Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-10-02

gctner rather than have any captured
alive
I'VE two women sat mute before the
front windows, vaguely suspocting the pos
sibe intent of busy workers about the
magazine, as they took barrels and boxes
thither and it began to be whispered about
among the women as to the reasons for
those activities and a strange hope sprang
up as we watched with calmness and as
surance the progress of the work, FOR it
indicated the preparation for an unpar-
alleled defense
And there we watched for hours through
the long, long day. Retreat, followed by
the sunset gun, came as usual. and white
light shone from the masthead. The colo
mel told us, on his return, that no sight
was ever so beautiful to the troops as they
reached the summit overlooking the fort.
as that white lantern at the masthead,
cleaning so like the star OF Bethlehem,
guiding to safety and peace. And no sound
that ever fell on mortal ears carried a
more grateful message to us than did that
Of his bugles sounding the assembly as
If to say, Fear not, all is safeH
Then our tears mingled, for the whole
garrison was under arms as we watched
unavdidably watched. the wagons moving
slowly to the hospital bearing the remain
ing dead.
How true it is that one touch Of ma
ture makes the whole world kim Soldiers
brought out their best uniforms to decently
Clothe their dead comrades. Colonel Car
rington came to my room, almost before
the mournful procession had fully passed
and taking from his breast an envelope
handed 1t to me, and left before 1t was
opened. / opened it with trembling hands
1t contained a lock of my husbands hair
He had redeemed his pledge"
Colonel Fetterman's men had been killed
to the last soldier The safety of the fort
hung by a slender thread, the hope that
"A dauntless Portuguese, by the name of
Phillips, had ridden unscathed to Fort Lar
annie.
During the nights l would dream OF
Indians" said Mrs Darlington, being cap
tured and carried away by Red Cloud him.
self while frantically screaming for help
and then awaken in terror from my bed
involuntariy to listen II the nearby sen.
try's cry would still be the welcome, ANS
WE'LL"
Ten days had passed since Phillips haC
left the garrison. The sun Of a dreary New
Year had risen and set on the same sus.
multuoUs excitement in the fort. The pcke
had sighted troops from the lookout tower
Mrs. Darlington said that she could have
Rugged every half frozen man that entered
so thankful was she that they were there
The garrison had been saved.
Hardly could a woman reared in comfort
have endured the hardship and the fearful
scene of battle, but Mrs. Darlington was
one Of the women to nurse the stick on the
civil war battle fields.
When u young girl, after the battle OF
Franklin, Tenn, she alone undertook the
task OF caring for the 200 union soldiers
who were left behind. Long into the night
she worked in the church that she and hel
younger brother had turned in to hospital
moistenlng parched lips and placing pillow,
under aching heads. There were 400
wounded In the town and only 300 inhabi
tants, so that every hand was needed. No
long after the war she was publicly hon
ored for her ministry to the wounded sol
diers. She was given a gold watch. which
she now treasures, by a number of soldiers
and officers, among them General Grant.
1t was after this battle that a strange
episode occurred. For twelve hours a man
had lain in heap of dead, perfectly con
scious OF what was going on about him
and realizing that he would be soon in