Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1905-11-09

tuG bOuIu VI Ulc anu uTutu uISl tuc
pomp of military preparation. l had a
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 a cloud OF tobacco smoke. The
train was sidetracked here and there
and dragged along Mt n slow pace.
Young men with no appreciation. as 1t
seemed to me. of the sad business we
were off upon went roistcring up and
down the aisles. drinking ont Of bottles
and chasing around the train as it halt
ed. These jewellers grew quiet ms 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. I had already given ny my life for
my country. I vas only going away
now to get as dear "A price for 1t as pos
eible in the blood Of its enemies. When
and where would it he taken? I o
dered. The fear had mostly gone out
OF me in days and nights of solemn
thinking. The feeling I had. with its
flavor of religion. Is what has made the
volunteer the mighty soldier he has
ever been. l take II. since Naseby and
Narston Moor. The soul is the great
~nNAAs~ H~1 .,.:.I =. ..,.A -.,- "a ,-s1I
warm it's sword in the enemy. however
he may be trained to thrust and parry.
In my sacrifice there was but one
reservation-I hoped I should not be
horribly cut with Il sword or a bnyo.
net. ] had written Il long letter to
Hope. who was yet ut I.eipsir. won.
dered II she would care what became
Of Inc. I got II sense of comfort think
ing I would show her that ! was no
coward with all my littlcncsS. I had
not been abb TO write 10 Uncle Eh o.
to my fath".' ~ lGother in any serio;l
tone Of m cling in this enterprise
had trea , il us II kind OF holiday
from whici should return shortly +,
visit them.
All about me seemed to be sleeping
Some of them were talking in the.
dreams. AS it grew light one after al
other rose and stretched himself. rous
Eng his seat companion. The train halt
ed. A mar shot a muskct voice in n;
the car door. II was loaded with the
many syllnbles OF "Annapolis juno
ton We We're pouring ont Of til,
train shortly to bivouac for l"rahfasi
in the depot yard. So l began the lif,
of a soldier, and how it ended will.
me many have read in better book
than this, but my story OF 1t Is here.
and only here.
We went into am there o the lone
~ flats Of cast Maryland for a day or
two, as We supposed. but really for
quite two weeks. In the long delay
that followed my way travcrsed tho
dead levels OF routine. Whei. soutl.
ern sympathy had ceased 10 wreak II
wrath upon the railroads about Bait
more we pushed on to Washington
There ! got letters from Uncle Eh ana
Elizabeth Brewer. The former / have
now in my box Of treasures. a torn ana
faded remnant Of that dark period.
Dear sir" it said the 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 n 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 40 you
haint used her right. Shes a comm
HON in July. Sowed corn to day in
the gardin. David Is of byin catul. !
hope God will take care NV you. boy
30 good by from yours truly
"EBEN HOLDEN"
wrote Immediately to Uncle Eb
md told him Of the letters l had sent
b Hope and Of my effort to see her.
Late In May, after Virginia had Sc.
eeded, some 10000 of us were sent over
to the south side Of the Potomac. where
for weeks we tore the Howery fields
lining the shore with long intrencl.
ments.
Meantime ! wrote three letters to Mr.
Greeley and had the satisfaction Of see.
ing them In the Tribune. ! took much
Interest in the camp drill, aN before
we crossed the river I had been raised
TO the rank of FIRST lieutenant. Every
day we were looking for the big army
Of Beauregard. camping below Center
vile, some thirty miles south. Almost
every night n nervous picket set the
camp In uproar by challenging II phan
tom Of bis imagination. We were al
impatient as hounds In leash. Since
they would not come up and give II.
battle, we wanted to he OF and have Il
out with them. And the people were
tired Of delay. The cry of ste boy!
was ringing all owe the north. They
wanted to cut us loose and be through
with dallying.
Well. n night the order came; W.
were to 60 south in the morning-3O,OOt
of us-and put an end to the war. W.
did not get away until afternoon. L
was the 18th Of July. When we were
o6, horse and foot. 80 that ! could Sc,
miles Of the blue column before ant
behind me, I felt sorry for the mistak
IN south. On the evening of the 18Th
bur camphres on either side Of the pix
1t Centervill. glowed like the lights O
city. We knew the enemy vas neal
Ind began to feel n tightening Of thu