Connecticut western news., 1904-09-01
A FAMILY AFFAIR
tCopyright. 1903. by c. B. Lewisl

Copyright 1903. by c. B. Lewis
 We had with us in c company a man about forty years old named Reuben Hardman, and he was the only man among us who kept close mouthed about his identity and his family bis. tory. Some of the men thought there was good reason for this, but it didn't transpire that Hardman had anything to be ashamed of. The truth came out one day as he was marching and stun. bling over a bad road, and when his patience had become exhausted he said:
 "Gaul durn Dan'l's hide, but if had him here I'd wallop him till he couldn't holler! What on earth did he go and do it for and bring all this trouble on meY'
 Some of the boys asked him who Dan1 was, and then the mystery was solved. Dan1 was a brother who had gone south and enlisted in the Confed crate army and was then known to be in among the troops confronting us. If Reuben was a good Union man DanI was no less a good Confederate, and if Reuben eussed Dan'l for the war his adjectives were supposed to be re- turned with interest.
 We wondered If, 1t would so happen that the two would meet in battle, but time went on until we got around to Petersburg. As our regiment took the rifle pits in the center of Grants lines one day Reuben was one of the men detailed for the pits. At this point Union and Confederate pits were not more than n hundred feet apart, and to show head above the earth was sure death. Reuben had a high pitched voice. and any one having heard 1t could identify him in the darkest night. It began raining soon after he and comrade had reached the pit, and the brother soon began the same old tirade against Daniel.
 Suddenly d voice from the Confeder- ate pit opposite shouted out:
 Say, now, but shuck my hide if don't know the critter who owns that voicel'
 "who be you over therer called Reu- ben as he started up.
 "I'm DanI, of course"
 "You don't mean it!'
 "Yes, I do, and you are Reube. I'd know that voice of yours if heard 1t in Chiny Say, old man, how are ye, and how are all the folks at homer
 Pm we'll huff. and the folks are well huff. but I'm powerful mad. What did you go and turn rebel for and make all this trouble? You hain't got spark of decency about you, Danl Hardmanw
 Tin as good as any old Yankee" re- piled Daniel.
 You ain't either. Just let me git holt of you, and you'll sing a different tune. I want you to come right over here and surrender and behave your self. Do you hear mep
 Their conversation in the pits was heard by score of men on either side, and first one would cheer and then the other. When there was a break in the talk, Confederate would shout across:
 "Hey thar, Reube, come over to the house and see Dan'lp
 'You bad boy, Danl, come home and be Iickedr' Federal would shout in answer. And for an hour the firing from half dozen rife pits was sus pended. When Reuben took his sec ond trick in the pit he was so eager to open communication that he exposed his head, and bullet sent his cap fly ing ten feet away.
 "Durn your hide, but that was you. Dan'l!" he shouted as he crouchcd down. "Yes, I'll bet it was. You hain't got no more sense in your head than tc go and shoot at your brother, though you couldn't hit a barn ten feet away"
 ''That you. Reube?" called Daniel.
 ''Of course it's me. What you askin such silly questions for? You never did know beans, even before you ran away and joined them rebels"
 Don't git mad" said Daniel. "I thought it was some other Tank. Say. Reube, did you say that all the folks at home was well? I hain't heard from them in hull year"
 None O your business how they are. Anybody mean 'nuff.to go off and join the rebel army needn't be askin' | about decent folks. I've got a heap O things laid up agin you, young man. and you'll do a lot of beggin' when I git holt of you.'
 But you'll never git holt" replied Daniel, while all those around him raised cheer.
 "Yes, will. Grant is goin' to cap ture your old army for sure, and then me an you will settle things"
 ''Tell General Grant to go to grass" It was funny what influence that lit- | tie thing had on the opposing rifle | pits. It came to be known to hundreds of men on each side that Reuben and Daniel were brothers, and their names became household words. They were on duty only three times before their respective regiments were relieved, but the men who came after them had something to talk about All of sud den there would come a Hull in the nurderous firing, and a Confederate would raise his voice and call out: Say, yo' Tank over thar, what has become of Dan'rs brother?" | "Oh, he's all rightr' would be an swered. And how's Dan'I getting along?"
 Hes all right"
 All through the last days of the fighting'Reuben looked for Daniel, but it was only at Appomattox that he found him among the men whose brave fight was over at last. As Daniel | grounded his musket and looked at the flag he had fought for Reuben step- ped up to him with extended hand and | said:
 "So I have found ye at last, have IT Now, then, you shake hands and begin to be.decent and come along home | with me and see what fathers got to