The Newport miner. [volume] (Newport, Wash.) 1899-current, 1910-08-18

ordered, stopping now and again to
empty them, till the fire from behind
the trees had ceased Then he was or
dered by the general. who continued to
direct the operations in person. to take
his battery through an open gateway
and post 1t beyond the intervening
trees. The guns were hauled into the
place through the grove and past a
large dwelling with massive pillars In
its front The Federal troops had been
cleared from that part Of the field. and
the general was satisfied. Turning to
Birney with scowl. he said:
Lieutenant, go to the rear under ar
rest.'
General" replied the young man.
sheathing his sword. II crave your per-
mission to first go into the house yon-
der"
what do you want to go there fort"
ITO see If the inmates are alive"
"The inmates? What are they to
you?"
From that house I went south to
join this army. There I was born.
There less than year ago was mar
r1ed. 1t Is not week since received
word from my wife that she had there
just been delivered of son. You see
the holes made by those shots, that
rent in the roof from the explosion of
shell? General, for Gods sake let
me go and see if have killed my wife
and boy!"
The general sat in his saddle listen
ing to this brief but impassioned plea
till it was finished. then threw himself
from his horse.
Come" he said. II will 60 with
you"
Together they went into the house.
All was silent; all was wreck. Not
person appeared on the ground floor.
and the two officers hurried upstairs.
That, too, was deserted. Then a sud-
den thought struck the lieutenant. and
he hurried to the cellar. followed by
his general. There on wicker lounge
lay a young woman with an ashen
and woman were administering restor-
atives. A negro nanny was holding
baby. The two officers. who had en-
tered, stood awe stricken. Birney saw
his father, mother. child. wife. He
was a soldier and brave man. but in
all men there is something womaniy
that when pent to overfowing will
burst its bounds. In fury Of tears
the young husband and father, point
ing to the livid body Of his wife, ex-
claimed:
There, general, is the cause of my
cowardice. You have forced me to fire
on those who are all the world to me,
to kill my own wife. ,And now you
have put me under arrest. Take my
sword; have no further use for it
I wish to God had disobeyed your
order and you had cut me down for
mutiny. Coward! I have been cow
ard. Had l been brave would have
shot you rather than have turned my
guns on my own home"
The general stood looking from his
subordinate to the pale face Of the
wife and mother as one turned to mar
BILE. He saw a horror of war such as
he had never seen before. And It was
by his order that his lieutenant had
fired the guns against his own wife.
recovering from the effects Of child
birth. Then, suddenly starting from
his lethargy, he cried to an infantry
man who had come down the stairs:
"Go for surgeon. Don't lose mo-
ment! Ride for ife!'
The man disappeared, and the gen.
eral turned again to the group. Lieu
tenant Birney was kneeling beside his
wife, with his arms about her, begging
her to live for his sake. Her father
was standing with bowed head. Her
mother was tanning her to give her
air.
''She must be moved from here" said
the general, and. calling on several
privates who had strayed from their
commands and were rambling agog
through the house, he ordered them to
carry the lounge and its burden up
stairs and into room where the least
wreckage had been done. There the
invalid, buoyed by the presence Of her
husband, gathered little strength ana
was enabled to wind her arms about
his neck.
Then came a surgeon and applied
simple restoratives.
IF she recovers," he said, latter be-
ing in a house battered by artillery
while she was in such condition 1t
will be a miracle"
His official duties carried the gen.
eral away. Before leaving he directed
that everything the medical staff could
supply be brought for her use.
"And you. lieutenant" he added to
Birney, ''are to remain on duty here till
further orders"
Under her husbands tender care the
mother passed a crisis and recovered.
but before that the army had with
drawn southwark. and within a fort.
night Birney rejoined his battery. OF
which, the captain having died OF his
wounds, he was promoted to the com.
mQn6