The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1906-09-26
Veteran
Regret


lNt-a WY w ~
rs OF your experiences in the civil Eyara
Is 1.-THE sights you sawOf the dead and
wounded on the battlefield, the homes
desoIated or the exposure you sui
feredg'
at WINS all of these. my children, but
there was one Incident that impressed
itself upon me more tlian any Of them.
After a battle Is wei ona soldier comes
under the influence OF brute passion
and Is not In q mood to be affected by
the barbarous scenes about him. But
let him see some minute happening
when he Is calm and he revOIts ut war.
The incident / refer to was this:
Il was scouting In the Shenandoah
valley We had been sent out TO recon
hotter with u view to finding out the To-
entfou OF StonewaIl JACKSON, who was
here today, there tomorrow and nobody
knew where the next day. was then
a private. and for what did on that
occasion was made an officer, but for
more than forty years IhRve regretted
the net. we lad dismoulted on high
blum overlooking bit OF road that
wound around the mountain. Beneath
us was n house that snuggled under
some high trees and rock back OF It,
with a Few flowers In the front yard.
1t reminded me of the home had left
where my mother and near by the little
girl whom You have loved so long as
gray haired old woman lived. 1t made
me homesIck to look ut It When we
were ordered to remOunt noticed that
the knot OF the sirth holding my Nc
CIeIlan sndIdle was Insecure and stop
ped to fasten 1t. While was doing so
my comrades rode on. Just as was
about to mount 1 heard clatter Of
hoofs on the road below and saw
young Confederate soldier ride up to
the house. throw himself from his snd-
die and dash inside.
..I'here was one thing about him that
especially attracted my attention,
unper IN Ills belt. Couriers benrIng dis
putches usually carried them IN their
belts. aud 1 knew that this young fell
low was Il courier. II We could get
that dispatch it might tell us some
thing aDout the epeny's Whereabouts
My comrades were by this time out OF
sight. ana 1 did not dare ride after
them for fc,lr of losing the messenger.
remained where I was, resolved to
get his dispatch and II OF value carry
it 10 the general myself.
The young man was in the house
only a few minutes when he emerged
with an old woman and a young girl
The old woman Kissed him again and
again as oaly Il mother would kiss her
son. then went inside. leaving him
with the girl ISetween these two was
n ttlrf erent parting. Recognized ii, for
l had been through such partings my
SELF. They were lovers. 1t was plain
that the soldier had passed his home
in the line OF his duty and stopped 10
see his mother aud sweetheart. Twice
he left the girl and twice went back
for another kiss. The third time he
shot away. with wave OF his mana.
and disappeared around the base OF
the mountain.
..Now. knew the road ziEZaEged,
rising tin 1t passed within half a mile
OF where was. II he kept 1t all 1 had
to do 10 head him on was to ride over
n comparatively level ground this half
mile. Mounting. l did SO and conceal
ed myself in clunp OF trees, leaving
my horse back In the woods lest he be-
trav me with some sound.
.syhtIe waiting / fell to thinking OF
thcN scene had witnessed ana the
thought OF being the instrument Ior
tnkinE the younEster from Ills mother
and his sweetheart forever became re-
pulsive TO me. would try TO capture .'e
NOT KIN. him. But no. If called on
bjn, 10 surrender he would likely turn
md run. The fate OF whole army
might depend ON my securing that pa
ner While 1 was thinking 1 heard
horses hoofs and felt sure my man
was coming. l had changed my reso-
luton several times with regard 10 CIV
Inf, him n chance for his life and when
bc ,.ame In sight had decided to call
nDon him to throw up his hands. Then
when saw the paper in his belt ana
remembered what might depend upon
II changed my mind again.
s.IIis horse was jnded, and the road
tel mn mn angle of some thirty degrees;
therefore he walked. As he came to
within the proper distance for me TO
Eli the rider felt that was hbout
TO become murderer. saw MS
old mother hanging about Ills neck;
snv his sweetheart in his arms.
could almost hear their sobs when ne
would be brought home corpse.
fsArain the thought OF the Importance
of TINT dispatch, which could now
soc plnfnIy IA his holt could nlmost
read the udtiress, flashed before me-
md taking deliberate aim at HIS fore
head. / tired.
s.IIe reeled and fell backward into the
road. his horse dnshinS asyay % rag
,,,o,,r,.iIu. seized the dispatch. feel
iD., IKE one who having committed
n1i,rtIer. now commits robbery. 1t was
from StoacwaH himself to one OF his
subordinate commuters and dated
from n poInt not ten miles from our
army. Ienving the body in the road, ]
mornted my horse and dashed away TO
I,a9flotarters. 1 had saved surprise.
..Isrorn that time till the end OF the