Lewiston evening teller. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1903-1911, 1907-05-31
A Stain Washed Away.
(Original.l

John Clough sat smoking his pipe be-
rore a fire of blazing logs, while his
wife cleared the supper table. The
door opened, and a youngster of sew
enteen, clad in the army blue of
le5l-65, pale and emaciated, staggered
In. The woman flew to him, caught
him as he was about to fall and held
him tightly clasped in her arms. The
man arose and stood regarding the boy
with look of mingled pain and Sc
verify.
sick leave, johnny" he asked
mo, father" faltered the young sol
der. II couldn't get sick leave. 1t
was a chance for life with me If
came and certain death with me If
stayed there The surgeon knew it,
and yet he wouldn't recommend me for
furlough."
Without word the father returned
to his seat before the fire. The moth
err supported her boy to an adjoining
room; he sank upon bed, and she
bent over him and kissed him again
and again.
John Clough still sat motionless and
i'll silence. He knew that in sleaving
the front without permission his boy
had deserted and that desertion was
punishable with death And this vision
the man saw In the flames:
little child toddled toward him
with outstretched arms as he came
home. The same, child was going to
his first school, His mother and IA
Their kissed him and followed him with
their eyes till he came to bend In the
road, when he turned and waved his
hand TO them. Again as half grown
boy he was reading by that same fire
light Robinson Crusoe" and "Swiss
Family Robinson" Recently passing
from boyhood to youth, he had gone
for a soldier.
And now the father sees another
sight-his boy disgraced, kneeling be-
side his coffin, about to be shot for de
sertion.
An hour passed. The wife and moth
Ell looked into the room where John
Clough sat and saw him still meek and
motiopless. Going to him, she bent
over him and whispered:
Hes little more than a child, john"
TITS the consequences of his act"
moaned the father. "They take lads
for war and place them where mature
men find 1t hard to stand"
Returning to the invalid, the woman
laid her hand on his burning forehead
docs father blame mel" he asked. |
rising.
mo. dear boy, but
eyes, yes" And he fell back on his
pillow.
When midnight came the woman
looked in where she had left her hus- |
band. He had gone.
The army had been fighting for. ten
consecutive days when one morning n 7
man quite old enough to be exempt |
from military service reported at the |
headquarters of the general command |
ing under the name of John Clough. |
He admitted that he had deserted from
regiment that had since been trans
ferred to another field. He found the
general In bad humor There had |
been many cases of deseltion. His pre-
sented an opportunity for a1f example.
He was tried and sentenced to be shot. |
At this time the Army of the Poto- !
mac descended from the heights on |
the northern bank of the Rappahan-
mock. laid their pontoons, crossed and
commenced march over gently slop-
ing plain to the heights a mile away,
where the Confederates were ready |
with their artillery to sweep them as
they advanced. Some got halfway, a
less number nearly reached the objec-
tive point, while few remnants of
regiments marched to the guns. Those
who lived went back again.
"Who is that man" asked the gen
eral. watching a private soldier who
had rallied the remnant of regiment |
and turned its face toward the enemy.
"He was to have been shot for de- !
sertion. The fight coming on, he took
his place In the ranks"
"He shall be colonel" muttered the
general as he galloped to another part
OF the field.
When few years later Colonel
Ciough returned to his home he found
q mound in the churchyard that COW
cred his son. The father put a head
stone over 1t on which was this In
scription:
JOHN cLoUGH
Died. aged seventeen years and ten /
months. of wounds received in battle
A private soldier. he rallied a regiment. /
John Coughs commander. one day
called to see his old subordinate. Colo
mel Clough was not at home, but the
general was told that he visited the
churchyard every day and would be
found there. Thither the general
went and saw his old comrade stand
ing over grave. Approaching. uncov-
cred. he stood behind the colonel and
read the inscription Surprised, he
looked Mt his comrade for an explana-
ton. Colonel Clough spoke:
HE who lies there was a boy. he
ran away and enlisted under the re-
quired age Too young to fully weigh |