The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1910-09-20

| ne ulu SO anu placed ler on the sol
on which the two had been Sitting
By this time members of the famil
| appeared. took charge of Dolly, an
Bates was taken outside. The thirt
partisans were in charge Of three time
their number of Union cavalrymen an
escape was hopeless.
The next morning Captain Coleman
entered the house and asked for writ
ing material. He desired to send
courier to his general with a repor
Of the capture and TO ask for instruc
lions. While he was writing Doll
Payton. white as cloth. came in.
what will you do with them?" sh
asked.
''That is for the general to decide"
Il know what he will decide. Fl
will order you to shoot them ALL"
There was no reply to this.
"And why will he shoot them?" tn
girl went on. striving to control hersel
with view to saving them ''Becaus
they are fighting as citizens and not a
soldiers. On this account they mus
suffer the punishment of these band
Of robbers who will murder and pillage
our people as well as yours"
The captain was attentive, but he
had nothing to say. How could he ar
que matter of justice with a girl
hose lover he expected to be ordered
shoot in cold blood?
"Guerrillas are Monsters" she con-
tinued, land should be shot whenever
captured. At least would not move
hand to save them. But these boys
are gentlemen's sons. They are fight
ing for a cause which they consider
to be just. Their leader. Carroll Bates.
comes of one of the oldest families
in Tennessee"
And brave man." the captain put
In.
Eyes, brave man. Again and again
with his handful of men he has rid
den many miles in the rear of your
lines and attacked guards much lar
ger than his force His only mistake
has been that he Is not soldier in
the army. Consider that these boys
are full Of zeal. They have not stop
ped to think that they should make
war in certain fashion. They love
life Of freedom and dread the re-
straint of the military service"
That's the kind for soldiers" add
ed Coleman. "once they are trained"
when you surprised us tonight
what do you suppose l was doing? I
was trying to persuade Carroll to take
his men into the regular Confederate
service. Ever since he has been a
partisan leader l have feared this re-
suit. When last saw him resolved
that when he came again would not
cease my efforts with him till ! had
secured his consent. Had you been an
hour later would have gained it be-
fore you arrived"
The girls able pleading for her lover
and his men. whom she never failed to
include with him. had its effect on the
captain. The strain on his heart was
greater than the strain had been on
his nerves on any field of battle. He
wished that he were the general. that
he might grant this girls request, that
he might spare the lives of these boys.
some Of whom were barely sixteen.
many of whom were not twenty-one,
and none but a few years past their
majority. Doubtless many Of them
were loved by some girl A case of
1nI7 kfA
grim death on the other!
After the girls last words. seeing
that Coleman was thinking. Dolly re-
Trained from speaking. 1t was a pic
ture-the young man in blue; a girl
whose lovers life hung in the balance,
watching intently to catch word of
hope from the enemy Finally Cole
man rose:
"Sit here" he said. land write your
request. REINFORCED with your argu-
ment. and | will send 1t with my re-
port to the general"
With the light of a newborn hope
in her eye Dolly obeyed. What she
wrote was not expressed as the cap
tain's report-indeed. 1t formed a
marked contrast with that report-but
there was plenty Of reason for the re-
quest. and Dolly's heart was in her
argument. 1t needed nothing to send
1t to the heart of the man it was in
tended for. inasmuch as 1t was that of
a young girl asking for her lovers life.
When she had finished 1t she arose
Ill - %n4v rhn
without reading 1t. placed it in an en-
velope and. taking 1t outside, gave it
to one of his men. with orders to take
1t to the general and bring an answer.
1t was fifteen miles to camp. and the
greater part of the day must be con-
sumed before reply could be re-
ceived Captain Coleman could form
no opinion of what the answer would
be, except that it would be either an
order to shoot every man he had cap
tured at once or that the boon was
granted. He knew that the general
was a kind hearted man. but he did
not know whether he would consider
himself at liberty to spare what the
law of war condemned or If he saw
justice in Dolly Peyton's request
whether he would consider that the
interests of the Union cause and the
army defending 1t demanded the death
Of the partisans.
Dolly Peyton remained during the
day In care Of her mother and others
of the family. Coleman, understanding
the agony of suspense she suffered,
went to Bates and told him that he
was permitted to go to his betrothed.
Bates thanked him. went to Dolly, but
remained only a short while. The
strain was great. and she was better
able to bear it with her mother.
AS the afternoon wore on Dolly, who
was becoming uncomfortable. broke
away and went to a window. where
she could see bit of road several
miles distant. A cavalryman was
coming leisurely. He was a machine
to carry orders or be shot as the case
demanded without knowledge, except
that he was doing what was expected
of him. Coleman. hearing Dolly wildly
calling on the messenger to Come, for
heavens sake come; shall die.'
mounted his horse and rode out to get
the dispatch.
When the captain on his, return gal
loped up to the house Dolly stood on
the balcony. her lover beside her, her
eyes wild with suspense. He waved
the paper over his head to signal life"
instead of death" and Dolly fell limp
into the hands of the man whose life
was all the world to her. Then Cole
man ordered the captives to be brought
up before the house. and he read aloud