The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1909-03-20


gagement that day, with no other
loss OF life. And upon the arrival
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 well advanced in
years, who worshiped the very ground
upon which his lieutenant walked. IL
seemed only natural, then, when de-
scribing the death OF his favorite Off
Ger, before the members OF my stan,
that at times his voice would fail him,
and tears dim his eyes.
at 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, IL possible" 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 dlstanced us, and was far in ad-
vanca uhan thav nnapod ara Thav
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 tho pursuit, as ordered.
They captured four, wounding one.
When the men returned sent 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, l must acknowledge
that dwelt upon the death of my of.
flcer 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. II 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 lieutenant's
death, and thinking that he might have
some favor to ask, l ordered that he
be shown in. He appeared, carrying
under his arm a bundle wrapped in an
old newspaper.
"T know / 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. Fol-
to withhold facts in such case was a
grave offense.
eyes, sir But what did not relate
before your staff | 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.
took off his coat, and when the boys
returned we wrapped the standard
about him, and went into camp tC
await the ambulance. The coat have
here, and he undid the string of the
bundle he carried under his arm. II
Is the only evidence | withheld from
my report
He unfolded the coat, and held II
up without a word AS took 1t from
him, turning It this way and that, tC
get the light upon II, something fel
from the inner left.hand pocket to the
floor. Very reYerently the sergeant
stopped and gathered up-what? Sim
ply a delicate gold rim, few scraps o.
| DlOOu-blalneu NelNel, anu Wndl SctuuSI
the fragments of the miniature por
trait Of woman, painted upon porce
lain. Yet though shattered beyond
recognition, ! think that as we viewed
II silently, neither Of us doubted whose
picture, worn to the last over thu
young officers heart, had been de
stroyed by the bullet that took his life
Replacing the Femains of the por
trait held up the coat so that coulC
see the hole through which the bulle
had gone. The blood had long since
dried, leaving its stain, but that wal
not all-the cloth was badly burned
"The garment slipped from m!
nerveless grasp as hundred thoughts
flashed through my mind, and seizinl
Hooper by the shoulders cried:
"'Your report! You said no one wa
near him.
81 told the truth, sir, he replied
and his head was bowed for the frs
time.
| NtAy Nodn hraathad fyou dnnf