The semi-weekly messenger., 1907-04-16


secret to the grave with him. AEou
8 o'clock in the morning the picket
were driven in, and couriers dashe:
up to headquarters with the news tha
the enemy was advancing in fOTt {
The lines were hardly formed when al
order came from the commander y
/ all the forces to anticipate the enemy!
attack. and make a forward move
nent
+ In the beginning OF the fight whicf
! was sharp but brief, across a nan ov
+ swamp, the enemy retreating-it wa'
noted that Lieut.. Bodoin. OF the Ugh
artillery battling on the right, was nOt
at mis- place with the section, and ahout
the same time it was discovered thai
Cal" Walters was missing from the
ranks. Before the engagement ended
simultaneously and mysteriOusly, DOtf
appeared i'll their places, and Dlu. eed
into the battle with their EOnted Draw
cry. In the case of Walters, only a
private, but very brave private, the
matter was passed over with sharp
reDrimand from Capt. White. But the
captain of the battery, q very passion
ate man, was enraged at the breach
OF discipline Of Lieut.. BOdOin. and re-
ported the matter to the brigade COM
mander, who was no less wroth. At
dress parade that afternoon an order
from headquarters was read, placing
Lieut.. BodOin under arrest. TO await
trial by court martial.
The next morning Cal" dressed
himself as neat as possible in his
himself as neat as possible in this
threadbare gray, when one of the men
in the company sided up to him aud
whispered: Cal, I've got canteen
Of fine apple brandy; let's go and take
some"
To his unmeasuTed astOniShmeAt,
Walters replied: Il cant now. for I
have something particular to do: but,
for the love of God, Bill, save me some
for just one hour" Then he marched
out of camp, and made straight for
brigade headquarters Of the orderly
Oh duty in front he asked to see the
general; and, as that officer was al
ways accessible to the men, he was
readily admitted into the tent.
He was there a long time getting
back to camp just in time to get half
drunk on what was left in Bill's can
teen). and the orderly heard all ear
nest conversation within. Walters do
ing most of the talking, interrupted
by frequent exclamations of aston .sh-
ment from the general. At last Ca.
came out, flush On his cheeks. a
strange expression on his face. and
his head carried little higher than
usual. Gen. Blank, tall, soldierly
man, with clOse-cut gray hair, imperial
and moustache. followed him to the
door Of the tent. looking after him as
long as he was in sight. well, by the
eternal!" he exclaimed, as he turred
back into the tent. that is the strang-
est story I ever heard. but I'll stake
my existence on its truth. What an
eye the boy has. and how squarely he
looked into my face while he talkedi
The wrong must be rernedied"
That afternoon another order was
read out releasing Lieut. Bodoin from
arrest. almost apologetically, and ex-
pressing the highest confidence in
him as man of bravery and ho"or.
This provoked much comment; but, as
no explanations were given, it passed
out Of mind. It was remarked after
wards. though there had been no
previous acquaintance as far as known
that Lieut.. Bodoin and Walters were
together as often as duty would per-
NIT, and strong friendship seemeu to
have grown up between them, amount
ing, on the part Of Bodoin, to warm af-
fect;on and intense admiration.
The curtain fell at Appomattox; and
less than a month later Cal" Wal-ers
surrendered near Greensboro with the
army Of Joseph E. Johnston, and set
out over the red hills to his home in
the low country. The old homestead
was dilapidated and poverty uicken,
as was almost every other home in
this land of devastation, and he found
his mother and father in their old
fashioned rocking chairs, before a
small fire in the sitting room, though
it was late spring They had often
heard with deep sorrow of his dissi-
patton and misconduct in The army;
but they had also heard of his s.len-
did bravery, and they fell on his
neck and kissed him. EllWOOd Ills
Younger brother (the only other child
Of the family), 20 years old, Cal
being p, was absent from home, they
old him, Deddling through the ccun-
Iy with a wagon load of goods and
lotions he had got together ElIwnod
Walters was a practical, level-headed
'oung man-the sort Of man, people
are wont to say, who will always
make his way