The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1912-12-19
CHAPTER VIII.
Weary Weeks of Waiting.

the men, organizing the companies and
getting the recruits uniformed acted on
me like a tonic. I ceased to brood over
my disappointment, and, while my love
for Miss Ellen was as great rs ever,
yet l felt that / had regained my man
hood, and the war spirit, once aroused
in me, drove me like n master. The
day Of quitting the state was a sad one
for many, but 1t was not so for me.
My heart bounded with joy when the
order for our movement was read at
headquarters. OF all the officers |
think l was the only one whose de-
parture was not blessed with tears of
mother, sister or sweetheart. My IA
Their, now old and feeble. came to see
me, and his eyes became wet as he
beheld me for the first time in my uni
form and folded M in his arms. My
mother had long been dead-in fact, |
could scarcely remember her at all.
Before saying goodby to my father l
gave him a letter and made him prom
Use that should anything happen to me
he would send it to the address on the
envelope.
He looked at me sadly for a moment
and said:
docs she live in the south, Howard.
and is that why you have stayed away
so long?'
I told him yes and turned away my
head that he might not see what it had
cost me to speak Of her. He laid his
hand gently on my shoulder and said,
I'VE Palmers have never been lucky
there, my son." and l thought l under
stood many little things in his life and
knew then why he never had anything
but what was kind to say Of that south
ern country when he heard 1t under
discussion. I grasped his hand and
held it for a moment.
MAY God protect you and bring
you safe to me again." was all he said
and left me.
Our regiment was only ordered to
Camp Meade, but 1t was a start. The
days there were dreary ones. and l
shall never forget the shout our boys
I put up when the order which turned
our face to Camp Thomas, at Chicka-
manga, was read to them. 1t set our
blood on fire, and I cannot repress my
feelings of state pride even now when
I recall the happy faces Of those Bay
! State fellows as they prepared to
shoulder their muskets and start for
| the south. A majority Of the regiment
wanted to be brigaded with other regi-
ments from Massachusetts, but with
wisdom and foresight the chief execu-
tive commanded that the troops from
the north should be brigaded with
those from the south and west. 1t
was a wise policy that threw the men
from Michigan with those from Texas,
and those from California with those
from Maine and Vermont. and the men
from Massachusetts with the honest
fellows from Georgia. The spirit OF
friendship which had been growing for
over thirty years was to be cemented
by an alliance against q common enc
my. This was how we found ourselves
in the same brigade with a Georgia
regiment and with another from Ken
lucky.
We mingled with one another from
the first on friendly terms; we shared
one another's rations and nursed n
another's sick. l met every Georgian
with an outstretched hand. for l felt
somehow that they had claims on me
which the others did not possess. The
individual was lost in that great.
crowded camp, and those with whom
I talked Of the Turpins did not seem
to know them. But l was destined to
hear new Of my friends much sooner
than I thought.
tiers one day with a message from my
colonel. AS l stepped under the avn
ing Of the tent / saw an officer In a
majors uniform sitting at a table read
ing some reports. The face was par
TALLY in shadow, but I saw at once
that it was Bud.
How much he knew I did not know.
I was eager to learn. He saw ire be-
| fore / spoke. and, not waiting, as ! had
done, he leaped from the table. scat
tering the contents over the floor. and
rushed to me with arms outstretched.
Impulsively he threw one arm around
my neck and with the other grasped
my hand. He saw how deep my feel
ing was and did not speak at ace
Bud" I asked finally. how are all
at the PinesT" 1t was the question
which was most natural to my lips.
for l had been hungering, yet dread
ing, to hear news Of them.
About the same. Nothing ever
changes there" he said.
"Your father and mother?" 1 asked.
Both are well. thank God"
"And Miss Ellen" I ventured.
For q moment his face clouded
when he told me she was not like
| what she used to be. Then suddenly,
as II some idea had shot across his
mind for tho first time no drODDed nv