The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-03-21
Ripley.

When we begged for the story of Ripley" my father usually began with:
 "One of those long. lonely nights when a. man had only his gun and his thoughts for companions. I was march, ing back and forth. a distance of two blocks. as I did guard duty at the jail in C. during the winter of '62.
 Not a star was visible, not even an oil lamp to throw a fiickering shadow, all was inky blackness.
 Not a fellow-sentry came near enough to exchange salutations; all was quiet. as grave yard. When 'yip. yip sounded upon my ears I was at the end of my beat I turned. retraced my steps and as I came near the spot again. was I greeted by a "yip. yin, yep"-again and again did this occur. |. At daylight I had located the sound as coming from above me, and as the sky grew brighter, the little excuse for a bow. wow" grew louder and more fre- quent as I looked up!
 At last was I able to see two beady black eyes, sharp brown nose in a shaggy head. peering between the iron bars In the fifth turret of the jail tow Ter. I called Ripley, Ripleyr whistled but once: for the exuberant delight of the little dog. the twistings and turn ings of his little body. made me fear
 
 sockets; so eager was he to reach me on the sidewalk below.
 Alas! for Master Ripley. he was a secure prisoner and was not to be freed so hastily from a Confederate prison.
 When relieved from duty. I sought the jailer, who informed me that there was a prisoner, a supposed spy. in the condemned cell. who had been, allowed the privilege of keeping his little spaniel with him. Three days after. l was told that Ripley was waiting for me to claim him went into the wardens' room. who told me that the prisoner. upon seeing the dog recog- nize me in the street below, had brok- en down and piteously petted and fon- dled the little pet, who plaintly show ed his eagerness to leave him.
 He. related how the dog had been on little sloop, captured by a ship walt ing outside the harbor for blockade runners; Ripley's many tricks soon made him a pet of the regiment.
 Several times he had left them, but each time had returned. q learned af- terward that these intervals were spent with a family in the city, whom he had often visited with me. he being prime favcrite with the children of that household. No doubt twas thus he showed allegiance to Dixie, after feasting at the expense of the Blue coats.)
 Before the lend" came for the spy, he begged that Ripley be given to his own people again. When Ripley saw me his joy Wac unbounded as he fol- lowed me home: where he remained. apparently satisfied for a couple of weeks. then he doubtless became lone some as the family were refugeeing in the mountains, or his love of adventure unsatisfied, he disappeared once more.
 We were on a long. weary march to Columbia; rumors of Sherman's near ness kept all alert though so exhaust ed. A skirmish had occurred just be- fore we reached the "State Road. a dead wagon was passing. Sitting be- side the driver. shivering on an old tarpaulin, sat a little dog. Our eyes met: "Yip, yip. yep"-Ripley and I rec ognized each other again. He was thin: so was l. He was spiritless: so was l. His coat was torn, so was mine We were both changed!
 War and privation had taken the boldness out of each of us. last, faint, Dow wow" as we rode in op- posite directions. and Ripley and new CT met again"
 M Adele Shaw. Historian Pelham Chapter, Birming-