The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-07-30
THE OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES TALE.

Before the civil war had turned into its
second year the doors OF the old school
were closed. Ninety per cent OF my boys
enlisted. Eighty per cent were confeder-
ates- At the beginning of the second year
OF the war there was not q school in the
town or county. cannot describe TO YOU
my feelings at that time 1 suppose the
excitement and passion OF the hour kept
me from being lonely. Ny age, health
and family responsibilities kept me out
OF the struggle.
The trying moments Of the situation to
me were those in which I saw some Of
my boys enIisting under one banner. some
under the other. I knew the possibilities
OF their meeting IL battle. For a year
/ carried this cross. 7 said nothing 10 any
one, but / used 10 lie awake until 1 was
exhausted thinking Of my boys at war
with one another.
At the end of the second year OF the
war those of US who staid at home began
realizing the meaning Of war.
one night / was called into my library
to meet a man whose appearance imme-
diately suggested that he was IN trou-
BE. He had come in out OF a storm. His
clothes We're ragged and a qpeer CON-
bination. His coat was OF the United
States cavalry uniform. His trousers. or
what had been trousers, looked like a
dilapidated uilt. His slouch hat was in
tatters and almost hung upon his neck.
He had but one arm.
Quicker than 1t has taken me TO give
you this description he had told me that
he was one Of my boys. That he was
spy, sent by General Sterling Price, the
confederate commander under whom he
served. he had come TO me for a few
hours Of rest and because he wanted TO
see me.
I knew the meaning OF war after I had
seen him and had heard him talk. In the
old school on the hill this spy" was
known as the gallant of the crowd. He
was our chevalier.
AT the time OF his visit 70 me the fed
erals held the town. The hills command
ing the place had been converted into
military camp It bristled with guns
which poked their hungry mouths from
bastions.
one of ehe officers in that fort was
also one of, my boys. And what hand
some fellow he was. His enlistment in
the union, however, had cost him the
friendship of most of his schoolmates. It
had cost him his sweetheart, spirited
Southern girl.
My boy who called upon me as a spy
told me his mission. I begged him to
stop before he had said too much, but
] knew when he left that he was going to
the federal fort on the hill, as a spy! I
did not tell him his old classmate was an
officer there.
a few days later the confederate spy
was captured. He had succeeded in get
ting the information he wanted and was
leaving when he was taken as suspi-
cious person. When he stood before the
officer it was known from
papers found that the prisoner was a
spy.
one OF the staff of the commanding
officer was there. He recognized his old
but not a word passed between
htem. The spy was confined, Of course,
at once, and it was the talk Of the town,
for this was the first incident Of the
sort in our place. And the spy was one of
the old boys of the town-our cheva-
Iier.
Ny boy from the federal fort fastened
to see me to give me all the particulars.
Of course my lips were sealed touching
the visit OF the spy" to me before the
capture.
Again did realize the meaning Of war;
The incident was soon relegated to the
events of yesterday by ore important ones
at the front. Once, at the invitation OF
my boy in blue, 1 visited the one who be-
onged to the gray, although his uniform
did not so indicate, and who was held
as a spy. 1 messed with both.
After the spy had been prisoner for
nearly six weeks my federal boy came TO
see me one night hurriedly, and told me
IN confidence that the chevalier' had
escaped.
IF he comes here said the federal
officer, you protect him until he can
get through our lines"
Before could protest, if I had desired
before ! could realize the situation, the
federal was off. I heard the sounds of
the iron hoofs of his horse on the stones
until it seemed to me they would never
lie out. But much to my qualification, in
some respects, the SPY did not come.
/ was learning more about the mean
ng of war.
The spy was never captured. After the
war was over ne came back to camp
stricken, as many Of them did. one
evening 7 went to his old home just
,ut Of town. The federal officer, now an
*, was also there. The old classmates
lad lived through the storm of battle |
and met again. I was the witness to the |
marriage of the "spys' sister to the fed !
sral officer who had held the spy a |
prisoner. Every one of the three is dead. !
Perhaps you have your own opinion as to !
low the escape Of the spy was effect !
al. I never had any doubt of it. Per- !
laps because I knew that before the war |
he girl was the sweetheart Of the man /
whom she married after the war;. II. |
B., in Chicago Tribune.