Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-10-28

cHAsTER xxxv'I.

OF


CHAPTER x,t,<viI.
TIE Furllns n the Fiaos.
he close Of the long and bitter
1trueGio had come: to those who
lsd cast their. fortunes with the
Aouth II seemed almost % tho end Of
lie world. I had thought TO write of
those last ,sad days. to picture them
q II their contrasting light and
shadeW, but now I cannot. There
aro thoughts too deep for human ut.
toranco, memories too sacred for the
pea. ! rejoice that I was part Of
II; tAat to the lowering Of the last
.tattefed battle-dag remained CON.
, sta1t . the best traditions Of my
Aousa. lcannot ut here now. beneath
the protecting shadow Of nag for
witch ny son fought and died. and
write that I regret the ending, for
.yeaus of peace have taught 10 Of the
Scott, lessons 10 less valuable than
did tie war: yet do rejoice today
that, having once donned the gray. I
wore e until the last shotted gun
voiced it, grim message to the North.
nis hardly more than . dream now.
Sometimes vague and shadowy, again
distinct With living figures and his
toric scenes. / require but to close
my.syss 70 behold once more those
slender lines Of ragged. weary. hum
Cry. men. 70 whom fighting had be-
eono Synonymous with life. pass
aeai1 through the nery rain Of those
lasta Asrcs b4ttlss, when in dsspsra-
tdoa W sought to check the un-
mustered blue lesions that fairly
cfushed us beneath their weight.
II saw Il all; held part In II all.
Opon that April day which witnessed
the turning Of the last sad page In
this tragedy. I stood without the Nc
Lean house. ankle deep In the tram
Fled mud of the yard. surrounded by
. group Of Federal Officers. Within
Wa my commander. the old gray
hero Of Virginia, together with the
great silent soldier Of the North.
Few about me spoke az We waited
u restless agony. No one addressed
ne, and think there must have been
. look h my face which held them
dumb.
know not how long waited.
standing beside my horse. with head
half bowed upon his neck. seeing the
figures about me as in Z dream. At
last the door was nung open. and
those within came forth. He Vas in
advance Of them all. In that pale.
stern, kindly face, and within the
depths Of those sorrowful gray eyes,
] read Instantly the truth-the Army
Of Northern Virginia was no more.
Yst With what calm dignity did this
defeated chieftain pass down that
blue lane. his head erect. his eyes
undimmed-as dauntless In that awful
hour Of surrender a. when he rode
before his cheering lesions Of lighting
men. Only a. he came to where
stood, and caught the look Of suffer
ing upon my face. did he once falter,
and then noted no more than the
slight twitching Of his lirs beneath
the short gray beard.
Captain Wayne" he said, with all
his old-time courtesy. Il shall have
to trouble you to ride to General
Hills division and request him to
cease firing 1t once"
I turned reluctantly away from him.
moving full well in my heart was
bearing my last order, and rode at .
hard trot down the road between long
lines of waiting Federal infantry.
scarcely % much - saw them. for my
head was bent low over the saddle
p0mmAl. anA my eyes were blurred
:. it'll tssss.
The sun lay hot and golden over
the dusty reads and fenceless fields.
The cir was vocal with blare Of trum'
pets and roll Of drums. while every.
whore tho eye rested upon blue lines
and long columns Of marching troops.
4 formed ono Of little gray squad
moving slowly southward-a mere
fragment q the Aghting mon Of the
ConfedoS&cy, making their way home.
ward @ best they might. AZ the
roads foSked left them, for here our
paths divsrsed. and 1t CHANGED was
the only one whose hope lay west
ward.
aileafly, thoughtfully 4 trudged On
for IN hour through the thick red
dust. NJ horse. sorely wounded In
oar last skirmish, limped painfully BE-
hind me-, his bridle-rein flung care
lSssly over ny arm. Out yolder.
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