The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1908-07-30
Strange story Of Eric Paul.

"
put up on the broad lawn in front of
his st. Paul home for the comfort and
pleasure of such of his regimental
comrades as were in attendance upon
the national encampmeht a few years
ago The general had been colonel
II the Twelfth end the other was a
captain.
"Yes, we met" said General Bryant,
and he told me how he had gotten
along since | gave him a scolding
soon after we wee mustered out"
DO you remember poor Eric's sad
experience during the war;
Name any of ny old boys whose
war experience is not familiar to me-
1 suppose a father has greater inter-
est in his sons than q regimental COM
mander HIS iii the men he has for
years commanded in camp, on the
march and in battle, but it is not very
much greater
Then the grizzled general with n
heart as tender as 4 mothers, and
whose love and regard for the men
who followed him for four years has
beeh 50 pronounced as to. make him
almost an idol IN the eyes of those
men, told the story Of Eric Paul.
Eric had one experience that in my
Judgment was as sad as that any
soldier boy ever passed through. After
having been a prisoner for nearly a
year, part of the time at Anderson
Vile and part at Salisbury, during
which time he made three unsuccess-
ful efforts TO escape, he reached our
been through a long siege of sickness
In prison. That, with the poor fare
and scant care given, left him mere
skeleton. His mind was somewhat
unbalanced, the result of sickness and
prison life. A ticket to the station
nearest to his home was bought and
he started on the long journey. 1t is
easy to imagine how precious the sight
Of his dear old home was to the enact
ated, weak, broken young fellow who
had never left it more than two days
Mt time until he became a volunteer
soldier at IL years of age. His loving
mother was in that house. The
thought of seeing her in a few mill
utes-of having her loving arms about
his neck, of feeling her mother lips on
ais shrunlIen and almost bloodless lips,
neryed him to quicker steps He
would surprise mother by knocking at
the door. The sweet, motherly face
was before him, but she stared at him
and did not invite him into the house.
tie partially walked and mainly fell
ACROSS the threshold and then pulled
himself into chair. 1t finally dawn
cd upon the boy patriot that his
mother did not know him. 1t nearly
broke his heart Brushing away his
tears he moaned out:
Mother, don't you know me? Don't
you know your boy, Eric?"
Then that good Norwegian mother
gave the young man still more scrut-
iuizing. more searching glance. She
could see nothing that reminde her
Of the son she had giveL to her adopt
ed country, and in a commanding tone
said: You ore not my boy Eric; you
are trying to fool me; will give you
some dinner and you must then move
eh.'
while Mrs. Paul was getting dinner
she frequently looked at the stranger.
Eeyeral times Eric heard that best
friend ON earth. his mother, say: He
b not my boy; he is not my boy Eric
made his case still worse by asking
about his father, who belonged to the
same company. Now | know still bet
Ter that : u are Lot Eric, for my hus-
hand died four months ago. The
aood of tears from the haif-crazed
wreck from Andersonville at the news
Of his fathers death had no weight
with the widow and mother. She re-
garded him as an imposter and told
him to eat and move Oh.
Eric took few mouthfuls Of food,
when his head fell to the table. Mrs
Paul became alarmed and sent for the
doctor. The patient was pronounced q
dangerously sick man. He was given
. room and Mrs. Paul cared for him
In his delirium he repeated many
times, My mother don't know me-
WhyY
The next day 8 letter from the
captain Of Eric's company told Mrs
Paul that he had heard that her son
had reached the union lines and been
sent home. He wanted to know II
he had reached there and what condi.
lion he was In. That afternoon Eric
seemed better. He looked brighter
medicine, proper food and humane care
we're having their effect. His mind
was clearer.
Can you tell me something about
yourselfr asked the mother. now much
troubled, though not convinced by the
captains letter tnat she was enter
Inning her soldier son.
~T'Il try. Two years ago my faith
or and his two sons enlisted In the
Twelfth Wisconsin. We lived here
You cried when we started to camp
We had a battle. My brother was
wounded and l was made a prisoner
Father did not get hurt, unless it was
8AtCI Wdo tuptuicu- It't htpl Dit
until I was almost dead. l can't tel
how 1 came home. If you don't know
me and will not come to know me
wish / had died I'm prison
-'Yes, yes, my precious child, yOt
are my boy. Forgive mother for no
recognizing your
"The bony arms Of tho boy wer,
thrown around the mothers neck
Draw the curtain. The scene is to,
sacred for the public.
'Such care as mother can give
revived the patient so rapidly tina
within a month he was able to wall
about and visit with his former schoo
and playmates."
"You spoke about scolding Paul aftel
the war"
Eyes, 1 gave him terrible scoldint
and then presented him with choic'