The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-08-28
WHY DAN CAME BACK.

WHY DAN CAME BACK.
Dan Skinner, son of a farmer. had
been lazy young man at home, and
had doubtless enlisted as soldier
thinking he was going to have an easy
pany &c" Third infantry, and it was
not long before everybody discovered
what a shirk he was
There was but little time that a vol
unteer soldier could call his own. There
was drill, guard duty, police duty,
washing, mending, digging and delying,
to say nothing of fighting and march
ing, and when Dan found out that there
was no picnic in it he became a man
with a grievance. The officers gave him
time to get over it and swing into line,
but he grew worse. The day came when
he refused fatigue duty and was sent
to the guard house. From that day for
three months on he was under punish
ment most of the time. He came to be
an object of anxiety to the officers and
an object of contempt to his comrades,
and then he was ready to bring on a
climax. One day he lay on the broad
OF his back in the sun and thought it
all out. He charged the people of the
United States with bringing on the war
for no other purpose than to get him
down to the front and have him killed
He denied the right of the government
to put him to manual labor and abridge
his hours of sleep. He was an ill-fed,
overworked and much-abu sed young
man. He had been singled out for the
! officers spite, and the letters he had
| written to President Lincoln about it
| had remained unanswered.
When Dan had spent an hour in
| thinking he made up his mind that
| there was only one recourse left him
desertion. He would make his way
| back to the old farm in the north and
| to pa and ma and tell them all about
| it, and be looked upon as a martyr. 1t
never occurred TO him that he would
be pursued and was sure to be caught
| sooner or later, or If it did he had a
dim idea that the constable who lived
near his home, and who was friend
of his, was bigger man than the gov
eminent and would see him through.
Two nights later Dan Skinner
lodged the camp sentinels and became
| a deserter. He had selected a route,
but owing to the darkness and a scare
| or two he became confused and finally
held a pretty straight course for the
| position of the enemy. Just at that
point and at that time the two armies
were fifteen miles apart with parties
from each side raiding over the neutral
ground. When Dan had gone ten
miles he realized that he was lost and
| lay down in the bushes to wait for day
Hight. When he awOke he found HIM
| self close to- a log farm house, and
hunger and a desire to be set right as
Ito his road caused him to boldly APP
proach it. He. found a woman and
two children. and a moment later dis
covered that he was among southern
ers. His blue uniform excited surprise
and alarm until he let it be known
that he was alone. When he sat down
to the humble food placed before him
| the woman asked:$ -
tt-=z.ssD DON'T you know tf1atsthe Confed-
crate lines are only five miles away,
/ and that som of our soldiers are rid
ing past here almost every day?"
That's all the better was his re-
17nT 1111t n Styc4
as lief be captured.
do YOU mean that you are de-
serter?''
THAT'S what 1 am. / stood it and
Then 1 walked out of camp. If I
hadn't got lost in the night I should
be on my way home now"
What was it you had to stand %
ooh, everything mean. They was
always wanting me to work like a mig
ger. and when I wouldn't they had me
| in the guard house. didn't enlist to
be a slave. Some one was bOssing me
from morning till night. It was Dan
| do this and Dan do that, and l got
worn out at last"
Have you ever. been in a battle %
asked the woman as she looked at him
in a puzzled way.
mo. ma'am-
'fThen you've never been wounded ?"
| mo"
| you have been clothed and fed and
paid and had no fighting to do as yet
and yet you complain.
| tsWho wouldn't complain if he had
| to carry wood and water, and load and
unload wagons and stand guard and
| all of that? I tell you / never got time
| to read a book nor write any poetry.
drive me to it. Flesh and blood can't
stand only about so much. I'm like
a worm, am. You can pick on me
/ about so long and then I turn
| 1od in md
| pity, and was silent for a moment be-
| fore saying:
..I've got a husband and brother in
| the Confederate army. They are obey
/ ing orders no matter what those orders
are Both have been in battle, and both
have been wounded. They march-they
! fght-they do camp duty. There are
many DAYS when they don't have Suffi-
Gent to eat They have had no pay for
four months. Their uniforms are rag
ged and tattered. All this. and yet they
! haven't deserted nor thought of 1t. Do
| you know what would happen If my
husband should come home a deserter?
| I would drive him back to the army or
shoot him in his tracks!'
/ .'Shoo!" exclaimed Dan, as he looked
up at her and grew very serious
Eyes. sir. I would do it. but thank
lGod he is no such man. Look at your
case. You have a father. mother
other relatives You are young ana
strong You have been called upon to
do nothing that others are not DONG
/ You are lazy; you are fault-fnder;
| YOU want to make out that you are a
| martyr And here you are, deserter.
| from your army, and disgrace and
| perhaps death await you as soon as
caught. You want to desert to our
| side We want no such men. You
would be treated like dog. and you
would deserve it. Put on your cap,
sir Now walk out of the house Now
| turn your face down the road and
walk Keep walking until you come
to your lines, and then return to your
| duties as soldier. You may have to
| work-you may have to die, but for
/ Gods sake work and die like a man
and don't leave disgrace behind youi"
At 10 O'Clock in the forenoon
camp sentry let Dan Skinner sneak in.