Troy weekly news. (Troy, Idaho) 1897-1933, 1908-06-05
A Stain Washed Away.



1S61-65, 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 a 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
a furlough."
Without a 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
in silence. He knew that in leaving
the front without permission his boy
had deserted and that desertion was
punishable with death. And this vision
the man saw In the flames:
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 a bend In the
road when he turned and waved his
hand to them. Again as a 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-hls 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
motioDless. Going to him, she bent
over him and whispered:
Hes little more than child, John"
Its the consequences of his act"
moaned the father "They take lads
for war and place them where mature
men find it hard to stand"
Returning to the invalid, the woman
laid her hand on his burning forehead.
Does father blame me?" he asked,
rising.
''No, dear boy, but
'Yes. 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 a
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
q regiment that had since been trans
ferred to another field He found the
general In a bad humor. There had
been many cases of desertion. His pre-
scented an opportunity for an 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 a 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 a few remnants of
regiments marched to the guns. Those
who lived went back again.
who is that man?" asked the gen
eral, watching 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 a colonel" muttered the
general as he galloped to another part
of the field.
When few years later Colone;
Clough returned to his home he found
mound in the churchyard that COW
cred his son. The father put a head.
stone over it on which was this In.
scription:
JOHN CLOUGH
Died, aged seventeen years and ten
months OF wounds received in battle.
private soldier, he rallied a regiment.
John Clough's 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