The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1906-1907, 1906-10-16
:AVeteran' S Regret:
[original.l

US OF your experiences III the civil wal
Is it the sights you saw Of the dead and
wounded on the battlefield, the homes
desolated or the exposure you suf-
feredY'
ut was all of these, my children, but
there was one incident that impressed !
itself upon me more than any Of them. |
After battle is we'll on soldier comes
under the influence of brute passion
and is not In mood to be affected by
the barbarous scenes about him. But
let him see some minute happening
when he is calm and he revolts at war.
The incident refer to was this:
81 was scouting In the Shenandoah
valley. We had been sent out to recon
hotter with view to finding out the 10
cation of Stonewall Jackson, who was
here today, there tomorrow and nobody
knew where the next day. / was then
q private, and for what did on that
occasion was made an officer, but for
more than forty years have regretted
the act. We had dismounted on high
bluff overlooking bit Of road that
wound around the mountain. Beneath
us was house that Struggled under
some high trees and q rock back of it.
with a few flowers in the front yard
1t reminded me Of the home had leff
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 at It, When we
were ordered to remount noticed that
the knot of the girth hoMing my Nc
Clellan saddle was insecure and stop.
ped to fasten 1t. While was doing So
my comrades rode on. Just as l was
about to mount l heard a clatter OF
aoofs on the road below and saw c
young Confederate soldier ride up tc
the house, throw himself from his sad
die and dash inside.
There was one thing ABOUT him that
especially attracted my attention,
paper in his belt. Couriers bearing dis
patches usually carried them in thei1
belts, and knew that this young fell
low was a courier. If we could get
that dispatch it might tell us some
thing about the enemy's whereabouts,
My comrades were by this time out OF
sight, and / did not dare ride after
them for fear Of losing the messenger
l remained where l was, resolved to
get his dispatch and If Of value carry
1t to the general myself.
''The young man was in the house
only few minutes when he emerged
with an old woman and young girl
The old woman kissed him again and
again as only mother would kiss her
son, then went inside, leaving him
with the girl. Between these two was
a different 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 to
see his mother and sweetheart Twice
he left the girl and twice went back
for another kiss. The third time he
shot away, with wave of his hand,
and disappeared around the base OF
the mountain.
Nov, l knew the road zigzagged.
rising till 1t passed within half q mile
of where Twas. II he kept it all had
to do to head him OF was to ride over
a comparatively level ground this hall
mile. Mounting, l did so and conceal.
ed myself in clump Of trees, leaving
my horse back In the woods lest he be.
tray me with some sound.
while Waiting l feli to thinking OF
the scene had witnessed, and the
thought of being the instrument fo.
taking the youngster from his mothc
and his sweetheart forever became re.
pulsive to me. would try to capture
not kill, him. But no. If l called on
him to surrender he would likely turn
and run, The fate of a whole arm
might depend on my securing that pa
/ per. While l was thinking l hearc
horses hoofs and felt sure my MAJ
was coming. l had changed my reeo
luton several times with regard to Civ
ing him a chance for his life and whea
he came In sight had decided to ca.
upon him to throw up his hands. Their
when 1 saw the paper in his belt and
remembered what might depend upo
1t changed my mind again.
I AAAS ASASN was lAACAt anu tic AOdN
led up an angle of some thirty degrees
therefore he walked. As he came I
within the proper distance for me t
kill the rider felt that l was about
to become a murderer saw his
old mother hanging about his neck; !
saw his sweetheart in his arms. !
could almost hear their sobs when ha
would be brought home a corpse.
Again the thought of the importanc,
of that dispatch. which l could nov
see plainly in his belt, could almos-
read the address, flashed before me
and, taking deliberate aim at his fore
head. fred.
'He reeled and fell backward into the
road, his horse dashing away up tn
mountain. l seized the dispatch, feel
ing like one who having eommitte,
murder now commits robbery. 1t was