The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1903-07-16
Two Flags, One Bible.

Two Flags, Ono Bible.
James Cheney was student Of Ober-
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 un-
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 regi-
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.
1t 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 Meritorious Service at
the Battle Of Fort Donelson." But in
the little Bible the inscription still read,
u. W. Cheney, First Lieut.. 47th 1.
W
Then came the Battle of Pittsburg
Landing, with the sudden onset Of
the Confederates. and Captain Cheney
hastily committed his effects to boy
in the regiment and hurried with hia
company to the front. All that long
Sunday the 47th Illinois fought face
to face with Zouave regiment from
Louisiana, and the two moved forward
and back till night. The surgeons
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 few
verses from 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 when
he opened the book.
Many years after the war Doctor
Langworthy went north to Buffalo, to
attend a medical convention, and took
with him the Bible. At Buffalo he,
met his brother, who had been Un-
ion 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 brief item.
A copy Of the paper in some way
went to family In Ohio who were
not subscribers, and was used to pa
per the pantry shelf in n farmhouse:
and when the housewife took it off
the shelf to replace it with clean
one. her eye struck the 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 its way to
Captain Cheney, and the Bible was
TO him, still clean and whole,
and showing the result of constant
care. The correspondence that fol-
lowed between the surgeon in Louis
lana and the captain in Illinois show
ed how the hearts of both men had
been drawn near together by the little
red book. Forty-one years from the
day when Lieutenant Cheney led his
over the mud walls Of Fort
Donelson, the old soldier, then lying
sick. drew forth and showed to
friend the little book that he had 'rlov-
ed long since and lost a while"
The photograph Of the little girl.
still living. is yet on the 1y-leaf. and :
inside the cover is pasted the clipping
from the county paper; and within the
other cover is the letter of the Con-
surgeon, telling how he kept
and read the little book when the other
flag flew over it. THANK God. the war
is over" said the surgeon, "and we
are brothers again.
Taken for Granted.
Charlie Blue tells me he has broken
off with Nell McClincher"