The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1906-12-01
AVeteran' Regret:


Grandpa. why do you dislike to tell
rs of your experiences in the civil wari
Is 1t 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 well on a 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 ut war.
The Incident refer to was this:
II was scouting In the Shenandoah
valley. We had been sent out to recon-
noIter with view to finding out the To-
cation Of Stonewall Jackson. who was
here today, there tomorrow and nobody
knew where the next day. l was then
a 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 a high
blu6f overlooking bit of road that
wound around the mountain. Beneath
us was a house that Struggled under
some high trees and rock back Of it.
with q few flowers In the front yard.
1t reminded me Of the home l 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 at It. When we
were ordered to remount noticed that
| the knot of the girth holding my Nc
| Clellan saddle was insecure and stop
| ped to fasten It. While was doing 30
my comrades rode on Just as l was
| about to mount heard chatter of
| hoofs on the road below and saw
! young Confederate soldier ride up to
| 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 their
belts, and knew that this young fell
| low was a courier II we could get
that dispatch 1t 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.
remained where l was, resolved to
get his dispatch and II Of value carry
| It to the general myself.
THE young man was In the house
only q few minutes when he emerged
with an old woman and a young girl.
The old woman kissed him again and
again as only a mother would kiss her
SON, then went inside, leaving him
with the girl. Between these two was
Z different parting. recognized 1t. for
/, I 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 q wave of his hand,
and disappeared around the base Of
the mountain.
snow, knew the road xigxagged.
rising till it passed within half mile
Of where was. II be kept it ALL had
to do to head him on was to ride over
q comparatively level ground this half
mile. Mounting. did 90 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 1 fell to thinking Of
the scene had witnessed. and the
thought Of being the instrument for
taking the youngster from his mother
and his sweetheart forever became re-
pulsive to me. would try to capture,
not kill, him. But no. If called on
him to surrender he would likely turn
and run. The fate Of whole army
might depend ON my securing that pa
per. While I was thinking l heard
horses hoofs and felt sure my man
was coming. l had changed my reso-
lution several times with regard to CIV