'll provide for that, now
that I'm out of the hands of those sons Of
Belial. who are persecqting and murder
ing His servants. With the Lord on my
side, and a fat country like this, III get
meat on my bones fast enough. I'm go
ing back to Millen with you, and 1 want
to start right away. The Lord calls me-"
Whats your sweat to get to MillenF'
asked Shorty. Cant we do all the busi-
ness to be done theret
well, I'll tell you. My partner is
back there, dying. He's a blue-eyed, fair
haired, pure-souled boy, that L care more
for than any creature on earth, except my
mother and sisters. l was his teacher in
Sunday school, and would have married
his sister if she had lived. But she was
too good for me, or this earth, and God
wanted her among His angels, whence
she looks down upon me all the time.
was getting ready to enter the ministry
when she passed away, and l interpreted
it that God meant me for sterner work
than peaceful ministrations in the church
with her by my side. l had no longer
heart for a service that I'd always
planned we should labor in together. AS
the clay fell upon her coffin, l turned to
those gathered about and said that the
Flag Of our country was now the cross
L should henceforth follow, and invited
those who were like-minded to come to
me. This boy, against my will, insisted
pOinu | tried 70 take of
him his sister would have done. L was
with him every moment that l could be-
At Ream's Station L could have got away,
but he could not jump the ditch as | did.
jumped back to help him, and we were
both captured. / took every care of him
through Andersonville, Savannah and
Millen-fought at the wells for pure water
for him to drink, and avoid the diarrhea
and dropsy; l sold my shoes and every
thing else / had to get him vegetables
and keep off the scurvy. At Savannah
the guard shot at me, and graZed my arm
for stealing boards with which to make
him shelter. 1 helped dig a tunnel there,
and got him out and as far as the Ogee-
chez River, though l had to almost carry
him part of the way, his legs were so
stiff with the scurvy. Then We were re-
captured, and brought back. he got bet
ter the first weeks at GIillen, because the
ground was fresh and clean, and the
weather grew cooler. Then when those
terrible rains came OF he took the fever,
and wasted away to a skeleton, with his
big blue eyes shining like his sisters be-
fore she died. o, God, how l have prayed
not for myself-but for him. / don't
murmur at any visitation God chooses to
send on me. probably deserve 1t for be-
ing stiff-necked and perverse to His will.
Let Him do anything to NE, so long as
He spares him"
'Where is he now" asked 81.
Hes back there in the hospital at Mil
len. The rebels broke up the shanty l
had built for him, as they did all the 9TH
ers in the pen, in their rage because we
wouldn't enlist in the rebel army, and as
l had no shelter for him from the awful
rains / got him out to the hospital, where
Newt. Greble. one Of our company, could
look after him. Nevis his cousin. I
managed to get out to see him nearly
every day, and wash him, and take care
of his clothes, but he seemed to grow
weaker every day. Finally, could stand
it no longer. l could not bear the sight
of his eyes looking appealinSly at me. The
Spirit semed to tell me that l could get
through to our men, and bring them back
to the rescue of those boys. Brady Ste
vens and l mixed up with some poor
wretches who were going out to take the
oath, and slipped away between the stock
ade and the Captains office. We mixed
up with the paroled men on detail, and
others, and worked our way out into the
woods, where We came across four 9TH
ers who had done the same thing, and we
we all started for our lines. Sherman
was farther off than We thought, and
wed've starved to death II 1t hadn't been |
for the negroes. It's taken me much
longer than / expected, and now we
mustn't lose any time getting there, If we
hope to find poor little Angus alive. 1
should have tried to get that other squad |
to go, but 1 dared not leave those poor
fellows In the house until you should |
come back, or our army come up. / felt
/ had duty toward them"