Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1905-03-18
CVAPT-R XIV.
LApuE.s LIT RETREAT.

II.
In the two great DAYS taat followed
there was little to DO for the little left
Of the lrcn CT ade. Sore-hearted over
the loss Of so many cherished COM
rades. yet cc1fd NJ that their valor
had not been vaia the survivors hung
silently to thoi~ ASSIGNED position. and
awaited DEVELOPMENTS
And, when the r,nrrow canle, Benton
was early in sS1,l9 md away to the
left of the line. re was bitter and
chafed in s i-it over his wrongs. He
realized that unCer existino conditions
nothing mere then half-hearted &C
acknowledgement OF error co-ld be Loo ed
for. but he had determined that the
moment things settled down and the
department had time to attend TO
something besides the momentous af-
fairs of the nation. he would demand
justice. And now both Wadsworth
and Doubleday had spol en- in heartiest
praise of his behavior throughout that
heroic battle of the first day. So far
so good. What he lonsed for, on one
hand, was a chance to square accounts
with McHinnon. What he hoped for,
on another. was opportunity to teach
| that disdainful girl how deeply she
had wronged, as well as affronted,
him.
He would have known better had he
had time to analyze the chagrin and
pain and jealousy which possessed him
| all the long hours that followed his
| morning talk with some staff COM
rades of the Second corps. 1t seems
| that three days before, on the 29th of
June, while they of the Second were
pushing cautiously northward through
Maryland, they were made aware that
| a column of cavalry was passing
| around them from the south. and that
while they were SWINGING through
Uniontown the cavalry were trotting
| through Westminster, only five miles
| from their flank. "Gregg's division, of
| course said they who saw through
| glasses the far-distant column.
! Gregg, not much!" said Haskell, who
had ridden out toward Union Mills on
| a scout of his own. Its Jeb Stuart
with his whole outfit and not a little of
ours. He must have been helping him
self every mile of his way from the
Potomac And this. indeed. proved
to be the case: for. as they lay in the
| fields about Uniontown that night,
there reached them rueful, crest
1 fallen little party of officers. gathered
in by Stuart at the crossing of the Bal
| timore pike. Two were field officers
who from convalescent hospital were
striving to overtake their regiments;
the third was Mai. McKinnon, ordered
to report without delay to the COM
( handing general, k,rmy of the Poto-
mac; -McKinnon. It seesas. had also
been convalescing in Baltimore, but
| not from wounds. These three, with
their light luggage, had been pounced
upon at wayside tavern by q roister-
ing troop of Stuarts flankers and
| dragged before this cavalry command.
| err. One of the parties presented the
| three captured officers. Stuart invited
his captives to be seated while an
aide took their names, regiments. etc.,
and as McKinnon gave his there was
| sudden sensation. The young cavalry
man sprang forward, seized McKin-
mons hand, shook ii effuSively. and,
to the amaze of every one present, ex-
claimed: Gen. Stuart. | am sure, sir,
you will treat this gentleman with
| every possible consideration. 1t was
he, sir, who SO nobly defended my
father at Washington when Secretary
Stanton would have sent him TO Fort
Warren-and Resale, too. for that
matter. 1t was Mai McKinnon, sir.
who pleaded their cause with the sec
rotary and had them returned to Char
lottesville. 1t was he. sir, who in Other
ways most generously aided them"
Il am glad to hear it, Jack" said the
bearded general. evidently warming to-
ward the westerner who had so be-
friended his kith and Kin. "Of course
you're-sure of it?'
| Sure of it, sir?-I had il from father
and Rosalie both! They had supposed
tEat they were iadebted-or rather that
their helper was a very different per-
on, man whom they had befriended;
| 1t that all turned out to be an error"
| I'd the upshot of il all was, said
| -Askeli, that Stuart sent The three to
'jr lines, the two other officers pa
| 'c.ed until exchanged, but McKinnon,
= Jove, released with Stuart's compli-
1ents, and it's my candid belief, damn
aim, that Mac would a heap rather Re
in Washington on parole than out here
on duty. Shouldn't wonder if Stuart
took his measure before he let him
slide" Manifestly Haskell didn't
fancy McKinnon.
One thing for Benton to ponder over,
therefore, was the question how on
earth had McKinnon in so short a time
been able to persuade that usually
clear-sighted girl to the belief that he
had used such powerful influence in
their behalf
1 But there was still another thing to
add to his chagrin and perplexity.
Col. Kennard. one of the paroled pair,
told Haskell all he had seen of Stuart
and his devil-may-care command, and
much about this young confederate
officer-Chilton, Because" said Ken
nard, Il heard Chiffon say to McKin-
non he was praying that he might yet
meet Capt Benton There was a