The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1905-01-03
FAMILY AFFAIR
Copyright. 1soa. BY c. B. Lewis.l

:sfdman, and be vas the only man
tlnong US who kept close moEthed
iaplt his Identity and his family his
CRY. Some of the men thought there
.as good reason for this. but 1t didn't
ranspirs. that Hardmnn had anything
> be ashamed of. The truth came out
III. day as he was marching and STUN
ling over 1 lad road. and wheu his
a;ience had becoue exhausted he
is.i.
"oaul durn Dan'rs hide. but If l had
I'm hers. I'd waIlop him till he coultin't
p.i.r, WLat on earth did Lee go and
, it for aud bring all this trouble OF
g."
Splne of the boys ASKED him who
,au1 was. and then the mystery was
we'd DanI was II brother who had
ne south and enlisted in the COnfed-
ratr army and was then known to be
:;n,oIIs the troops confronting US.
Reuben was d good Union man
ami wis no loss "a good c~onfedernte.
nj if Reuben cii>Ssai DInl for the war
is adjcriivrs were. supposed to be re-
tlrr..d with interest.
W.. Wondered if it would so happen
hat the wo would meet in battle. but
INV WI ~ az -
Petersburg AS our regiment took the
life pits in the center of Grants lines
me day I;eulmn was one of the men
letailcd for the pits. At this point
Union and Confederate pits We're not
more than - hundr feet apart. and to
show Il head above the earth was sure
death. Reuben had II high pitched
voice. and amy one having heard II
= 4 - - - L. H. afxrIf
1t began raining soon after he ard ,
coinrade had reached the pit, and the
brother soon began the same old TRAD
against Daniel.
Suddenly voice from the Confeder
ate pit opposite shouted out:
Say. now. but slnel my hide If |!
don't know the critter who OWNS that
voice.
"Who be you over ~tilere?' called i;eu
ben as he started up.
"I'm DAM. of course"
you don mean iti'
"Yes, | do. and you are Reube. I'd
know that voice of yours If beard II
in Chiny. Say. old man. how are ye,
and how are all the folks ut home?"
Pm well 'nur. and the folks are well
huff, but I'm powerful mad. What
did you go and turn for and make
all this trouble? You ain got Il
spark Of decency about you. Dun'l
Hardman,"
I'm as good as any old Yankee." re-
piled Daniel.
You amt either. Just let me git
holt Of you. and you'll sing a different
tune. want you to come right over
here and surrender and behave your
self. do you rear neg
Their conversation In the pits was
heard by a score Of men on either side
and first one would cheer and then the
other. When there was a break in the
talk, a Confederate would shout across
Hey thar. Reube. come over to the
house and see Dan'l,'
"You bad boy. Dan'l. come home and
be lickedt' II Federal would shout III
answer. And for an hour the firing
from half a dozen rife pits was sus
pended. When Reuben tool his sec
ond trick in the pit he was 80 eager 70
open communication that he exposed
his head. and a bullet lent his car fly
ing ten feet away.
"Durn your hide. but that was you
Dan'l," he shouted as he crouched
down. Yes. I'll bet 1t was. You hain'l
got no more sense in your head than tC
go and shoot at your brother. though
o 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. Il
thought it was some other Yank. Say.
Reube. did you say that aIl the ok
at home WIS We'll? | hain't heard from
them in "a hull ypar."I
None o. your business how they
are. Anybody mean nun TO go off and
join the rebel army needn't he askin'
about decent folks. I've got a heap
o. things aid up ag'in o. young a
and you'll do n lot of beggin' when !
git holt of You"
but you'll never git holt" replied
Daniel. while all those around him
raised n cheer.
Yes. I will, Grant is Soin' to cap
ture your old army for sure. and then
me an yon will settle things"
Tell General Grant to go to grass
1t was funny what influence thai lit
tie thing had on he opposing rife
otis. 1t came to be known 10 hundreds
Da MEL werr. brothers. and thei names
became household words. They were
on duty only three times before their
respective regiments were relieved. but
tire men who came after them had
something to talk about. All Of u sud
den there would come a Iuil in the
murderuus firing. and a Confederate
would raise his voice and call out:
-Sny. 20 Yank over thar. what has
become of Dan'Ps ~brother?"
"Oh, he's all right" would be an
swered- And how's Danl getting
aiongT'
Hes all right"