The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-11-24
CHAPTER Nv.
LINCOLN'S DILEMMA.

Benton of your staff" wrote the adtutant
general, three weeks later, to the division
commander and, just at a time when he
hated to go, for there seemed a prospect or
forward dash on Gordonsville, the aid-de-
camp found himself en- route from the
Stafford heights opposite Fredericksburg
TO the steamer landing on the Potomac
The big division had made a sudden swoop
from Catlett's on the Orange Railway down
to the lower Rappahannock. A Confeder-
ate cavalry picket had been cut of and cap
tured. Another young gallant, painfully
wounded, had been brought in, and now, in
charge of Benton, was being escorted to
Washington. He had refused parole. He
would rather share the fate Of Lounsberry,
said he, If his wounds speedily healed. or
OF poor Floyd Pelham, still languishing
In hospital, IL the wounds proved battling.
He knew both gentlemen. it seems. and
had served with one of the attachments
In pursuit of Benton. 1t was strange, In
deed, to find himself now prisoner in the
hands OF the recently pursued, and, with no
little curiosity in his eyes. had he watched
| the stalwart aid who had come each day to
the field hospital at Falmouth to talk with
and cheer him. Distant and offish in man.
| ner at first, as he and his comrades had
considered Ii their role to appear, this
| young soldier had melted under the kind
ness shown him by the enemy. 1--WE heard
stories that led us to expect the opposite"
said he, and so, before the doctor declared
him well enough to be sent further to the
| rear, had told of things of vivid interest
to him who so lately had himself been
| prisoner within the hostile lines. How
much those fellows seemed to know every
thing transpiring within the Union d.
visions! Just what had been done with
| Lounsberry and Pelham-just where they
! were confined and everything connected
| with their capture was all told at Char
lottesville almost as soon as at Washing
| ton. How little, until long weeks after, as
a rule. did our generals know of the daily
doings beyond the picket posts along the
i front! With sorrow and anxiety inexpres-
sible Benton heard that in spite of DR..
| Chilton's long years of kindness and gen.
erosity among his townsfolk-in spite of
Rosalie's acknowledged queendom, an al
most bitter feeling now existed, and there
was talk Of arrest and incarceration at
Richmond. Not until he had studied Ben
ton for several days did young Winston
admit all this-and more. He had heard 1t
/
tiers. He had known the Chiltons well
| when he was a junior at the varsity. He
had often seen Lounsberry and had
heard much of his standing and
infiuence-had heard. moreover, that
he had been a devotee of Miss
Rosalies. However," with a quick glance
at Benton's face, which colored instantly,
even under its coat of tan and sunburn,
Atrre
There was some trouble, he didn't know
what, and Maud Pelham had had flare
up with Rosalie. and that was something
people didn't understand, for Jack Chiffon
was as much smitten with her as Louns-
berry had been with Miss Chiffon. Don't
s'pose you heard much about it," said he
in the confidence bred Of the unlocked for
kindness with which he had been treated.
but adding. with an apologize laugh, ''they
do say at Charlottesville that Miss Rosalie
just ruled everybody about her like she
was a bohn queen And then did Mr.
Winston admit that possibly something of
the bitterness now displayed was due to
this fact, and to the envy or malice of
those who had felt her imperious sway in
the past At all events. and here was what
so troubled Benton. II was held that the
|
active part in Benton's escape, and had
thereby been false to the cause of Virginia
and the South. The doctor contented him
self with saying the escape was all a sur
prise to him, though he would not say that
he deplored IT. He frankly owned his obi
cation to his former captive, and his re-
joicing that the young fellow was spared
the fate Of prisoner at Libby As for
Miss Rosalie. "she was too proud to say a
word" said Winston. 1t was Jack who
really suffered most, for he had incurred
the suspicion of war-ofice magnates. who
had sent surgeons to examine and saw
whether, If exchanged. he would be fit to
resume duty-a proceeding that set him
back six weeks on the road to recovery. SO
ugly was the fever into which he fretted
himself Indeed. Jack was critically Ill
said Winston. when last he heard of him
Then Lounsberry's people wouldn't speak
to DR.. Chiffon. Squire Pelham had pub.
! licely denounced him as the cause of the
desperate plight of his own brave boy
Old Black Dan had been arrested by sol.
diers sent by Ewell and taken to Gordons.
vile, and as for Pomp. he had totally dis.
appeared. All this had Lieutenant Win.
ston heard just before he rode forth on his
latest scout and had been bounced unon
, while his horses were unsaddled and feed.
ing. by a troop of the Harris Light
Kilpatrick's boosted commandment so
swept in to the division camp opposite
quaint old Fredericksburg.
Therefore was Benton at this momen,
most unwilling to leave the front for there
! were indications of brisk work and for.
ward movement that might relieve the stu
alton. Letters from home had showeret
him with blessings and congratulations or
his escape. The squire was now full of 3
scheme to come to Washington bring
ing Elinor with him, but, much as sb,
! longed to see her brother the girl wa,
now loath to leave home-Mrs Ladue wa,
, swiftly failing and seemed to need he,
gentle nurse more and more with ever,
: day. Mr.. Ladue, more and more apatheti,
: and resigned. seemed to do nothing but si
long hours in any easy rocking-chair
7 watching the gambols of the children's kit
! tens and taking little heed of othe
{ mundane matters. McKinnon, wrote Ger
tain townsfolk to Fred's general. had 8,
lost caste in the community that he hac
determined on a war record to rehabilitat,
{ himself. and was now seeking the lieuten
ant colonelcy OF a new regiment bein.
raised in their midst. The general urged a