The herald., 1911-12-21
A Souvenir
From the Dead
By EDWARD BUCKMAN
copyright by American Press Asso-
citation. 1911.

rbat is white as snow, have passed
half a century alone, yet not alone.
tor once have seen him.
he WAS killed in one of the battles
around Richmond during McClellan's
advance upon that city. a year be-
fore he had marched away with the
soldier boys Of elbow young they
seem TO have been now and how
orange that those who live are be-
coming tottering old men and that the
boys' mothers and the girls who loved
them could send them out to die!-he
had gone down into Virginia, carrying
nv heart with him. He had fallen
and been thrown into n trench, and
then for the first time wondered that
could have consented 10 his going.
No one has ever taken his place. l
have lived as though we were one, he
IN the heavenly. in the earthly
spbere. For many years l wished to
10 down to Virginia and visit the spot
where be died. and yet l dreaded TO
do So 1t was not till the beginning
Of this century that | could make up
my mind to do so.
| went to Richmond and visited
the residence of the president Of the
Confederacy, which is now a muse
nm. There I saw the arms and uni
forms of Confederate heroes. But
what took me nearer to the conflict OF
Years before was a southern lady who
told me how when girl she had lis
tened to the distant booming, gaining
hope when it receded and losing cour-
age when 1t drew nearer. From there
went to the battlefield.
went alone. The battle in which
be was taken from me is called Seven
Pines. Why it is called Seven Pines
know not There are thousands of
pines there now, but i believe they
have all grown up since the battle.
II was fought in a cornfield. But it
has not been titled since that day in
1862, and the trees have had ample
time to grow.
found q long line Of low earthworks
mat Ndo hCSICIldu .
army, behind which to resist the Con-
federates hurled against it by General |
Lee. Forty years had passed over |
these works. during which the pines |
had grown up as If TO shield the dead |
and the trenches beneath them, in |
which SO many soldiers bodies were |
thrown. Walking on the line Of earth |
works, every now and again l came |
to Q redoubt, where stood cannon, and |
there beneath were the ruts made by |
the gun carriages.
Before going on to the field | had /
been told that l should have a guide |
declined to take one or to go with a |
party who were conducted by one. | |
went alone. 1t was late in the after
noon, and most of the visitors were !
coming away. 1t seemed to me q sac
nlege to listen to the story from a
human voice told so eloquently by |
nose Entertainments. the rises here |
and there in the ground over the dead,
the waving pines, which with every
preeze sighed requiem. And l wished
70 De where my boy lover had fallen.
Wlthout any one TO jar upon me.
80 fingered till every one else had
gene sitting alone on the rampant,
looking out upon the trees that OBJ
Mucted further view. They were not
mere on that terrible day of 60. ASH
0OSed they seemed to dissolve and
meir place to be taken by waving
gram. ! saw a long brown line ad-
'ahcing, heard the word of command
among them and the louder word of
nose preparing to resist them.
whether change that came over
ue was In the day or in the night,
'neiner 1t was in me or In my sur
'0undings, whether I saw what ]
'eemed TO see or it was a half con-
,e~us cream, know not. But was {
saeA 10 62, and it seemed as If the {
earth. upon 'n0
ine thunder ceased. The light was
AOm scattered campires. The sounds
~ tne chatting Of burial parties and
iailing clods. with occasional vol
eys fred over the dead
suddenly felt touch on NV shout.
ss,.. 1 looked up, and there was my 9
LIE h lover. Could this be he whom G
1ao looked upon as a man? Why,
was out a boy-not a sign of a
an u'u On his face. 1t was round and
~ while in my head were many
~ nairs and my face was wrinkled.
I. %oment he stood looking down at O
~. reached out for his hand, but
sway. II ne hau iaoeo I
nm Aen came to myself the morning
nn.. was shining down through the Y
nm ! was lying on my back on the
h,rt looking up at patch of sky q
ana tne branches. 1t was blue g
dina. eautlful, with scattered white p
us sailing peacefully over it. {,
h,,.s niied with CONSERVATION at @
,ss ng passed a night out on that hat. .
s,ss, u Of forty years agone 1 raised
pns,s, WIN difficulty. My eye caught
=, Jug mingling with the earth. 1t
h.. = worn silver ten cent piece. /
4 !. y up, rubbed the dirt from II and
tn Traced with difficulty three let
! iap ~ iorgotten that the night be-
/ ~ :. marched had given him a
h,..ssen cent piece on which he had
fxn1A /