Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1905-03-18

reins dropped by Hooker in sight OF the
Maryland 81 ore. And the same hard
fighting, hard marching, hard swear
ing, nard used old army hove in sighs
of uie stream that had given it its
name. and one corps. =: least. lad lost
notE- IS by tie change.
a S2cut hSd gone up one day on the
Rappah 2nnock when the word went
the .cunds that Fred Benton was
back. suddenly had ne appeared in tn cir
midst just before Chancellorsy lille. and
royai was the welcome they gave him.
But Benton had changed. said they,
as result Of the first week of watch
ing. He had grown silent and stern,
if not sour. Re seemed filed 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 q 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, Not guilty, but-don't do il
again" Benton came 20 the front. burp.
ing with wrath at the foe at the rear
a foe personal. official and professional,
whom he felt must be McKinnon. He
was not allowed to know at the time.
nor 20 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
daugh ter, had been returned to the
southern lines, whom Stanton demanded
of tho major that he prove his case or
thereafter hold his peace. He had
fooled away whole month" said the
secretary. filled il with vague charges
and failed on specifications" They
sent him away, ostensibly to straighten
out the legal tan@le 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-famb, soft-spoi;en staff officer had
been told what TO say. Bentons as
sociations had been-ah-unfortuna
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 a disposition to relieve
themselves from blame, and Capt Ben
ton's-ah-refusal to surrender papers
confessedly given him by confeder-
ate officer had added much to the gray
lty of the case against him. What
scase?" demanded Benton, fiercely
We'll. perhaps that was putting it
TatherIah-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 lair nearing, and for TINS map
propriate outbUrSt he declined to apol-
'oSlze. For another ween, therefore. it
Ioohed as though, after all, he might
get a 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 soreiy 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
tahe her at once to the boat and, even
In captivity, it seems, her imperial
highness was wont be obeyed.
o 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 glintin% through the eastward