The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1903-09-17
TheGir1 With
the Flag
Ey MRS. GEN. GEORGE E. PICKETT


II HE long lines OF infantry neo
swept up through the green val
leys of southern Pennsyl, ania and
were weariedly marching northward
to 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 off his ragged
cap, wiped the pers piration from his
face and looked over at little cot
tage with its 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 chair that the
whole army might see it and waved it
defiantly 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 ne wheeled his
black battle horse out of line, lifted
his cap, bowed to the warlike maid
and saluted the flag she bore. 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 colors. The
leader rode forward to his place and
the long line moved on.
"She is little fighter" thought
the boy who had waved his cap to
her. II should like to have her for q
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 Go 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 hi
fell in love with the guerrilla
daughter and came near b ing shot
for spy? Some day shivers viii
have fatal attack of love and Gen
Lee will quit lying awake nights try
ing to keep at the head + the army
in the light of Shiver's increasing
military fame"
Military fame, indeed!" growlet
rugged veteran. "All the fame Jacl
Shivers will ever get will be fol
writing verses and singing love song'
with guitar accompaniments.'
All the while they were marching
on-they who dreamed Of home ant
love, they who professed lofty
scorn for sentimentalit, ,es, and the.
who went silently to the field where
on cause was to die.
On the morning of the third poo
Jdck SnlVerS was GQe OF t1t Sc WnS
lay behind the low. long hill ant
looked eastward into the space be
tween two ranges of fire-crowne'
peaks. A man was crouched dow
beside him with his hand res ing OF
his shoulder. Neither spoke, bu
there was comradeship in the toucl
that told of love greater than mel
put into words.
Beyond the crest they waited a
I the slow hours went by-Naited til
the order came, and they went dow
into the valley of death. What the,
did on that fatal field of Gettysbur
is inscribed on the page of history
In the beginning of the retrea
Jack Shivers was wounded. The over
whelming force of the enemy wer
closing in from every point.
He is dead" thought the man. H
esscarce noticed the shower Of ball