Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1905-03-24


camps beyond the Shenandoah and I'M
loaded at their humble doorway. NOT
the expected and hated guards. but a
box of ice. packed in sawdust. and
certain supplies from the commissariat.
Then, while brace of soldiers were at
tending to these, a gifted young physi-
clan on Sheridan's stan was gravely
studying the tossing patient Nor did
charity end her@but details are IN
necessary The mother accepted all
with wondering and fearful gratitude,
the almost hopeless girl with humbIed
and sorrowing spirit. and even the
. doomed soldier himself, when con-
sciousness returned. was teo weak to
resent or refuse, and so childiike and
broken that he could only bury his bag
gard face in the poor mothers breast
and sob out the story of his shame
and eontrition-
1t was through Sheridan's lines and
Benton's help they bore him away to
his last resting place when the solemn
struggle was over. 1t was at Cherlottes-
vile again that Maud Pelham and
Rosalie met beside the grave, and
that later, On her knees, her face buried
in the lap of the once imperious queen,
poor, humbled, heart-broken girl
sobbed out in turn her own sad story
and LOunsberry'S confession, little
dreaming that it would send still an
other to her knees, praying not alone
for mercy for the repentant dead, not
alone for the rescue, the safety, OF
beloved brother, but even for heavens
blessing on an enemy to Virginia and
the sacred cause.-The soldier she had
so cruelty wronged
He's past prayin' for. bedad," said
the captain of the Montgomerys, of
Benton, about this time-the captain
and most of his men being at home on
veteran furiough. "Ould Stanton's got
the devils own grudge agiD him fur
turnin' up in time to spoil a hangin
all on account av Ladue that's dead"
1t was hardly felicitious, yet surely
concise, way of settling the story. Al
no time during his incum bency was the
great war secretary in so evil a mood
as during the summer of "a. Grant
and Sherman had both pushed south
ward in the face of furious fighting,
yet gold had scared to flights hitherto
unknown-so had the list OF casualties
and a great political party, having
pronounced the war a failure, set per-
haps the greatest failure of the war
at the head of their ticket and started
campaign to down the president
beloved of the people. Then the con-
duct of affairs in the field had slipped
from Stanton's hands. A greater than
Halleck or he was now in calm, mas
terfu1, imperturbable control, while
the head of the department of war had
perforce to be content with managing
matters at the rear, where, it must be
owned, enemies were almost as active
as over the line. Many a military
head he hit that summer and fall
summarily dismissing even regulars
without the form of a trial-some-
times imprisoning Suspects without
sign of a warrant, sometimes sending
whole families into exile, and at ali
times being as overcharged with ex-
plosive shock as a bullying thunder
cloud sailing in search, of object at
which to launch a bolt. The illimitable
humor and patience of the president,
coupled with the unalterable conviction
of the secretary himself that ruin
would follow were he to resign, stood
between the latter and open rupture
would have hanged Jack Chiffon before
the end Of the August moon if it had
not been for Lincoln's restraining
hand. Proof? What more proof was
wanting? Had he not a second time
both times in, disguise-visited no
torious southern sympathizers within
our lines? Was not the notebook
found in his possession filed with
memoranda, sketches, etc, of our field
works and forces in Maryland? What
if he did say he never penciled a line
of tn lem? Anybody would say that
the president, said he, was "soft-heart-
ed as summer squash in Sep
tember.'' The president wanted to
see young Benton again, did he?
What was this story about Benton's
appealing to Sheridan for safe conduct
through the lines for rebel families
with rebel dead? Stanton was quite
in the mood TO carry out his threat
of breaking" Benton then and there,
but rather ruefully was he realizing
| that he would have to take back anoth-
er order, Diminishing summari1y most
gallant young regular, and Stanton
| hated to take back anything, right or
wrong However, he refused to order
Benton to Washington, saying that a
battle was imminent, that Sheridan
needed every man of his staff, and
| meekly the president succumbed till the
fight was Overland then it was Sheri-
dan, not Stanton, who sent in our aide
de-camp, with hearty praise for his
pluck and shot through the shoulder
Winchester settled the matter for good
and all. The president shook the other
hand of the tall. bearded Badger and
offered him two weeks leave and q
chance to go home until his arm was
out of the sling. Benton begged in