The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1904-11-11
THE ENEMY'S
REINFORCEMENT


[Original.1
why don't you shell that grove,
Captain Birney?" cried the general
angrily, riding up to a battery that was
receiving a heavy fire without reply
ing.
General" stammered the captain,
"do you-must fire into that grove"
The general glared at the officer and
half drew his sword, then, s%heathing
you down for mutiny? Have you lost
your head through cowardice or are
you afraid of hurting the Yankees"
Birney seized the lanyard of one Of
his guns and pulled it SO fercely as
to break it. The shot was a signal for
every gun in the battery to open fire,
and q storm Of shells went crashing
through the trees.
"Now move your guns forward" said
the general, "anl give it to them"
Birney, with . life in death express
sion, advanced his battery, stopping oc-
casionally to empty his guns, till at
last the fire from the grove ceased al
together. The general continued be-
side Birney, directing the operations in
person, and now ordered him to take
his battery through an open gate along
a carriage way past a large dwelling
with colonial pillars in it's front and
place them on the crest of a slope,
looking toward the valley, where the
Federals were in evidence. AS soon
as this was done the commander turn
| ed to Birney and said sharply: @
"Go to the rear under arrest"
General" replied the young officer,
sheathing his sword, 81 crave your
permission to first go into the house
yonder."
"What forY
ssTo see if the inmates are alive"
s1The inmates? What are they to
you|
"The world. There 1 was born. There
less than a year ago l was married. 1t
ID not a week since I received word
/ from my wife that she had in that
very house Just been delivered OF a
son. General, for Gods sake let me go
In and see IL l have killed my wife and
child"
The general stared at the young cap
tain for a moment, then threw himself
from his horse, and the two hurried
into the house. They found desolation
i There was neither sound Of footsteps
nor voice. But bark! The cry of an in
FAINT. With a common impulse they
started forward, Birney leading the
J way, to a door, through which they
passed to the cellar.
! On a wicker lounge lay a young wo
man, her face white as ashes, her eye
!. closed. Standing beside her was +,
: white haired man holding a tumbler
! while kneeling an elderly lady famed
! the invalid or the dead, none knew
! which. At the head of the couch stoo'
a negro nanny rocking in her arms
baby and soothing it with soft words.
In a fury of tears the young HUSBAND
and father, pointing to the livid won
an, exclaimed: E
q "This, general, is what has induce
s. YOU to brand me as a coward. 70
s have forced me to fire on my wife, VIII
s but a few days ago had endured tn
! pains of childbirth-on an innocer
Z babe. You have ordered me to the res
. under arrest. Here is my sword; tax
It. l have no further use for it. l wi
= never draw it again. l wish to God
s had disobeyed your order mi you ha
s. cloven my SKULL" {
:. The general seized the young man
!. hand and whispered hoarsely:
= "Boy, it wasn't 1. 1t was war-grir
p murderous, horrible war-war not II
& Christians, for tends; not for a ia
world, for hell"
81 At the moment there was a cry fro
T. the babe. The mother heard 1t al
s. opened her eyes. There came a ligh
81 ing up Of the white face as she e
81 nized her husband. Then the lids II
g again.
IS A heavy tread was heard on the flo
81 above, and a voice asked for the gene
tx al. An officers face appeared at Il
* head Of the stairway.
8 General" he said, "the Second b
a gade is being cut to pieces. They ne
re-enforcements."
ss "Never mind the Second brigat
8 They are men. Ride, quick, and bri
IL a surgeon-for a woman"
~ The general turned to the gror
E Birney was kneeling beside his wi
e begging her to open her eyes again
- live for his sake. She raised her II
81 languidly and tried to put her arr
ii around his neck, but they would ha
ii fallen limp had he not clasped thu
ii for her. The old lady took the ba
4 from its nurse and placed it with
= father and mother. The old sold
W stood by with bowed head, vainly
~ d~eavoring to keep the moisture FRI
~ his eyes.
ii Then he turned to attend to sterl
ii duties. "
FL The next morning the southt