Iron County register., 1905-08-31
CHAPTER XXIII.-CoNr1NuEp.

ms. ne ndu grown silent and stern
If not sour. He seemed filled with rest
less, feverish energy, and no sooner was
the main army back from Hooker's
first essay as chief in command, than
he sought and obtained permission to
go scouting with small force of cav
airy among the by-roads and lanes of
the downstream counties. Released
and ordered to resume duty with that
military modification Of the Scotch
verdict. mot guilty, but-don't do it
again" Benton came to the front, burn
ing with wrath at the foe at the rear
foe personal, official and professional,
whom he felt must be McKinnon. He
was not allowed to know at the time.
nor to see until long after, the extent
of McKinnon's intrigue against him or
OF its reaction on McKinnon himself.
Only one officer witnessed the scene.
a week after the Chiltons, father and
daughter, had been returned to the
southern lines, when Stanton demanded
of the major that he prove his case or
thereafter hold his peace. He had
fooled away a whole MONTH" said the
secretary, filled it with vague charges
and failed on specifications. They
sent him away, ostensibly to straighten
out the legal tangle in Kentucky, not
yet blessed with the benefits of martial
law; then, when McKinnon was be-
yond reach, sent for Benton. OF course
he did not see the secretary. A placid.
baa-lamb, soft-spoken staff officer had
been told what to say. Benton's as
sociations had been-ah--unfortun
ly compromising, and, while his con-
duct on duty had not been called into
question, at time of such public peril
the department held that its officers
should be ah-be above suspicion. or
at least show disposition to relieve
themselves from blame, and Capt. Ben
TOMS -ah-refusal to surrender papers
confessedly given him by confeder-
ate officer had added much to the grav-
fly of the case against him. "What
case?" demanded Benton, fiercely.
"Well, perhaps that was putting it
ather-ah-strenuously," said the
officer. What is meant ooh,
damn it!" burst in Benton, most i'm
properly, what is meant is that you
know I've been accused without rhyme
and reason-that you dare not let me
meet my accusers, and you won't give
me fair hearing" and for this inap-
propriate outburst he declined to apol-
ogize. For another week, therefore, it
looked as though, after all, he might
get trial; but it ended in his being
ordered to quit Washington forthwith,
and to report for duty.
In heart, in pride, in spirit he had
been sorely hurt. In heart by Rosalie
Chilton's astounding accusation and
the impossibility of getting the faintest
explanation. After her impetuous out
burst she had whirled about and
rushed to the waiting carriage, demand
ing of the astonished major that he
take her at once to the boat and, even
in captivity, it seems, her imperial
highness was wont be obeyed.
Q what day was that first of July!
warm, soft, sunshiny, the roads still
puddly in places as from recent rains
no dust to choke the hurrying columns,
no thick clay mud to clog the wheels
or load the worn brogans.
Even before the earliest sunbeams
came glinting through the eastward
wood, Reynolds had called on his men;
and they presently went tramping
away northward between moist, smil-
ing fields and orchards, heading for the
distant towers of the quaint little
Pennsylvania town. Somewhere up that
charming valley their leaders knew
John Buford to be, for he and his sun
tanned troopers had been thrown
ahead to cover the advance and find
the army of Lee, well known by this
time to be concentrating to meet them.
Years and experience have taught
the leaders of the Army of the Potomac
something of the true use of cavalry,
and there is no more of the blind crop
ing of the old days They know that
Longstreet's whole corps is camping
about Chambersburg, across the South
Mountain range to the west. They
know that Hill is between him and
Cashtown, the first village Of import
ance to the west Of Gettysburg They
know that Ewell's foremost divisions
have struck the line of the Susuue-
hanna, only to be recalled to meet the
spirited northward sweep of Meades
corps. They know that
these men Of Reynolds lead the van
OF the main army, and will doubtless
be the first to reach and back the cav
airy when those searching horsemen
find and tackle the foe. What they do
not know Is, that from west, north
west, north and northeast these con-
verging columns are all headed for that
same little Pennsylvania town, march
ing to concentrate on Gettysburg, and
that this, the First corps of the Army
of the Potomac, is destined withia
three hours to thrust square in between
those swift-closing jaws, and COM
pCiIOu, do DulOIu says W illS OWl lutu.
to flight like the devil" until the rest
of the army can reach 1t in support.
In far better fettle and discipline is
Lees brave army than when it tried
the conversion Of Maryland ten months
before. Only in two points is it less
to be feared Stonewall Jackson is
dead and Stuart's cavalry is as good,
or bad, as lost. For once in his life
that brilliant and daring leader OF
horse is of no use to his commander.
Through some error Of judgment he
has gone far to the east and has been
cut off from communication. For once
the Army Of the Potomac has Its eyes
and its wits at the front when the
eyes, at least. of the Army of Virginia
are away to, the rear. AT breakfast