The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1911-10-21
80. .9. = -. $; .' 81 ILA
CONTINUED from yesterday.)


With the ardor OF young manhood J
looked forward to tEe coming battle,
when 1 knew the mighty armies Of
North and South would once again
contest for the fertile Shenandoah. It
was to be American pttted against
American, q struggle ever worthy OF
the gods. Slowly rode back down
the files Of my men. marking their
alignment and accoutrements with
practised eye, smiling grtmly As
noted their eager faces, War-Worn and
bronzed by exposure, yet terminated
by hope Of active service As
watched them thus, thought again
of those many other faces who once
rode as these men did now, but who
had died for duty even as these also
might yet be called upon to die. One
hundred and three strong, gay In
bright new uniforms, with unstained
banner kissing the breeze above our
proud young heads, we rode hopeful
ly forth from Charlottesville scarce
three years before, untried, undis-
ciplIned, unknown, to place our lives
willingly upon the scared altar OF our
native State. What speechless years
of horror those had been: what his
tory we had written with our
naked steel; what scenes Of
suffering and death lay along that
bloody path we travelled! To-day,
down the same red road our eyes stu
set grimly to the northward, our flag
a torn and ragged remnant, barely
forty men wore the cd between the
crossed sabres on their slouched
brown hats, in spite of all recruiting.
The cheer In my heart was for the
living; the tear in my eye was for
the dead.
colgate" I said gravely as I
ranged up beside him at the rear OF
the troop, ''the men look exceedingly
We'll, and do not appear to have sui
ferod greatly because OF short "a
tons"
"oh. the lads are always In ftne
fettIe when they expect fight, he
answered, his own eyes dancing as he
backs in his front, They'll scrap the
better for being a bit hungryE-it
makes them savage Beats all. Cap
tain, what foolish notions some Of
those people on the other side have
Of us Southerners. They seem to
think we are entirely different from
themselves; yet reckon it would puz-
zIe any recruiting officer up yonder
to show a finer lot Of fighting men
than those fellows ahead there"
1 rode slowly forward to my own
position at the, head of the troop. AS
I swung my horse into our accustomed
position was too deeply buried in
reflection to be clearly conscious OF
much that was Occurring about me,
Suddenly, however, became aware
that some one, nearly obscured by the
enVeloping cloud of dust, was riding
without the column, in an independ-
ence of military discipline not to be
Permitted. In the state of mind was
then in this discovery strangely liz
ritated me.
sergeant" / questioned sharply, of
the raw-boned trooper at the end OF
the first platoon. what fellow is that
riding out yonder?"
IT'S Their pesky little cuss as come
in with We yesterday. sir" he returned
with a grin. Hes confiscated muel
somewhar an says he's goin' back
hum long O. we uns."
Curious to learn how Jed had
emerged from his arduous adventures,
spurred my horse alongside of him.
The little man, bending forward
obviously, as II fearful OF accident,
Vas riding bareback on gaunt, long
legged mule, which, judging from all
outward appearances, must nave Osen
some discarded asset OF the quarter
masters department.
'Goipg home. Jed?" asked. as he
glanced up and saw me.
"Jist as durn quick as 1 kin git
thar" he returned emphatically. BY
gum. Cap, amt bin way from Marian
long as this afore in twelve year
Reckon she thinks I've slEedaddled fer
good this time, al I'll be a takin
up with some other malo critter lest
git back thar mighty sudden. Won
ems odd, Cap, durn nigh as ornary
bout some things as muel.''
He eyed his mount critically.
"Durned II ever l thought I'd git
astraddle o. any four-legged critter
aGIn," he said. rubbing himself as II
in sudden and painful recollection of
the past. But sort r picked up this
yere n1ueI down ct Their corral, an he's
tew durn wore out totin' things fer