Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1903-08-20
TheGirl With
the FLAG
By MRS. GEN. GEORGE z. PICKETT
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Copyright, 1900. by Daily Story Pub. Coz

hE iOng HheS VI
swept up through the green val
leys of southern Pennsyi. ania and
were weariedly marching northward
10 a battlefield somewhere, no man OF
them could have told where. They
only knew that they were tired and
footsore and hungry and the rich
green fields they had passed had
brought no comfort.
A young soldier took on his ragged
cap, wiped the perspiration from his
face and looked over at a little cot
tage with it's encircling vines. 1t
made him think of another little cot
tage across the lines. where the vines
had embowered his childhood.
As the head of the column came op-
posite the house girl ran out from
the open doorway to the front OF
the portico. She had United States
flag tied around her as an apron and
she stepped upon a chair that the
whole army might see it and waved it
defantly at the approaching troops,
The leader looked around appre-
hensively. Some of his men had come
from the most frightfully devastated
part of the south. How would they
take the sudden defiant presentation
of the banner under which that ruin
had been wrought? With swift,
graceful movement he wheeled his
black battle horse out of line, lifted
his cap, bowed to the waIlike maid
al ha ha hnra He
turned to the advancing men, waved
his hand, and every tattered cap was
lifted and each man as he passed
saluted the enemy's co.ors. The
leader rode forward to his place and
the long line moved on.
'She is a little fighter" thought
the boy who had waved his cap to
her. II should like to have her for a
sister. Only if she were my sister
she would wave but one flag"
He sighed, remembering the lonely
cottage under the magnolias.
''In love again, by Jove," said the
older soldier who marched beside
him. Hi, boys! What co you think :?
Shivers is in love with the little
Pennsylvania amazon"
"Shivers is always in love" said an
other. Hes the victim of chronic
affection. Do you remember how he
fell in love with the guerrilla's
daughter and came near b ing shot
for spy? Some day shivers will
have fatal attack of love and Gen.
Lee will quit lying awake nights try
ing TO keep at the head f the army.
in the light of Shiver's increasing
military fame"
military fame, indeed!" growled
a rugged veteran. "All the fame Jack
Shivers will ever get will be for
writing verses. and singing love songs
with guitar accompaniments.'
All the while they wee marching
on-they who DRAINED of home and
love, they who profess,d lofty
fcorn for septiTeltalit es, and they
who went silently 10 the field where
on a cause was to die.
On the morning of the third poor
Jack Shivcrs was enc Of tltse who
lay behind the low, long hill and
looked eastward iito the spa be-
tween two ranges of frNc:owned
peaks. 4 man was croucAed down
beside him with his land res ng on
his shoulder. Neither spoke, but
there was comradeship in the touch
that told of love greater than men
put into words.
Beyond the crest they waited as
the slow hours went by-w aited till
the order came, and they went down
into the valley of death. What they
did on that fatal field of Gettysburg
is inscribed on the page of history.
In the beginning of the retreat
Jack Shivers was wounded. The over
whelming force of the enemy were
closing in from every point.
He is dead" thought the man. He
scarce noticed the shower of balls
that fell about him nor marveled
over the apparent miracle that not
one of them touched him a 5 he bore
the unconscious boy to spot of
greater security. Under the grove of
trees not quite in the line of fire he
laid his friend on the smooth grass
that had been untouched by the
storm of war. With his untutored
skill he dressed the wound and sat
looking at the still face and trying to
tug with the fingers of hope against
the weight of despair that filed his
heart.
The boy moved restlessly and
opened his eyes.
Are we dead?"
"No; unfortunately are lone
somely alive. We'd have more COM
pany il we were dead"
did we win the battle?"
"Did we win? Boy, am too heart
weary and dazed to know anything
but pain. unless it be thankfulness
that YOU are alive"
"But tell me something - where
are VIC and where are the others?
o, sec; l am wounded and can't go
on-but you-you must leave me or
you will be taken prisoner or killed.
Not much, old man; here. open
your mouth and take swig of this"
The sun which had risen so bright
ly upon our hopes went down sadly
on defeat, and darkness closed
around the grove, and still the man
sat there, watching over the helpless
boy. After long time he saw the
whiteness of the day stealing gradu-
ally through the leaves, lying In
shafts of light across the green car
pet of grass. He remembered duly
that it was the Fourth of July. He
felt as If the world were dead and no
one was left but him to keep the
ghostly Independence Day that was
climbing over the hills of the east.
Over beyond the western hills the
roll of the old division was being
called and only a thousand voices
made answer. The others had re-
sponded to the last roll call. Thus
the dawn of Independence Day
gloomed over the defeated army in
1863.
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