Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1904-11-11

luctantly riding away from Manassas.
More for exercise and the name Of the
thing than with the idea of a fight,
Little Mac" had sent his big corps
forward to the scene of McDOwelPs
defeat Of the previous July, and for
whole day Fred Benton and his Badger
comrades wandered about the juno
ton, the Henry house, the WarrentOn
pike and the old Stone Bridge, gather
ing relics and Information, and it was
while so occupied that squad of busy
searchers had stumbled on two or
three boxes in an abandoned hut
boxes that when burst open were found
to contain letters, papers and clothing
belonging TO men Of the Eleventh Ala
bama, and as luck would have it, to
First Lieut.. Paul Ladue.
Now, what have you got to say?'
demanded officers Of the Montgomery
guard. home company, as one Of
them shook under Benton's paling
face an open letter addressed to Ladue.
VIII you own up that he was a reb
all the timer
No said Benton sadly. He would
have remained there taking care of his
old father if it hadn't been for that
mob and more than one OF your men
was in it, Capt O'kane, as you very
well know
Eight months had passed and the
matter of that purloined letter was as
deep a mystery as ever. and now here
at Manassas, and. of all others, to the
men of the Badger brigade had come
confirmation of the statement insisted
on by McKfnnon and denounced as lie
and forgery by Paul Ladue-that the
fiery young southerner was actually
an officer of the Eleventh Alabama
The absent are ever in the wrong, and
with sad heart poor Fred listened to
the chorus Of denunciation that fol-
lowed the discovery. He knew that
within 4S hours a dozen letters would
be flying homeward with the exciting
news. so what was the use of attempt
ing to suppress it?
B. his generals advi-e he wrote &c
his father forthwith, telling him OF the
finding of letters and luggage belong
ing TO Paul, the letters all tending &c
show that be was now an officer OF tbs
Eleventh Aiabama-but that he, Fred
still believed PauI's statement to the
| commission nor appointment up tC
| the time he was banished from his
northern home The general added
some words OF his own. and then as
| q courier was to start for Washington
| from McDoweITs headquarters tha-
| evening. Fred was given leave to ride
| thither. and thereby assure their let
| tiers going ahead Of the others
II was an unusually bright and beau
| tiful afternoon. as, followed Dy his Or
| derry, the young officer took the Sud
| ley Springs road and trotted away
| northward in search OF the corps COM
| mander. As he came in view Of the
| now famous Henry house and the
| cleared fields up the slope to the right
| it lacked two hours to sunset He was
/ now barely a mile from the Warren
| ton pike and. with abundant time tl
1 spare, he decided to ride TO the crest
and have q look at the battle ground
| Of the previous year In front OF him
loo yards away, stood the old Virgins
| homestead about whose walls the bat
tie RACED that hot July Sunday q fhe
i year gone by-beneath whose shattered
roof the poor mother died. stricken
[ by whirring fragments Of shen Ridins
fhither and skirting the enclosure, ID
PISSED on. unchecked By silent salut-
| ing guafdsmen, and a. he rode some
j thing prompted him TO glance toward
| the house asain. and there at . 5agged
shell hole, 5Ist Und=r TIE caves peer
ing at him between the shattered clap
boards. his Teen eyes caught an instant
glimpse o. hsscard facsa face d at
a. his ylaHra ~as 517~7tiv vs-h5rsvu
Three minutes Ia1er- OFT On the
no,thvard edge OF the riztzsu- he N
ts1urg his feld-EIass 10 study tie esu-