The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-11-12
THE IRON BRIGADE
A STORY OF THE ARMY OF THE POTOMAC
CHAPTER v.
A STARTLING RESEMBLANCE.

Most skillfully and leisurely had Joe
Johnston. the Confederate commander.
withdrawn his army TO the line OF the
upper Rappahannock. PIacidly had he
waited, even after being furnished with
copies Of the Presidents war order calling
for an advance on Feb. %, until II should
be apparent that Mcclellan was beginning
to break camp, and when the first OF the
Union troops, some cavalry under Averell.
came twinkling into view along the heights
OF Centerville. the last OF JOhnston's fifty
thousand-all he had to face McClellan's
field force of probably double that num-
ber-was reluctantly riding away from Ma
nassas- More for exercise and the name
Of the thing than with the idea of a fight
Little Mac had sent his big corps for
ward TO the scene OF McDowells defeat or
the previous July. and for whole day
Fred Benton and his Badger comrades
wandered about the Junction, the Henry
house, the WarreEton pike and the old
Stone bridge, gathering relics and inforna-
ton. and IL was while so occupied that
squad OF busy searchcrs had stumbled on
two or three boxes IN an abandoned hut
boxes that. when burst open, were found
ID contain letters, papers and clothing be-
longing TO a prominent captain OF the
Eleventh Alabama, and, as luck would
have II, to First Lieutenant Paul Ladue.
Now. what have you got to say?" de-
manded officers of the Montgomery Guard,
a home company, as one of them shook
under Benton's paling face an open letter
addressed to Ladue. 'will you own UP
that he was a reb all the timer"
NO." said Benton, sadly. HE would
hox faLy
old father if 1t hadn't been for that mob.
and more than one of your men was in 1t.
Captain O'Kane. as you very we'll know"
I'm prayin my boys can meet him.
that's ALL" said the Hibernian leader.
Some OF them will be past praying for
when they do" returned Benton. hotly. for
his heart sore. and a new anxiety had
come TO him. What If some of the letters
should prove to be Elinor's-his sisters?
For Benton knew that at last a letter had
reached her from Paul Ladue, forwarded
under cover from ST. Louis. She had
frankly written and told him of its COM
ing-told him. moreover, that she had taken
1t to their father and asked him to read
it. and. so far from showing anger or dis
appreciation. the squire had stood irreso-
lutte a moment and then taken her in his
arms and kissed her and returned her the
letter. unread. But you must know what
he says" wrote Elinor to her brother, for
he speaks so beautifully of you and the
regard in which he holds you and the re-
gret he feels that writing either to you or
me is impossible. because ii might inture
us-you with your superiors and comrades,
me with the neighbors here. Yet every
fortnight. now that poor Mrs Ladue is
too feeble TO leave her bed and Mr.. Ladue
too apathetic to write, write for them
both-sending the letter under cover to a
firm in St. Louis. and every month there
has come something through the same
channel for his father or mother. My let
ter~came in hers"
II was a manful letter. The poor lad
seemed to realize that they were almost
hopeIessly parted now, and that he had no
right whatsoever TO stand between her
and the possibility of happier fortune
portion OF his letter read as follows:
Mothers few lines. written so slowly
and painfully. have told me what an angel
of goodness you have been to her. to my
father and the children. God only knows
how grateful l am to you-you whom I
dare not hope ever to see again. The die
Elinor, and now my fate is bound irrevo.
caby with that OF my oldest friends, my
fathers people and my State 1 do not
seek to further explain or defend my ac-
ton. IL is done.
.'But II the idea still prevail that within
q few months the North can crush with
overwhelming force these soldiers of the
South tell your people it is impossible.
Every family is represented in the field.
Our best and bravest are all in arms. and
1t will take years to kin us off. Meantime.
what may not we be doing? Why. Elnor.
one of our most distinguished officers in
the regiment tells me he is own cousin to
Fred's general-that he owed his appoint
ment as a cadet long years ago to the in
fiuence the general brought to bear. You
see. we are all In IL. every family, every
name. We have NO dissenters. as you have
We are a united. enthusiastic people who
mean TO be utterly free.
And so-and this is the hardest thing
ever thought to have to write-it has to be
good-by. Try to think kindly. forgivingly
of me IL you can. / cannot, and have nc
right to- tell you what this costs me. May
God in heaven bless and guard you-al.
ways"
Early In December had that letter
reached her. and the copy been sent tc
Fred. No wonder she wished her father
90 see 10. thought he. II showed Paul La
due in different a light. Already. how
ever. had the squire begun TO realize that
there was far more principle In that frag-
ile-looking dreamer than among his de-
famers. and hot words had passed between
the senior and junior partner again. lead
ing. late in the fall. TO open rupture and a
withdrawal of McKinnon from the firm.
Nor did 1t surprise either Benton or Gray
to find within the month that McKinnor
had allied himself with their keenest ri.
vals-that those astute practitioners, in
deed. had sought the allegiance of the
younger man; this. too. in spite of the
cloud that had hung over his good nam,
ever since the postmaster's published state
ment. Eight months had passed, and thu
matter OF that purioined letter was a.
deep a mystery IS ever, and now, here al
Manassas. and. of all others, TO the men Of
the Badger brigade had come confirmation
of the statement insisted on by McKinnor
and denounced as n lie and forgery b,
Paul Ladue-that the fiery young South
erner was actually an officer OF the EIev
enth Alabama. The absent are ever in tn,
wrong. and with sad heart poor Fred lis
tened 10 the chorus of denunciation tina
followed the discovery. He knew tina