The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1905-04-13
CHAPTER XXI.

bA--NhhA-NG AnEs AsAON IN Ills DhsNs
over the useless slaughter Of the field
OF Fredericksburg 1t were best to draw
the veil. Far down at the left faux the
old brigade CROPPED its way through
dripping fog and lay in line Of battle,
having little to do but wait orders, and
catching only occasional shots from
the southern guns along the heights.
Old hands under FIRE. the veterans
officers and men-lay close and kept
STILL Their rifles could effect nothing
against an enemy uphill and behind
entertainments. New hands. not yet
used to battle. were not so quiet, and
the gallant colonel of the great battal-
ion of Wolverines, big almost as the
rest of the brigade. thought Il neces-
sary TO ride up and down his line, ex-
horting his men to steadiness In loud
and powerful voice. 1T lets EN- know
I'm here" said he. to the expostulant
commander OF the next door regiment.
Il see" said the latter, as a volley
flashed down from Early's fellows
along the crest, "and Il also lets the
enemy Your men will be steadier
without the telling" which reasoning
the colonel pondered over and accepted.
He and his thoroughbreds we're spoil
ing for chance to show their neigh
bors from the adjoining states that
they we're quite as valiant as the
Wanted old brigade. Give us half a
chance" said he, "and then--you look
out for the Wolverines"
But neither Fredericksburg nor
Charlottesville, nor Virginia. nor even
Maryland afforded the longed-for op-
portunity. Not until the midsummer
morning Of the first day at Gettysburg
did their time come. but when It came
it proved a test the like of which had
never been met before. even in that
hard-hghting. hard-hammered COM
mand.
Meanwhile, what had not befallen
other actors in our story-notably the
Damon and Pythias Of the ante-bellum
days. Benton and Paul Ladue
Seems to have bout as many friends
among the rebs as he has on our side
of the line" had the division COM
mander remarked of Benton, though in
a moment Of exaggerated biliousness,
the day after the retreat from the
had come in for a rasping from the
corps commander, because the lead
ing brigade took the wrong road in
the rain and darkness, and so delayed
matters over an hour Il happened
that Benton had guided the division
to its first position on the field; that
he had been sent 10 find Gen. Frank
lin; that when he returned with a
message from the latter officer, the
division was in motion. and the COM
mander had ridden of to speak with
Glbbon or somebody else, and Benton
followed, of course, in search of his
chief, instead OF staying with the head
Of column. Finding himself rebuked.
the general reprimanded Benton in the
presence and hearing Of officers and
men. Bentons heart and temper being
both sore and tried. he had replied
with much spirit. If not subordlnation,
to the effect that the message he was
charged to deliver admitted Of no de-
lay: that II the general had been where
he belonged there would have been no
delay; and that sooner than submit
to such injustice be would ask TO be
relieved from stan duty forthwith, and
wrote that very night to his old friend
and general. then a member Of an i'm
portant military tribunal at Washing
ton, begging his advice and interven-
ton, and telling him, Of course, the
story Of poor Ladue.
But, being coupled with another. that
story was now almost an old one at the
capital, for thither had the poor lad
been sent and Jennings with him;
Paul looking, indeed, more dead than
alive" for a strange. eventful history
had been his ever since the dreadful
morning north of Sharpsburg that
stretched him senseless in front of Glib
bon's furious guns. KILLED" said La
mar and other officers who saw him
borne away in a blanket Morally
wounded said the hospital attendants
who first ministered to him, back OF
the bunker church. where reigned
confusion inexpressible owing to the
appalling number of those needing
surgical aid. How he got there or be-
yond, Paul never knew until long
thereafter Tender-hearted Virginians
had concealed him until he was well
enough 20 move about. Odd as II may
seem, the most practicable way for
southern soldier to go from the Poto-
mac to his own people was by way Of
the north. Through the kind Virgin
ians, civilian clothing was bought for
their interesting captive, and by mid
November Paul was safely under the
roof of a well-to-do and most active
southern sympathizsr In Baltimore