Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1905-07-11


the sound Of fife and drum and the
pomp of military preparation. had
very high and mighty feeling in me
that wore away In the discomfort of
travel. For hours after the train start
ed we sang and told stories and ate
peanuts and pulled and hauled at each
other In cloud Of tobacco smoke. The
train was sidetracked here and there
and dragged along at slow pace.
Young men with no appreciation, as it
seemed to me, of the sad business we
were OF upon went roistering up and
down the aisles, drinking out Of bottles
and chasing around the train as It halt
ed. These jewellers grew quiet as the
night wore on. The boys began to close
their eyes and lie back for rest. Some
lay In the aisle, their heads upon their
knapsacks.
The air grew chilly, and soon could
hear them snoring all about me and the
chatter Of frogs in the near marshes.
I closed my eyes and vainly courted
sleep. A great sadness had lain hold Of
me. had already given up my life for
my country. was only going away
now to get as dear a price for 1t as pos
sible in the blood Of Its enemies. When
and where would 1t be taken? won
dered. The fear had mostly gone out
Of me in days and nights Of solemn
thinking. The feeling had. with its
flavor of religion, is what has made the
volunteer the mighty soldier he has
ever been, take 1t. since Naseby and
Marston Moor. The soul Is the great
captain, and with just quarrel 1t will
warm Its sword In the enemy, however
he may be trained to thrust and parry.
In my sacrifice there was but one
reservation--I hoped should not be
horribly cut with a sword or bayo-
net had written long letter to
Hope. who was yet at Leipsic. won
dered IL she would care what became
of me. got sense OF comfort think
ing I would show her that was no
coward with all my littleness I had
not been able to write to Uncle Eb or
to my father or mother In any serious
tone Of my feeling in this enterprise.
had treated 1t as kind Of holiday,
from which I should return shortly to
visit them.
All about me seemed to be sleeping.
Some of them were talking in their
dreams. As 1t grew light one after an
other rose and stretched himself, rous-
Ing his seat companion. The train halt
ed. A man shot musket voice In at
the car door. It was loaded with the
many syllables of Annapolis juno
tion." We were pouring out Of the
train shortly to bivouac for breakfast
In the depot yard. So began the life
Of soldier, and how it ended with
me masJ have read in better books
than this. but my story Of it is here,
and only here.
We went into camp there on the lone
" fats Of east Maryland for day or
two. as we supposed, but really for
quite two weeks. In the long delay
that followed my way traversed. the
dead levels Of routine. When south
ern sympathy had ceased to wreak its
wrath upon the railroads about Balti-
more we pushed on to Washington.
There got letters from Uncle Eb and
Elizabeth Brewer. The former have
now in my boz Of treasures, a torn and
faded remnant Of that dark period.
"Dear sir" 1t said Che always wrote
me in this formal manner), II take my
pen in hand to lett you know that we
are all wei. also that we was sorry
you could not come HON. They took
on terribul. Hope she wrote letter.
Said she had not herd from you. also
that somebody wrote to her you was
goin' to be married. You oughter write
her letter, Bill. Looks to me so you
haint used her right. Shes comm
HON in July. Sowed corn to day in
the gardin. David is of byin catul. I
hope God will take care Nv you, boy.
so good by from yours truly
"EBEN HOLDEN"
| wrote Immediately to Uncle Eb
and told him Of the letters had sent
to Hope and Of my effort to see her.
Late in May, after Virginia had Sc
coded, some 10000 Of us were sent over
to the south side Of the Potomac, where
for weeks we tore the fowery fields
1 lining. the shore with long intrench-
ments.
Meantime wrote three letters to Mr.
Greeley and had the satisfaction Of see
Ing them in the Tribune. I took much
interest in the camp drill, and before
we crossed the river had been raised
to the rank Of hrst lieutenant Every
day we were looking for the big army
Of Beauregard. camping below Center
vile, some thirty miles south. Almost
every night nervous picket set the
camp in uproar by challenging phan-
tom of his imagination. We were all
/ impatient as hounds in leash. Since
they would not come up and give US
i battle, we wanted to be of and have 1t
out with them. And the people were
Tired Of delay. The cry Of sSte' boyp
was ringing all over the north. They
!, wanted to cut us loose and be through
!; with dallying.
! Well. one night the order came; we
were to go south in the morning 80 900
! of us-and put an end to the war. We
did not get away until afternoon. 1t
was the 18th of July. When we We're
of, horse and foot, so that could see
miles of the blue column before and
behind me, ! felt sorry for the mistak-
en- south. On the evening of the 18th
our campfires OH either side of the pike
at Centeryille glowed like the lights of
city. We knew the enemy was near
and began to feel q Tightening of the
nerves. I wrote letter to the folks at
home for postmortem delivery and put
it into my trousers pocket. A friend in
my company called me aside after
(, mess.