Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-05-12

THE DESERTER.


1t was while General Lee was max
ing his preparations for the invasion
of Pennsylvania. In charge of pick
ct post numbering seven or eight men
was Sergeant Joe Wise, who was called
| the best natured man in Company G.
and who had proved his bravery on
three or four battlefields. The sergeant
| was thirty five years old and unmar-
ried, but back at home in Michigan a
red checked farmers daughter had said
that she would be his wife when he
came marching home from the war.
On this night, as the sergeant sat by
the fire with his men out on post, one
of the company came along and hand
ed him q letter received at regimental
headquarters two hours previously. 1t
was opened to be read at the Pickering
flames of the fire. 1t was from n stay
at home man, one OF those malicious
minded gossips who delighted in telling
all he knew and much more of affairs
back home. According to his epistle
many things had occurred in the little
village in the last month, and one of
them was the engagement Of Joe's
sweetheart to a merchant who had fur
nished a substitute for the war. He
put it strong to the sergeant that he
had been made fool of.
Half an hour later Joe was missed.
An hour later word went back to the
company that he must have been sur
prised and captured by Confederate
scouts.
The deserter fianked his command
and rushed on to Washington. There
he obtained suit of civilians clothes,
and as private citizen he set his face
toward his home.
Ten miles away he left the train for
the woods, and after hours of gliding
and skuIl1ing, he finally drew near the
home of his betrOthed. Father mother
and daughter We're sitting on the We
randa and with them the sneak who
had written the letter. Concealed be-
hind the lilac bushes growing close TO
the veranda, the sergeant heard every
word of the conversation for an hour.
The writer of the letter had lied to him.
His feelings had been aroused to the
pitch where he had sacrificed his honor
and his good name without just rea-
son.
Through the man who sat there
bOasting of what he had written Il sol
der with IL clean record had become Il
sneak and Il skulk. Should he reveal
himself then and there he would be
loaded with anathemas and reproaches.
No father with patriotism in his heart
would have him for son-in-law. No
girl who thought of honor and reputa-
ton would welcome him.
The deserter groaned i'll agony as he
realized the situation, and the people
had withdrawn into the house 10 go to !
bed before lie crawleu away. That |
night he walked fifteen miles. lodging |
and skulking and afraid of everything !
that moved by the roadside. In the |
morning he was headed for PennSyl- |
vania. The papers told him which way |
Lee was moving. He found confusion |
in Philadelphia. There was no provost |
guard to pick him up and ask qiles |
tons: no citizen to suspect him of be- |
ing deserter. He found Il place where |
he could exchange his suit for n uni |
form and was off for the front an hour |
later
The country was overrun by parties |
from either side, and it was the SER
geant's fortune to be gobbled up by
cavalry. He was sent 10
the rear as Il prisoner. He was held
until the thunder of the three days bat
tie was huShed and Lee was falling
slowly back OH Falling Waters, and
then he and hundreds more We're head
ed for the Potomac. The rest is TO be
found in the history of his company
and regiment. That history reads:
oil rot &c nftna inc
bered with wounded men, prisoners
and long baggage train. Custer press
ed one division of it closely over the
roads. There We're constant
attacks and the Confederates fought
bravely to save what they had won.
At point about ten miles from the
river, where we made an unusually
fierce attack and where the resistance
was proving too much for us. sud
len. diversion gave us the victory. \
Federal sergeant belonging to a Michi-
gan regiment and who was Il prisoner
m Confederate hands rallied about 400
Of his fellow captives. rushed their
guards and. with arms thus obtained,
made flank movement and scattered
the force opposed to us and came
through to us. The sergeant
brought in the flag of a Confederate
regiment that he had captured. and
here is no doubt of his promotion for
his brave conduct"
A month later Sergeant Wise was
Wise The order read on
lress parade spoke to the regiment of
his being captured while on duty at 4
picket post, of escape and recapture.
md recorded his act of capturing the