Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-10-15

ndu announced his intention OF making
his way to Mobile After that-who
could say2
And Fred, too, Elinor's stanch ally
and supporter, was gone. Denied a
commission in the earlier regiments of
his native state, for the reason that
the men demanded the right to elect
their officers from among these en-
listing with them, course which his
rather had forbidden, he had found life
well nigh unbearable after the almost
tragic events of that night in June,
and so boldly wrote long, urgent, ap-
peallng letter to a general oft1cer--an
old soldier Of the old army-who,
since before the days of the Mexican
war and until recalled to active service
in the spring of 81. had made the
Eadger state his home. and that vehe-
ment, vigorous letter the general took
and laid before the president himself.
This was before the first serious
eye-opener-the battle of Bull Run,
and the tall, ungainly son of the west
was still able to see the whimsical side
Of things, untinged by the infinite and
suffering of the days to come.
Wants to be soldier and to sink
the law, does he?" said the president,
stretching his long, lean legs under
meath the table and running his huge
hand through the crop of bristling hair
that crowned his forehead like a
hedgerow, "and the squire won't let
him enlist met Benton once at
R!ce's caravanserai there in Chicago
and the boys won't have anybody that
doesn't start even with them? Well,
general, see only one way out of this
flx-that is to make him second lieu
tenant of regulars, unless" he contin-
ued, with twitch about the corners
OF his broad mouth, unless I appoint
him brigadier general. According to
some of the papers 1 may have done
worse. Which shall it be-"
"The second lieutenancy will appeal
to him, l think, SIR" said the general,
and then l can appoint him aide-de-
camp and teach him practical soldier
ing so that he won't be utterly novice
when he goes to his regiment. know
the lad and am under many an obli-
CATION to his father
so be it, said the president. And
SO 1t happened that two days later
there came to Fred wire from Wash
ington bidding him join his general
there forthwith, and within another
48 hours he was gone. For few days
in mid July he was home again as aide
to the general, who had been ordered
thither to help the state authorities
in the organization of still more regi-
ments. Tall and stiff and "swagger"
he looked in his eastern-made uniform,
q vivid contrast to many an old school
friend whose first blue frock coat
seemed more like an off-color edition
OF some clerical garment than the garb
OF a soldier. Fearfully and wonder
fully were they made-those uniforms
OF our western volunteers, and much
did they of the great army about
Washington marvel and make merry
at the sight of the officers of tho few
raeimants from Badger and Hoosier
dom chosen to represent their states on
the sacred soil" of eastern Virginia.
And about the first thing Fred Ben
ton had done on his return was to
snub, If not actually insult, his fathers
junior partner, between whom and that
father relations were already severely
strained.
Never yet had George McKinnon
been able to satisfactorily explain how
that letter addressed to Paul Ladue
had come into his possession. Impor-
tant as it doubtless was held to be- as
evidence of Ladue's active sympathy
with the rebellion, there were not a
few responsible citizens who declared
the postmaster gravely culpable for
surrendering it to any but the lawful |
owner. Whereat the postmaster on
nearing OF the cry against him came |
out with card in the Waterman" I
insisting that the letter had been
placed by the distributing clerk in the
Ladue box, which was at least six feet I
from the general delivery window, and
that neither he nor any one of the
employees had subsequently touched it.
Naturally matters looked squally for
He had been popular, but
the better class of people felt that
Paul Ladue had been harshly, even
dealt with, and that Nc
kinnon's insidious, if not fiery,
speeches were the direct cause
A revulsion of feeling had set in.
Before leaving for Washington there
lad been ample time for Fred Benton
o spread abroad Ladue's declaration
hat nothing would persuade him to
last his lot with. the south.
Such was the state of feeling that
iale, the would-be heroic leader OF pub.
ic sentiment, awoRe to the fact that :t
night be wise for him to cross the
AXE and visit l1ith and kin among the
for city officials had come
nd asked ugly questions, and there
vas talk of arrest and indictment TO,
netting riot.
McKinnon called at the Bentons and
sked to see Miss Elinor, and Miss
Ilinor asked to be excused. Benton
aDinr apnrnynd har oor d,,a4 g.,