The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1911-08-25
A Souvenir
From the Dead
BY EDWARD BUCHANAN
Copyright by American Press .Asso-
citation, 1911.

WuAt ID W ulLV 10 SliON, i nave DUSSSu
half n century alone. yet not alone.
for once l have seen him.
He was killed in one Of the battles
around Richmond during McClelIan's
advance upon that city. A year be-
fore he had marched away with the
soldier boys of '6l-how young they
seem to have been now and how
strange that those who live are be-
coming tottering Old men aud that the
boys mothers and the girls who loved
them could send them out to die!-he
had gone down into Virginia. carrying
my heart with him. He had fallen
and been thrown into a trench, and
then for the first time ] wondered that l
could have consented to his going.
No n has ever taken his place. I
have lived as though we were one. he
in the heavenly. in the earthly
sphere. For many years l wished to
go down to Virginia and visit the spot
where he died. and yet I dreaded to
do so. 1t was not till the beginning
Of this century that I could make up
my mind to do &c.
went to Richmond and visited
che residence Of the president Of the
~Confederacy, which is now a muse
um. There l saw the arms and uni
forms of Confederate heroes. But
what took me nearer to the conflict Of
years before was IL southern lady who
told me how when a girl she had lis
tened to the distant l;n,m!ng. gaining
hope when it rrccdrd ind losing cour
age when 1t drew nearer. From there
] went to tn ba'tfHe.A
l went alone. THE battle III wHi; Ii
he was taken fro:a me is chilled seven
Pines. Why it is called Srvna Pines
/ know not. There are thousands of
| pines there now. bit ! believe they
have all grown ,..' since The battle.
1t was fought in y ccrnfrd Bui it
has not been titled since that day in
1869, and the trees have had ample
time to grow.
l found a long line OF low carthworks
that was thrown up by McClellan's
army. behind which to resist the Con-
federates hurled against it by General
AINS. IOkNN JSulS uGNt 1u'SSSsu VVCA
these works. during which the pines
had grown up as ii to shield the dead
md the trenches beneath them. in
which SO many soldiers bodies were
thrown. Walking on the line Of earth.
works. every now and again ] anne
to q redoubt. where stood cannon, and
there beneath were the ruts made by
the gun carriages.
Before going on to the field I had
been told that should have a guide.
! declined &" sake one or to go with a
| party who were conducted by one I
went alone. II was late In the after
noon. and most Of the visitors were
coming away. 1t seemed to me a sac
rilcge to listen to the story from a
human voice told so eloquently by
those intrenchments. the rises here
and there in the ground yer the dead.
the waving pines. which with every
breeze sighed Il requiem. And I wished
to be where my boy lover had fallen.
without any II to Jar upon me.
So I fingered till every one else had
gone. sitting alone on the rampant.
looking out upon the trees that OBJ
structed further view. They were no
there on that terrible day Of go. AS
looked they seemed to dissolve and
their place to be taken by waving
grain. l saw a long brown line ad.
vancing. heard the word Of command
among them and the louder word of
those preparing to resist them.
4Whethsr a change that, came, over
me was in the day or In the night,
whether 1t was In me or in my sur
rounuings. whether ! saw what
seemed to see n 1t was a half con-
sciOus dream. I know not. But l was
back in '62. and II seemed as II the
wrath Of heaven had come upon the
earth.
The thunder ceased. The light was
from scattered. campfires. The sounds
were the chatting of burial parties and
the falling clods. with occasional vol
leys fired v the dead.
Suddenly 1 felt a touch on my shout
der. looked up. and there was my
soldier lover. Could this be he whom
! had looked upon Us u man? Why.
hr was but a boy-not Il sign Of a
beard on bis face. It was round and
full. while in my head were many
gray hairs and my face was wrinkled.
One moment he stood looking down ut
me. reached out for his hand. but
before 1 could clasp It he had faded
away.
When l came to myself the morning
sun was shining down through the
pines. l was lying on my back on the
rampant. looking up at a patch Of sky
between the branches. It was blue
and beautiful. with scattered white
clouds sailing peacefully over It.
l was filled with CONSERVATION at
having passed q night out on that bat
tlefield Of forty years agone. l raised
myself with difficulty. My eye caught
something mingling with the earth. It
was a worn silver ten cent piece.
took It up. rubbed the dirt from It and
on It traced with difficulty three let.
ters-M. q. L.