Omaha daily bee., 1903-05-30
Dupont of Battery .
4 Dissertation Day Short story

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figures are grouped near the low railing.
One is a peculiarly deferentisl old negro
who is busily engaged winding the lines
upon two fishing rods, and at the same
time listening attentively, with an occa-
sional duck Of the head, almost comic in
its air Of submission, to the speech of his
handsome young master, who leans easily
against the parapet of the bridge. One
brown hand of the youth VINO rs speaking
so earnestly is extended upon the railing,
while the other, hanging at his side, holds
the hand of a child of 3, whose upturned
face the elder brother is regarding as he
continues:
Arthur will be your little master when
[ am gone. Wash"
Yes. Marse Tom"
II rely upon you, Wash, as you have
stood by me ever since / can remember, to
get Arthur out of trouble and keep him
out of danger. You are his keeper and his
servant-his schoolmaster on the river and
in the stables and his playmate every
where"
Oats what I is, Marse Tom and leetle
Marse Arthur. Yo' kin don rely on old
Washin'ton. Nothin' gwine L hap'n t
Marse Arthur and the old man touches
the rim of his grass hat and shuffies his
shoes on the dusty planks.
The last rays of the sun are lingering In
the tops of the tall trees hat rise out of
the yellow water and the cool air of the
southern evening is waving the young canes
and freshening the pungent odor rising
from the thick carpet of lily pads spread
like a green blanket on the surface Of the
swamp. The dust of the road is taking on
a darker shade with the hrst falling of the
dew, and as old Washington, basket in
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behind his young masters his shoes leave a
white track in the sand.
The negroes old heart swells with pride
as he watches his young masters walking
hand in hand in the soft light falling
through the tangled branches, and he NUT
tiers half audibly TO an imaginary stranger:
II haint got no book learnin', Dos, and my
hearin's mighty pore, but l got a heap o.
sense, 1 is. Dus 1 know dem chilun? Why,
sahl dem chilun is Marse Dupont's chilun,
sab! Done tended UNI bofe since dey was
bohn, sab! Marse Tom, sab, he win
norf, sab, afor' sun up to the big school.
OATS wha he is, sab. Good Lor', Marse
Tom love leetle one like he was a gal. See
how close dey walk hole O. hans up de
bridge. De ole man can't help it, sab! but
he done Tub dem chilun heself like dey was
two gals. Reckon 1t gwine { mighty nigh
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possum. Old marse says Ise free nigah,
sahl-aIl de free de old man wants is Z
stick by dem chilun."
Unconscious of the water tapping against
the timbers Of the bridge, unconscious of
the hoarse chorus of the frogs filling the
air, the brothers think only of the happi-
ness of tonight and parting of tomorrow.
The tears stood in the brave little
Arthur's eyes as he looked carelessly at
the swaying festoons Of gray moss, and he
even withdrew his little fist from his
brothers grasp and thrust both hands into
his pockets to emphasize his independence
as he spoke. I'm glad you are going to
college. Tom. I know you will learn to be
a great lawyer and go to congress from
Grand Gulf. If the captain of River Queer
don't take in the plank the minute you &C
on board I'll ride my pony on deck. Hur.
rah for River QueenI" '-'t'
Lieutenant Brown of Battery Q, ther
serving with L OF our regiment, had beer
classmate and roommate OF Tom Dupon'
at college, and there is where the remote
connection comes in with Battery @. II
the old brick dormitories at Yale Brown
had become familiar with Toms family
{ history; how Toms father had been reared
in a New Hampshire village, and how h.
l married Toms mother and a cotton planta
ton and a colony of slaves at one HAPPY
CEREMONY. He knew the family circum
8 stances which had prevented Toms seeinI
1 his mother and brother during his Who'll,
= college Observation-Disclosures not necessar,
! to relate in evolution OF the facts of thi
story. Brown had read stacks of the eide
Dupont's letters to his son., all breathin,
!. devotion to the union, and other stacks o
mother-letters, running over with love an
bright hopes for the years to come. H
= had shown us at the camp on Pebble
farm, when Tom had just left the officers
. quarters full Of laughter and high spirits
a photograph OF Arthur at u, which he toll,
i us was a counterpart of one Tom clway
. carried in his inner Jacket pocket and sal,
: his prayers to before going into battle.
S was a handsome child's face, with blu
+ eyes and brown curls. and that is all 1 re
member Of it now, except that 1 read tn
name OF the photographer and the word
n Grand Gulf on the back of the card Will
Q 1t was in the hand OF the captain.
$ over our coffee that night, as we ga
around a smudge fire TO keep the mos
quitoes at bay. Lieutenant Brown told u
or the railway Journey OF himself and Tor
In the summer Of 1861 from New Haven I
81. Louis; how they sped on night and da
across the continent. the strange hurryin
y OF troops, the music of the camps and tn
n wonderful new homage paid to the wonder
d ful old flag, which seemed hourly to develo
n now phases OF symbolic meaning; how the
patriotism was famed to a white heat b
the time they arrived at st. Louis.
n Tom swore II the great river had been q
free to go and come on as the air abov
to flight OF the birds he would not tak
passage on its vexed waters. He sa,
clearly the danger Of being detained in IN
insurgent states and forced to bear arm
against the cause he had already espouse,
IN
One memorable night-memorable IN N
shadow OF what followed-Tom D,nor
" came to us, for although he was but
high private" he was always welcome Q
is the omcers' mess, as his genial self an
Fred Browns classmate should be-ap
le why not? II was a bivouac, not a cam,
70 The horses were tied TO a rope, street.-the
a through the caisson wheels, and Tom can
darting under their noses with a ebae,
ID All right" TO the guard and in a twinkIir
was making hands all around In most II,
T. military fashion. I have no Recollection
at Just what he said or how he said n y,
the vivid picture OF a happy southern hon
Is was somehow burned into my memory ar
m remains to this day with something ~ :,
Il. / Ea ~