The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1911-12-28
CHAPTER XxI.-continued.

CHAPTER XxI.-continued
With the ardor Of young manhood
looked forward to the coming battle,
when | knew the mighty armies of
North and South would once again
contest for the fertile Shenandoah. It
was to be American pitted against
American, a struggle ever worthy of
the gods. Slowly l rode back down
the files of my men, marking their
alignment and accoutrements with
practised eye, smiling grimly as
noted their eager faces, war-worn and
tronzed by exposure, yet terminated
by hope Of active service. AS l
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 end three strong, gay in
bright new uniforms, with unstained
banner kissing the breeze above our
proud young heads, we rode hopeful
Is 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 still
set grimiy to the northward, our flag
= torn and ragged remnant, barely
forty men wore the ID" 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" | said gravely, as l
ranged up beside him at the rear of
the troop, the men look exceedingly
we'll, and do not appear to have suf-
fered greatly because of short ra-
tons"
oh, the lads are always in fine
tettle when they expect a fight" he
answered, his own eyes dancing as he
swept them over that straight line of
backs in his front. They'll scrap the
better for being bit hungry,-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-
2ie any recruiting officer up yonder
to show a finer lot of fighting men
than those fellows ahead there"
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
hhCA III Ihlo uLSSOfSly oG duSGly H.
Titated me.
Sergeant" l questioned sharply, Of
the raw-boned trooper at the end of
the first p atoon, what fellow is that
riding out yonder?"
IT'S ther pesky little cuss as come
in with ye yesterday, sir" he returned
with grin. He's confiscated a muel
somewhar an says he's a 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 If fearful OF accident,
was riding bareback on a gaunt, long
legged mule, which, judging from all
outward appearances, must have been
some discarded asset of the quarter
masters department.
Going home, jedi" l asked, as he
glanced up and saw me.
'Jist as durn quick as / kin git
thar" he returned emphatically. by
gum. Cap, amt bin way from Mariar
long as this afore in twelve year.
Reckon she thinks I've skedaddled fer
good this time, al Ill be a takin'
up with some other male critter lest
git back thar mighty sudden. Wom-
ems odd, Cap, durn nigh as ornary
bout some things as muel."
He eyed his mount critically.
burned IL ever thought I'd git
aStraddle o any four-legged critter
aEin," he said, rubbing himself as If
in sudden and painful recollection of
the past. But sort picked up this
yere muel down ct ther corral, an he's
tew durn wore out totin' things fer
you uns ter ever move often walk.
!, sorter reckon its a heap easier a
Gittin' yere than ter take 1t afut all
tAer way ter Their :iountings."
It was long after dark the second
day when. thoroughly wearisd. we
turned tnto AZ old tobacco field and