Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1905-03-08

! men for whom the surgeons were do
ing their best, but so very many
seemed past help. Along the pike the
Georgians, too, lay thick, and gray
uniformed officers moved to and fro
among them, or conversed in low tones
| curiously scanning from time to time
the two or three staff officials in blue
who followed the surgeons, pencil and
notebook in hand. Suddenly the talk
! ing ceased, for, issuing from a narrow
roadway that trended westward from
the pike, there came a tall, command
ing-looking officer, gray bearded. yet
/ alert, soldier who acknowledged
with grave courtesy the salutes that
! greeted him on every hand. Men
spranS to their feet and gaZed at him
almost in alteration. Even the wound
ed strove to rise. Some few hailed him
with feeble, childish voices. AS for
Benton and his two associates, they
needed not the little group of staff and
| orderlleS to confirm them in their be-
llet. They knew him at a glance-the
| great virginia leader-and Benton in
stantly, the others following, stepped
forward and stood at salute Lee saw
1t, and turning so as to half face the
northerners, with punctilious courtesy
lifted his hat, then quickly refined back
as a dust-covered, battle-stained bat
terry came juggling out from the lane
and, turning into the highway, pulled
YEARLY on to where the spires of the
Mary land town pierced the blue be-
You'd the southwark wood. Jaded and
worn were the horses, black and pow
der-stained the men, and of a sudden
one OF these, slender stripping, jog
ging along beside his gun, caught sight
OF the group of horsemen, darted from
his place to where the commanding
| general, the picture of the soldier and
| the gentleman, sat in saddle at the
roadside, and there, with boyish laugh,
held forth grimy hand. It's Bob"
he cried. Don't you know me,
father?' And Lee, the cavalier, bent
low and with love and tenderness. with
who can say what pride and rejoicing,
clasped the hand of the private soldier
In the Rockridge artillery, his gallant
younger. son. In what other army
would one see the like of that!
Then the general rode on toward the
bunker church, where still the men of
Jackson lay in readiness, and then up
rose rank after rank with mighty shout
that marked his onward going adown
the weary yet intensely loyal line until
lost within the distant walls of Sharps-
burg. Despite the dire carnage of the
day of battle, there beat no soldier
heart in all the southern host that was
not true to Lee.
| Presently, as the time accorded for
their sad mission had well nigh ex-
PRED, Benton was aware of a young
officer, in the uniform of the horse ar
tillery, who had been chatting with
comrades across the way, and now. dis
mounting, stepped briskly toward him.
lifting iaunty forage cap.
Your pardon, sir" he courteously
spoke. is this Capt. Benton who
visited Charlottesville not long ago?
My name is Pelham" and there was
just the suspicion of G. smile in the
keen young face.
Captive, but not captain" an
swered Benton, with responsive grin.
though the mention of the name was
something that put him on his guard
What was it young Winston had said
about Maud Pelham and Resale? This
must be the boy captain of the name,
or whom he had heard so much-Jeb
Stuarts crack light gunner.
Yes, | have cousins there" con-
tnued Pelham, as though reading Ben
tons thoughts. But it is long since
we met You are the man, as / hap
pen to know, who showed so much
courtesy to Lieut.. Winston. as we'll as
| in IonE Chiffon
a favor if you should see Dir. Chiffon
and that is, tell him for me that the
men at the front utterly disapprove the
doinSs of that self-styled citizens com
mttee at the rear. Those people," he
went on disdainfully, ARE too old or
too feeble-minded to fight like men.
They stab like women"
1t will comfort them-or rather tn e
doctor-to get such a message from
you, Capt Pelham" answered Ben
ton. almost eagerly. land / shall see
that he does get it. / shall write at
once. You can do me favor, too. if
you viii. An old school friend Of mine.
Paul Ladue, is a staff officer in EwelPs
division. Give him a greeting for me.
will you?"
'Ladue," said Pelham. his fine fea-
lures clouding instantly. Il fear-I
heard Oh, Capt. Lamar" he called.
what Lieut.. Ladue was it brought tn at
note Wednesday morning to Gen.
Stuart?"
Paul Ladue. Eleventh Alabama. -"
was the prompt answer. KILLED right
here in front Of the battery not half an
hour afterwards"
CHAPTER Xxx
4 CRY FROM THE AMBULANCE.