The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1902-11-20

| Nppyff%ntSu. 1873, Dy tue nuDI!S
Inminence of BAMs for Fayetteville Pick.
Guest More Comfortable.
1t looked very yAucIi as if the army was
going TO haveoasbattle for Fayetteville
the great armory of the Southern Con
| federacy. TOO - ---ft
1t is true that things had looked so be
fore Savannah, before Columbia, and be-
fore Cheraw, all of which had been given
APP without n battle, but now the indica
! tons were more portentous, and it did
not seem possible that the rebels could &c
on forever abandoning strategic points
immense quantities of badly needed stores
and arsenals anu factories Of the utmost
Importance to Them If nothing else, the
temper of tile Southern people would moi
admit of this. No General vino went on
| avoiding battles and yielding territory
could survive public wrath.
| All of the troops with which Beaure-
gard had been. ,futilely manuvering III
South Carolina to save Columbia and
Charleston, aud clieck Sherman, were now
concentrated and joined by the remnants
of Hoods army, which had been brought
! across Georgia and South Carolina. Every
man who could march mile and carry Il
gun had been hunted out and forced into
the ranks, ard all these had been rein
had led out of Savannah, then ont of
Charleston. and again out of Cheraw.
Something of Importance was in order
to happen Immediately, and that some
thing. it was naturally expected. would
be stubborn defense of Fayetteville,
where the United States had had a large
armory before the war, which the rebels
had augmented by the machinery which
they had carried away from Harper
Ferry.
Tie rebel army was now in force closer
to Sherman's than it had been at any
time since Savannah.
The column which ST had stopped by
burning the turpentine still was emily one
of several which the retreating foragers
reported as moving along the front, appar-
emily conyerging upon some general line
of battle across the Union course.
Scouts, spies and Intelligent contra
bands conc,Irred in the belief that this
was to be behind Beaver Creek, some six
miles from Fayetteville.
The Fourteenth, Corps. which was lead
ing on the direct road. began pulling itself
together, and getting i'll readiness for the
collision. Where the regiments had been
pushing ahead at the rate of Is or 20
miles day., they slowed down to four or
five miles, m0yiD.s and camping with
strict attention to:mutual support. !
Throughout all the regiments there was
much furnishing up of miskets. rusted and
neglected in the fatigues of corluroying.
bridge-building, and helping, drag trains
through. mor;lsses.l Every cartridge-box
was carefully inspected. Cartridges. worn
by the hundfehS of miles of marching.
and from which the powder had sifted,
,,ere .thrOwnqa1sly "; and the boxes filed
Js-ith fresh obHw which could be depended
upon for pes,bt3 when. the trigger was
pulled. Surgeons were seen sharpening
and oiling fIieif0lreadful Instruments, and
looking overiAtei r banda es. to see. what
damage had besn dime. by the rains! Men
were DISQUALIFICATION their details to the
trains and rOOdmaking. and; given their
mnskets agailtndd'he sickness. of military
precision 'bredisby the weeks::Of tDiling
through the ssnud ard rain gave way to
sharp commands; prom4n alighments, and
snappy execution of manuvers.
ssSi and sShosty had fountt a,cayalry am
,,fiaHitien' wakoac stalled IN. tlle,.m,hl, and
while helping it out had: appropriated. to
'fl eif70wH: Aseidibo Of Spencer Gcarbine
which Observation-Disclosures SQUAD an
abundance Of samhnnitiOna y
: While. all this was: going OMIT was not
forgotten that there was /, lady in camp.
but Mrs. Wimpie had no reason TO COM
plain that the iII,minence of battle de-
creased the attentions bestowed upon her.
Indeed, she was not aware that anything
unusual was going on. e d:
Coming into camp after burning the
turpentine still, 81 went directly TO the
wagons. which the Adjutant had parked
apart from the others, and near the regi-
mental headquarters. under the charge of
Otterbein Kramer. who had cooked supper,
and was awaiting the arrival of the boys.
He had done his best in getting up deli
cacies for Mrs. Wimple. but she had re-
fused to eat until the boys came in. She
had fed the tired children, and put them
to bed, and was sitting by the fire, on a
blanket folded on box, alternately chat
ting with Oterbein Kramer about IRdi-
ana and the long shut-Off North, when his
duties would permit, and sitting, gazing
ntently into the flames. absorbed in her
own reflections, when he was out of reach
of her voice.
Eve must be careful about what we tell
that lady of what we've been doing today
81 cautioned the rest. as he caught sight
of her. Refined. delicate indies like her
mustn't be shocked by talking about shoot
ing and killing and burning and SUCH"
NO" added Shorty sternly: .'choke off
all that gas about your performances and
your hair-breadth escapes, and how many
rebels you slew with your red right hand.
limits no sort of chaff for an evening tea
party"
The boys gulped little at this. The
talk around the evening campfire was one
of their most cherished privileges. 1t was
then that they discussed the events of the
day, praised one another's deeds, exulted
in their achievements. congratulated them
selves on their escapes, and felt all the joy !
of living and soldering.
But the presence of the lady in camp
Overbore even this.
Lets take our horses over there and
attend to them and slick ourselves up be- |
fore we go where she is" said 81.
Though the boys We're very hungry, |
and the smell of Kramer's frying meat and !
boiling coffee most enticing, they never
took more anxious care with their toilets |
Hands and faces We're washed as clean as
yellow rosin soap and cold branch water
could make them, hair cOmbed smoothly, |
and all the dust taken out of their clothes
that the horse brushes would bring
Then they marched stiffly mp behind 81,
came into line at the word, and solemnly
saluted. Dss1
Mrs. Wimple rose as gracefully as if |
guests in her own parlOr.
"GoOd eyening, gentlemen" she said
in a voice Of liquid sweetness; IN very
glad to see y9b back again. / hope you've
had an agreeable day"
every agreeable, ma'am." stammered
81, blushing to the roots of his hair at the
touch of her cool, soft hand. "Very agree
able, indeedfSid
'Then yOnsiHid not meet any COnfed-
crates, and hnte fight with them?" she
continued dis she led the way to the table,
nj tonly bssr shaf ST u.oc 60 ofr a;J