The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1907-03-28

"This is great surprise, Miss Hat
tle,' said he; 'you must have started
before sunrise and ridden hard to ar
rive so early in camp"
eyes, General; the stars were paling
and the hoCG-owls screaming when
rode into the forest. | told Sallie | was
coming, but not the others. They
would never have permitted me to ride
alone when SO many stragglers are
abroad from the army"
"Bravely done, my lady! How are
the members of your family?"
"Quite well, thank you, except grand
ma; she is in the care of an excellent
physician from the gunboat, and now
you have captured him and stopped his
visits. came to ask you to free him.
sir"
The General smiled and pursed his
lips to whistle, and the Doctor blushed
at his compliment.
Anything in the Articles of War
about such case, Capt. Pearson?" ask
ed the General.
'.Not that l ever read" replied the
Captain, grinning..
'There should be-there must be!'
cried the fair lady, decidedly, petulant-
| ly. think of it, General. These gen.
tlemen are not fighting men. One cares
for the ships machinery or engines;
the other looks after the health of the
creW-and the people along the river,
including our family. All our good
| Southern doctors are in the confederate
army, and do not know what we shall
do-what my poor, dear grandma would
do, IT she cannot have a skillful physi-
cian.' Tears came into the lady's pretty
eyes and the General coughed uneasily.
Il will be obliged to refer the matter
to Gen. Hardee, at Savannah" said the
General IN sympathetic tone of voice.
"But that would take much time,
and what would grandma do in the
meantime?"
Il might let the Doctor ride daily
with guard over to the river and
back again.
'Ride thirty miles a day! He couldn't
do it, general. Sailors don't know how
to ride. | read about one who carried
an anchor and rope and threw the an
Choir when he wished to stop the horse"
The gentlemen laughed and the lady
smiled through her tears.
Then you think it is d matter of life
and death, whether or not your grand
ma has her medical attendant, do you,
Miss Hattie?' asked the general.
Indeed, l do, sir; and the engineer
ought to be let go, too. He does no
/ fighting-and Sallie-pa and he are
planning windmill and deep we'll to
| these gentlemen 90, and | will pray for
you every night and bless you every
day.
Il will see what can be done, Miss
Hattie. You must have an escort
home. Heavens, You haven't had any
breakfast. Good; you shall share our
rough fare and be we'll rested before
you depart. Capt. Pearson, order ner
horse groOmed and fed, and tell the
cook to hurry our breakfast. You naval
gentlemen shall remain and share SOL
dier'S fare"
! The guard was dismissed from the
door, the general withdrew awhile and
the lady and her naval friends entered
into lively conversation concerning the
, capture, the march and the wild ride of
the morning.
The frugal breakfast was finished and
Miss R was appealing to the gen
eral to be merciful to her friends, when
Capt. Pearson startled everyone with
an EXPLANATIONS:
Gen. Finnegan, these gentlemen
should be set free at once. They are
not our prisoners. If you will remem-
Der, yesterday forenoon, when they
were captured, we had flag of truce
out from Gen. Hatch at Jacksonville,
for exchange of prisoners. During that
truce, which ended at noon, all hostile
measures between us and the enemy
were, or ought to have been, suspended.
| These officers were captured about 10
O'Clock, and were therefore under the
protection o. the white flag. We should
set them free and give them safe con-
duct back to their ship
| Miss Hattie clapped her hands in &C.
stacy. The Naval men seemed Devil
dered. Gen. Finnegan was dumb with
astonishment, and secretly rejoiced at
the turn of affairs. When he had re-
covered from his surprise, he said,
Captain, you are right. We must re-
spect the truce that prevailed. Gen.
tlemen, you are free. No one shall say
a Confederate officer ever willfully VIC
lated flag of truce. Miss Hattie your
request is granted. | will order an es-
cort to conduct you and your friends
safely to your home where they can
join their ship. This happy denoument
gives me great pleasure.
"Your dear grandma will hereafter
{ have her medical attendant, and, if any
of my marauders modest him, I'll have
them urt-martilated, sure. Give my
respects to the family, and tell her l
hope for her speedy restoration to
health.
Gentlemen, 1 congratulate you on
your lucky escape, and on having so
charming an advocate. 1t is not often
daughter of the Confederacy appeals
for mercy for Yankee"
When Miss R and her friends, &C.
companied by Capt. Pearson and some
cavalrymen, rode away from camp
every one except Bradley saluted. smil-
ing, and the General swung his hat.
The lady returned to her anxious family,
and the Naval men were the heroes Of
the hour on the little gunboat which
was anchored off Black Point.
The orange trees were fragrant with
bloom at the plantation, and Surgeon
Willet and Miss Hattie were married
beneath them in the midst of a merry
company of neighbors, Naval men and
soldiers Of the tWO rival armioa-tha