The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1910-04-15
MARSE JAKE AND RUNAWAY CAGE.
A STORY OF THE DUTCH FORK.
BY COL. D. A. DICKERT.

AN Den II dere De any runnn In d11
here war, old Marther gwine to loss
a niger. Den how he gwine wash
wild rhu1natics I'M his han7 Wat he
know bout grabbin pullets off do
roost, when times git skaee? No
Marse Jake let Unk Rance stay TO
home, an see bout Miss Calline, an
I'm sho gwine wild YOU" That night
Jake and his wife had an earnest
talk over Cages advice and logic con-
Guiding he was about half right. JAKE
too, remembering the past, thought
lit possible that Cage might get back
into his old ways and run away
again. :
| It was decided at last to dress him
up into some Of Jake's cast Oft
clothes and allow him to 60, so he
marched away with the soldier boys
amid the cheers, drum beats and
flags waving, with the good wishes
and silent prayers of the anxious con-
course Of people assembled to see
them of. H.. .aaL
At the capitol Of the State The eom3
pany was joined by the other organ
izations Of the regiment, the whole
going into "camp Of instruction" for
some time. But the troops could not
afford to remain in camp long, for
the great battle Of Manassas had
been fought, while Mcclellan, with
the grand army of the Potomac was
forcing landing In the Yorktown
peninsular, and would soon be on his
march to Richmond. The command
/ to which Capt. Baldwin's company
: was attached was soon on the firing
: Line, -
/ At Seven Pines the Confederate
commander was disabled and an OBJ
scure Virginian was appointed COM
mander in chief. That obscure SOL
der became the irommtal Robert &.
Lee. He drew his lines nearer around
the confines Of Richmond.
Night and day Captain Baldwin
was active and vigilant in his du-
ties, keeping his company well equip
ped, his pickets always on the elert.
Then during the last days Of Stone
wall Jackson, who had been watch
ing Patterson in the Shenandoah val
ley, came down and joined forces
with Lee. Then for seven days tho
roar Of combat sounded and the con-
fiet ragged with .fendish vehemence.
Jake Baldwin, S plumes waved trlum-
phantly at the head Of his command
during all the bloody carnage, bold,
defiant and aggressive, until the last
shot was fired by the retreating foe
from the top Of Malvern Hill. After
a brief respite Lee began his long
march Of invasion of the North.
Old Maj. Baldwin lived long
enough to learn of the brilliant
career of his son as a soldier. The
time came for him to meet the mes
senger of death and one night as
the beams Of the pale moon fell upon
the foliage without, the low moon OF
the distant river was signing
requiem, Maj. Baldwin called Mingo
to his bed side and reminded him OF
the promise he was to fulfill to his
son at his death, turned his face to
the wall and passed into the valley
of eternal rest.
Maj. Gen. John Pope was organlz-
ing a great army in northern Virginia
and Stonewall Jackson was sent TO
meet him. Then Mcclellan began
moving his army from the James back
to the Potomac, by way Of steamers
and sailing vessels while Lee UNDER
took to circumvent his movement by
an overland march through the val
ley Of the Shenandoah. In passing
through the valleys and over the
mountains Longstreet met the enemy
in force at Thoroughfare Gap in the
Bull Run mountain. Here he had to
force a passage at the point Of the
bayonet. Jake Baldwin was now at
the head Of his regiment, having,
through the casualties Of battle, been
made full colonel. He stormsd the
mountain heights on the right Of the
great Thoroughfare, opening a pas
sage, by which Longstreet came in