Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1903-07-04
Two Flags. One Bible.

OWING, chicago inter ocean.
Two Flags, One Bible.
James Cheney was Il student of Oher-
lin College when Lincoln issued his
first call for troops, and the meeting
house one Sunday morning became
headquarters for enlistments. The re-
cruiting officers refused to accept
Cheney, as the company was more
than full and he. minor. was I'M
able to obtain the consent of his dis
tant father. a few days later. how
ever. telegram from Cleveland,
where the company had gone into
camp announced two vacancies, and
| Cheney, who was at the station at the
time, boarded the train, enlisted and
went TO the front.
/ The ninety days were soon gone, but
/ the war was not ended, and Cheney
re-enlisted, but this time with regl-
ment from his own State of Illinois
In this new regiment he was made a
| lieutenant. To him. in his new COM
mand, his little sister sent pocket
Bible, and in the front she placed her
! photograph TO show how she had
grown since he left home for college
| The young officer loved his sister, and
loved his Bible, and daily he read The
pages of the little red book
Ii was at Fort Donelson that the
captain of the company fell, and Lieu
tenant Cheney rallied the company.
and pressed on with it to victory His
new commission, promoting him TO the
office of captain. bore in red ink upon
its face the inscription, For Gallant
Conduct and Mertorious Service at
the Battle OF Fort Donelson" But in
the little Bible the inscription still read
u. w. Cheney, First Lieut. 47th l.
""
! Then came the Battle of Pittsburg
Landing. with the sudden onset of
the Confederates, and Captain Cheney
hastily committed his effects to a boy
In the regiment and hurried with his
company to the front All that long
Sunday the Attn Illinois fought face
to face with Zouave regiment from
Louisiana, and the two moved forward
|
were busy enough that terrible day,
but Doctor Langworthy of the Louis
lana regiment found time before he
lay down In his tent to read "A few
verses from a little red Bible which a
private had captured, and later COM
ing TO the hospital, had given him.
Doctor Langworthy kept the Bible till
the close of the war, reading 1t FIRE
quently, and often wondering who had
been its owner. and who was the lit.
tie girl whose face looked at him wher
he opened the book.
Many years after the war Doctor
Langworthy went north TO Buffalo to
attend medical convention, and took
with him the Bible. At Buffalo he
met his brother, who had been Il Tn
lon officer from Ohio. and was then
living IN rural New York To him he
gave the Bible, charging him to find
the owner If possible. The brother
gave the facts to the editor Of his
county paper. and the editor printed
them in a brief item.
A copy Of the paper In some way
went 10 a family in Ohio who were
not subscribers, and was used To pa
per the pantry shelf IN n farmhouse;
and when the housewife took 1t of
the shelf to replace II with a clean
one her eye struck '-e name Cheney,
and she read the item. for Cheney was
the name Of an army friend of her
husband.
SO it came about that the item from
! the county paper found IFS way to
Captain Cheney ard the Bible was
ana showing The result Of constant
care. Th2 >pondence that fol.
/ lowed between the surgeon ia Louis
/ lana and the captain IN Illinois show
cd how the hearts of both mon had
( been ORA vn near together by the little
red book Fortyoue years from the
| day when Lieutenant Cheney led bis
company over the mud walls Of Fort
! Doncisoa. the Old soldier then lying
sick, drew forth and showed to n
friend the little book that he had 'Iov.
cd long since and lost while"
The photograph Of the little girl,
still living. is yet on the fy-lcaf. and
inside the cover is pasted the clipping
from the county paper; and within the
other cover is the letter Of the Con-
federate surgeon, telling how no kept
ana read tho little book when the other
flag few over 4. Thank God, the war
Is over" said The surgeon and We
arc R-gt RHrg in
Taken for Granted.
Charlie Blue tells me he has broker
Off with Nell McCnncher."