Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1903-09-16
ASH NMoRIEs llnger long in lone

HT7 NMORlES unger long IN lone-
lM! " places. On the remoter plan
tations of the South, the stir
ring events Of the Civil War were still
fresh subject Of conversation long
after they were all but forgotten In
the cities But when, with the de-
@truction OF the Maine, came the posi-
bility Of war with the Spaniard, they
were relegated to place Of minor I'M
portance by the suddenly arising ques-
ton, What ought the South to do
should the controversy really end In
blowB2 1t was question that many
Of the younger men promptly an
gwered by declaring their intention to
volunteer the moment opportunity
should be offered them; but Of the
older ones, those who had fought and
lost An the cause Of the Southern Con-
1ederacy, there were many irreconcil-
ables who bitterly opposed any South
erner's taking part. ut amt ouah
wah. Let tn Nawth do tn fightin',"
they said.
OF the latter party, "Majah" Billiard
was undoubtedly the leader in Parshall
County All day long he would sit in
front of his Office and argue the mat
ter with any and all corners, invaria
bly, concluding with: eve agreed at
Appomattox, sub, tub lay down ouah
aims an quit fghtin', an I'm tee-to-
tally against takin' 'em up again, just
cause tn Nawth needs us now" And
upon one occasion he turned sharply
to a silent listener, seated near his
elbow, and added: CPL bet a boss
t you ali with me on that, amt you,
Little Sam?'
Little Sam, an infant" who stood
six feet three in his stockings, blushed
from the roots Of his tow-colored hair
down into his collar at being thus I'M
expectedly called upon by so great a
man to express an opinion, and in his
confusion stammered an answer that
was only half articulate.
eyes. sub, that's bound tub be yo'
way o. thinkin'," the major went on,
bringing his cane down on the floor
with a thump; "yo' daddy died in my
aims, sub; caught him when he fell,
up thah 'mong tn rocks an Yankee
guns at Gettysburg. He was as brave
q soldier as evan lived, sub, an gen
tleman, an so know t no son O. his
can evan put on tn uniform O. tn man
It killed him. Amt that right, suhY
But Little Sam made no answer; he
lad quietly risen and was walking
way, a look Of trouble on his face.
de had never seen his father, for his
mother had been widow three
months when he was born, but at his
home. hanging beneath a shot-torn
battle-fag Of the Confederacy, was
the picture of a man in gray man
with curling brown hair and fearless
blue eyes, that told him what manner
Of man that father had been. And
from his boyhood up, it had been the
dream, the hope Of his life, that some
day the gray would again be matched
against the blue, so that he might
avenge his death. Growing up shy
and imagina tive as a girl, almost daily
had he gazed at his fathers face and
pictured in his fancy long lines Of
gray-coated men Of whom he would
be one, stirring bugle calls, and the
bands playing Dixie" the wild "reb-
eli yell, and fierce charge, before
which wavering lines Of blue would
break, scatter and disappear. Always
1t was Northerner against Southerner.
Now, however, a foreigner had entered
the lists, insolently throwning down
the gauntlet to America, and he re-
scented 1t as insult to himself, as in
suit TO the South as well as to the
North, and, his bosom swelling with
pride at thought of the mighty power
Of the two sections united, a strange
sensation of friendliness for his cOun-
trymen in the North found Judgment
in his heart. And this feeling daily
grew stronger, until he could no longer
fancy himself aiming his rifle: at
Northern foemen; instead, he would
Gght shoulder to shoulder with them
against common enemy. But now
Major Billiards. words had given a
rude shock to this pretty picture; they
brought it home TO him that every SOL
der of the Union must wear the Union
blue.
And could he bring himself to put on
the uniform Of the man who had killed
his father, he asked himself as he
walked away. Though a man In years
and stature, he was, nevertheless. a
boy In heart and mind, and so he pom
dered the matter for days and weeks
without reaching an answer. Finally
ne took into his confidence big" Sam,
q cousin somewhat smaller than him
self, but whose ten years seniority
caused him to be distinguished as the
larger.
"Haw! haw! haw!" the latter laughed
In good-natured ridicule; $50 that's
what's been maxim you look so hang
dog fuh month past, is It? I thought
Il was all cause somebody cut you out
q yo' sweetheart, I'll be jumped up
II didn't Now look a-heah, Budd,"