The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1909-03-13

iOSN Va lllbs ana upon .lHe hTIiNdl
OF the remains had at once ordered
, the officer in command to make his re.
| port
With the death OF the lieutenant
the command devolved upon his first
sergeant, man we'll advanced in
years, who worshiped the very ground
upon which his lieutenant walked. II
seemed only natural. then, when de.
scribing the death of his favorite off.
Ger. before the members of my STAFF,
that at times his voice would fail him,
and tears dim his eyes.
IL was just the day after we left, ,
he said, standing, attentive, that we
came upon their deserted camp From
signs we knew that they did not have
much of the start OF us, and by noon
we had located them. They had
taken a position among a lot of rocks,
and evidently intended to fight. The
lieutenant called the second sergeant
and myself aside and said: "The only
way to get those rascals out is to
charge them. ] shall lead. Follow me-
Continue the pursuit until every one
is taken-alive, If possiblew We
wheeled into line, but before we were
fairly ready, he gave the word, and.
putting the, spurs into his horse
bounded away far in the lead. We
went after him as fast as possible, but
he distanced us, and was far in ad.
vance when they opened fire. They
fred only about six shots in all, and
saw him discharge his revolver twice
In return, and then fall from the sad.
die. When we reached him he was
dead, shot through the heart / stopped
to make the examination, while the
boys continued the pursuit. as ordered.
they captured four, woundng one.
When the men returned sent a pri.
vate to report the engagement and re.
quest the ambulance.
That was a gloomy afternoon, and
as | sat alone in my office looking
over the official report written by my
clerk and handed me for correction
and signature, must acknowledge
that | dwelt upon the death of my of.
ficer with feelings of the deepest sor.
row. ! forgot his failings of the past
year, and thought only of the bright
young fellow whose life had promised
so much. It is no wonder that wrote
after the closing lines of the report.
An officer who was an honor to the
service, and died soldiers death in
the performance of his duty
Just as | took up my pen prepara-
tory TO signing the document, my or
derly entered and announced that
Sergt. Hooper desired to see me.
Hooper was the sergeant who had
made the report of the lieutenants
death, and thinking that he might have
some favor TO ask, ordered that he
be shown in. He appeared carrying
under his arm a bundle wrapped in an
old newspaper.
:" 4 know l should report to the Off
Ger of the day., he said, but what /
have to say is something about the
lieutenant's death, and | think should
tell 1t to you alone
Something you have omitted from
your report?' | asked, and my voice
must have sounded rather stern. For
to withhold facts in such a case was a
grave offense.
Yes, sir. But what did not relate
before your stan | intended to tell
YOU and the same tremor was notice.
able in his voice as when he reported
the death. The facts OF the fight are
just as | related them. When / bent
over the lieutenant he was dead. I
took off his coat, and when the boys
returned we wrapped the standard
about him, and went into camp to
await the ambulance The coat have
here, and he undid the string of the
bundle he carried under his arm. 1T
is the only evidence | withheld from
my report
He upfolded The coat, and held II
up without word As took It from
him, turning II this way and that to
get the light upon II, something fell |
from the inner left.hand pocket to the |
floor. Very reverently the sergeant |
stopped and gathered up-what? Sim.
ply delicate gold rim, few scraps of |
velvet. and what seemed |
the fragments of the miniature por- |
trait Of woman, paintedahipon porce-
lain, Yet though shattered beyond |
recognition, | think that as we viewed
It silently, neither of us doubted whose |
picture, worn to the last over the |
young ofiicer's heart, had been de-
stroyed blythe bullet that took his life. |
Replacing the remains of the por-
trait held up the coat so that could |
see the hole through which the bullet
had gone. The blood had long since
dried, leaving its stain, hut that was
not all-the cloth was badly burned. |
THE garment slipped from my
nerveless grasp as a hundred thoughts
hashod through my mind, and seizing
Hooper by the shoulders | cried:
Your report You said no one was
near him
~ told the truth, SIR he replied,
and his head was bowed for the first
lime,
my Godl breathed, you don't