Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1906-05-14
The Deserter

ct post numbering seven or eight men was Sergeant Joe Wise, who was called the best natured man in Company C and who had proved his bravery on three or four battlefelds. The sergeant was thirty-five years old and unmar- ried, but back at home in Michigan 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 a letter received at regimentai headquarters two hours previously. It was opened to be read at the flickering flames of the fire. It was from 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 or them was the engagement of Joes sweetheart to merchant who had fur nished 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 fanked his command and rushed on to Washington. There he obtained a 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 skulking, he finally drew near the home of his betrothed. Father, mother and daughter were sitting on the ye- 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 sol dier with a clean record had become sneak and a 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- tion would welcome him.
 The deserter groaned in agony as he realized the situation. and the people had withdrawn into the house to go to bed before he crawled away. That night he walked fifteen miles, dodging 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 ques- tions; no citizen to suspect him of be- ing deserter. He found place where he could exchange his suit for 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 Confederate cavalry. He was sent to the rear as prisoner. He was held until the thunder of the three days bat tie was hushed and Lee was falling slowly back on Falling Waters, and then he and hundreds more were head ed for the Potomac. The rest is to be found in the history of his company and regiment. That history reads:
 "As Lee fell back. his retreat incum- and long baggage train, Custer press ed one division of it closely over the mountain roads. There were constant attacks and the Confederates fought bravely to save what they had won. At a 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- den diversion gave us the victory. A Federal sergeant belonging to Michi- gan regiment and who was a prisoner in Confederate hands rallied about 400 of his fellow captives, rushed their guards and, with arms thus obtained, made a flank movement and scattered the force opposed to us and came charging through to us. The sergeant brought in the flag of Confederate regiment that he had captured, and there is no doubt of his promotion for his brave conduct"
 X month later Sergeant Wise was Lieutenant Wise. The order read on dress parade spoke to the regiment of his being captured while on duty at a picket post. of escape and recapture, and recorded his act of capturing the flag and turning on his captors as one of the bravest things in war. The ser geant had not lied or boasted. He had left others to figure out as they wanted to, and they had made tue most of it. A year and half later he was captain and on his way home to marry the girl who was waiting for him.
 He did not march to her house. nor