Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-11-16

wanting? Had he not a second time
 both times in disguise-tisited mo- torious southern sympathizers within our lines? Was not the notebook found in his possession filled with memoranda, sketches, etc., of our field works and forcesJn Maryland? What if he did say he never penciled line of them? Anybody would say that! the president said he, was "soft-heart- ed as summer squash in Sep tember." The president wanted to see young Benton again, did he? What was this story about Benton's appealing to Sheridan for safe conduct through the lines for rebel families with rebel dead? Stanton was quite in the mood to carry out his threat of breaking" Benton then and there, but rather ruefully was he realizing that he would have to take back anoth- CT order, dismissing summarily most gallant young regular, and Stanton hated to take back anything, right or wrong. However, he refused to order Benton to Washington, saying that battle was imminent, that Sheridan needed every man of his staff, and neekly the president succumbed till the fight was over-and then it was Sheri- dan, not Stanton, who sent in our aide de-camp, with hearty praise for his pluck and a shot through the shoulder. Winchester settled the matter for good and all. The president shook the other hand of the tall. bearded Badger and offered him two weeks leave and chance to go home until his arm was out of the sling Benton begged in- stead for q chance to see Chiffon, and the charges against him, and that very day drove Stanton to the verge of ap- ploplexy, for when shown the fatal notebook he said he knew 1t we'll and could swear it was all the work of Paul Ladue and not that of Jack ChiI- ton. Benton could not lift the gate of Lafayette, whither poor Jack had been sent, but he shattered all chance of tAeir lifting the prisoner at the loop of rope, and this news, too, went by devious. but still speedy ways to Charlottesville, where again. on her knees, by her fathers bedside, with her arms about that fathers neck, Ros- allie Chiffon thanked God for his mer- cies, and then found it harder than ever to begin the letter she had long meant to write to Elinor Benton, even though now the sending of it might be impossible.
 One more ride had Benton near the Iron Brigade, after long months of sep aration from them, after many and many day and night in saddle, mud and rain, in sleet and snow, up the Shenandoah, down the James river canal, around Richmond, and then, amidst volleys of chaff and catcalls, around the rear of the entrenched Ar my of the Potomac and out into the dripping woods about Dinwiddie Ore vehement, relentless, resistless day and night ride followed, along tormented flank, and then, that soft, sunshiny April morning, after the weeks of gloom and rain, the curtaining cavalry drew aside, revealing to the now hope less eyes of the great confederate lead CT the barrier ranks of the Fifth corps -the Iron Brigade in their midst. And then, the historic surrender ended, while the blue columns tramped leisure ly nortwrad past the scenes of their 6ercest endeayor, one command, fol- lowing the line of the old Virginia Central, found itself, late in April, marching sturdily into Gordonsville, long time the abiding place of grim un- repentant old wardog Ewell and their veteran antagonists of Jackson's fa- nous corps. Some of these fellows, in worn gray uniforms, were at the sta- tion even now, two of them shaking hands with tall staff officer in blue. We hoped to have Jack here by this time, major said Winston. His re- lease was ordered soon as Gen. Grant got back to Washington, but he had to stay because of-other matters" and a flush of deep embarrassment burned on the southerner's cheek. Even then they could not without grief and shame refer to the great tragedy that stilled even the joy of dawning peace, and hushed forever the voice of him who, with malice toward none, had never failed in boundless charity for all. Jack, though given his liberty, found himself still in need of war department clearance papers that, in all the horror of those mid April days and the ex- citement of the chase for fugitives, were possibly inadvertently withheld. And so it happened that, with other sorrow-stricken Virginians, he was still under detention at Washington, while every nook of the river counties was being searched, and that it should
 be his lot to encounter still further an- noy. A steamer from down the Poto- mac brought in three wounded men, victims of possibly avoidable affray between a searching party and certain fisher people whose huts and sheds had
 been too suddenly visited in the dark ness that precedes the dawn. Shots had been exchanged, due, it was claimed, to the confusion and excite
 ment; but the tall, lank, woe-begone civilian who guided the party and got cnr Ic hie cho ,P