The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1904-11-16
THE ENEMY'S
REINFORCEMENT
IOriginal.l

Captain Birney!N cried the general
angrlly, riding up to battery that was
receiving 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, sheathing
1t, Kissed: do you want me TO cut
you down for mu.iny? 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 fiercely as
to break it. The shot was signal for
every gun in the battery to open fire,
and storm of shells went crashing
through the trees.
Nov move your guns forward" said
the general, "and 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
q carriage way past large dwelling
with colonial pillars in it's front and
place them on the crest of 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,
oheathing his sword, 81 crave your
permission to first go into the house
yonder."
."What for?"
''To see if the inmates are alive"
"The inmates? What are they to
you?"
'"The world There was born. There
less than year ago was married. 1t
Is not 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 if l have killed my wife and
child"
The general stared at the young cap
tain for moment, then threw himself
from his horse, and the two hurried
into the house. They found desolation.
There was neither sound Of footsteps
nor Voice But bark! The cry of an in
FAINT With common impulse they
started forward, Birney leading the
way, to a door, through which they
passed to the cellar.
On wicker lounge lay young wo-
man, her face white as ashes, her eyes
closed. Standing beside her was a
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 stood
q negro nanny rocking in her arms u
baby and soothing it with soft words
In fury of tears the young husband
and father, pointing to the livid WON
an, exclaimed:
"This, general, is what has induced
you to brand me as a coward. YOU
have forced me to fire on my wife, WHO
but few days ago had endured the
pains of childbirth-on an innocen
babe You have ordered me to the real
under arrest. Here is my sword; take
It, / have no further use for it. VII
never draw it again. | wish to God
had disobeyed your order and you hat
cloyen my skull"
The general seized the young man.
hand and whispered hoarsely:
"Boy, it wasn't l. 1t was war-grin
murderous, horrible war-war not TO
Christians, for tends; not for fai
world, for hell"
At the moment there was q cry fror
the babe The mother heard 1t an
opened her eyes There came light
ing up of the white face as she recol
nized her husband Then the lids fe
again
A heavy tread was heard on the foe
above, and voice asked for the gene
al. An officers face appeared at tn
head of the stairway.
General" he said, ''the Second br
.gade is being cut to pieces. They nee
re-enforcements."
.sNeyer mind the Second brigad
They are men. Ride, quick, and brir
a surgeon-for a woman"
The general turned to the grou
Birney was kneeling beside his VIII
begging her to open her eyes AGAIN
\ live for his sake. She raised her lii
languidly and tried to put her arm
around his neck, but they would ha'
fallen limp had he not clasped the
for her. The old lacy took the bal
from its nurse and placed 1t with
father and mother. The old soldl
stood by with bowed head, vainly e
deavoring to keep the moisture fro
his eyes.
Then he turned to attend to stern
duties.
The next morning the southe
forces withdrew from the field a
moved southwark. The young wi
and mother was so far recovered tn
Birney, though permitted by the g
~ sral to remain with her, stuck by
command.
The general could never be brous
70 look complacently upon his havi
ordered a husband and father to !
a his wife and newborn babe.