Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1905-08-17
Copyright. 1907 by c. W. Dillingham; Co.
CHAPTER Xx.-coSrISuED.

III. SulltOur ~ NHOH lie udu
written on almost any pr~ovocation and
who had gratefully and promptly an
swered his S~harpsburg missive, giving
young Pelham's message, now wrote
not at all. He seems sad and brood
ing" said Jack, in the one letter that
young gentleman had managed to
send through since his Incarceration.
Jack "a well enough to resume duty
and most eager for exchange, but ne
sotiations hung fire unaccountably, so
said he, and Benton thought he knew
The reason why. Lounsberry had been
back again in Richmond over six
weeks now, exchanged and restored
to his old and influential post in the
war department. Lounsherry could
be counted on to lose no chance to in
jure the Chiltons, father or son, and
so long as it was possible he would
block all plan to exchange Jack Chill
ton, thereby lending color TO the stories
spread about in Virginia that poor
Jack rather tried to be caught and to
stay caught, such hard fighting as his
fellow Virginians had to do being little
to his taste. 1t would have burned
his heart out with fury had he known
it, but few of us begin to realize the
half of what is whispered to our detri-
ment, else there would be deportation
of sensitive souls or deserved destruc-
ton in the army of detractors. Jack
was nearly mad with misery when told
. Of Sinart'S impr1dapt doch of Cham
bersburg and the second circling of the
Army of the Potomac. He was then
just beginning to stump around quite
comfortably. Elinor and the squire
had returned to the west, the former
with red-rimmed eyes and pallid
cheeks. No n knew how she had
sorrowed over the sad news about
Ladue. 1t was that, though, that
seemed to break the ice of Rosalie's
reserve, for now, for the first time,
the Virginia girl read the secret of her
Wisconsin would-be friend, and melted
to her instantly. 1t was that, though
they rarely spoke his name, that led
to the letters now passing frequently
between them. 1t was through that
correspondence the sisterh BOD began
that. despite trial and trouble, proved
eventually so sure an alliance in time
of need.
But though Elinor wrote in many a
page of her brother, and in only a few
referred to Paul-and then only as
"he" or 'him"-Rosalie would write
only of the latter. Ordinarily this
would have led to resentment and a
breach. Now it did not, for what Rosa
lie had to say was stirring new hope
into the somber current of the western
girls monotOnous life. Rosalie had
amazed and rejoiced her, about the end
of October, by the assurance that she
believed Capt. Lamar to be totally mis-
taken. 1t was true, she admitted, that
Paul Ladue had not been seen with
EwelPs division, but neither had Ew-
ell, as yet-for the latter had not be-
come accustomed to a cork leg-yet she
had tidings from ''friends'-who, she
would not say--that Paul Ladue was
still alive when borne from the awful
front of Gibbons guns, then belching
canister in double rounds. More dead
than alive he looked" said her inform
ant, but while she had no tidings of
his present Whereabouts, neither was
there any record of his death.
All this was presently sent to Fred
on the Rappahannock, and made him
the more eager to communicate with
cnpnn ano a1rncc shot ,,oJnra D,,l;
con-some one who could speak ad-
visedly. But though there were places
near the fOrds up stream where the
cavalry vedettes sat long hours in sad
die, facing, and often within hailing
distance of each other, the orders
against communication of any kind
had become eXacting, for it was evil
dent that Burnside vas marshaling his
grand divisions for a move.
In the early summer time, when he
hated to leave the front and longed to
push on to Richmond or Charlottes-
vile, Benton had been summoned to
Washington. Now, when he longed to
go to Washington, there was prospect
vi q Ii NIAtC uuSu dSluSG IllS nap
pahannock. News of the Chiltons was
sorely disquieting. Rosalie would not
write. Jack, in prison camp, could
not, except to kindred, and the doctor
evidently shrank from writing. 1t
was a winter of courts-martia at the
capital, and several such tribunals
were in session, trying officers of vari-
u grades. Many new regiments had
come and were held about the city
until suitably drilled and disciplined.
AS a consequence the avenues again
were alive with uniforms, the hotels
crowded, and many thrifty households
were coming money taking boarders.
Mention has been made of DR.. Chill
toms sister, with whom they were
again dwelling after their return from
the summer seashore. Being only
moderately well-to-do, and besieged
with applications, she had yielded to
pressure and let two of her rooms to
officers sojourning in the city. Then
n Of these, ordered west, begged
leave to present a successor, a major
OF a new regiment, who, being a
smart" lawyer, had been assigned to
duty as a judge advocate of a court
for the trial of officers of AMI in the
volunteers. When the squire wrote
that McKinnon had been appointed
major Of a newly raised regiment and
ordered with it to Annapolis, Fred
Benton felt, Sc great was his antipa-
thy, a vague sensation Of annoyance
and chagrin. Three weeks later when
Col. Golf, Of the --teenth, came down
to pay the Iron Brigade a two-days'
visit, the young staff officer was con-