Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1912-12-20
CHRISTMAS STORIES
OF THE CIVIL WAR
Bye. B. LEWs-(M. QUAD9

would imperil his life to bring a
wounded comrade off the field, but
never a word of pity would that
wounded man receive from his lips. He
got no letters and never spoke of wife
nor home.
l built up a around CASEY.
l figured it out that he had left home
and family back in the old country
through some Observation-Disclosures
wretched quarrel brought about by a
Itale-bearer-and that grief and remorse
walked with him every hour of the day.
When he fought it was as if he fought
some one far beyond the men in the
grey fighting us. When he sat think
ing one could read in his face that his
thoughts were beyond the morrow
that they went back beyond the day.
Over on the right flank of the Grand
army there was a wide stretch OF
neutral ground. The farmers therein
were all in sympathy with the south
1T was not held up against them. Our
troopers raided over this neutral
ground at Intervals. and Their the en-
envy o his turn, but the situation
was not made worse for the wretched
people. Casey was a second sergeant
lAtOA Aeu uOllC WI SCOUT O
He had been over this zone alone and
knew every house. On the afternoon
of the day before Christmas ne said to
me-:
will We be after taking a ride with
me to capture "a Johnny Rel this
night?"
YES" replied.
have got them. Casey never wasted
breath in explanations, even to his
superiOrs.
Two hours after dark was riding
out OF camp with him and seven
troopers. 1t was a miserable. wretched
night. with "A cold wind and gusts OF
hail or rain. 1t wouldn't have been
geant in the brigade how far we were
going. and where and how he had
marked down his quarry. but Casey
was Casey. Through the freezing mud,
with horses moving at a walk most
OF the time and every trooper cursing
the night, the weather and the war,
we rode a distance Of six miles. Then
we reached a farm house with lighted
and got the word to dis
mount at the gate. AS we secured our
horses and grouped around Casey he
whispered:
I'm in hopes to catch a rebel Of
inside who's home for Christmas
with his family. Keep your ears open
to do as l tell YOU. It's not a half mile
to h rebel picket. there must be
no noise.''
we entered the gate and tip-toed up
to the house. The curtains at the win
We're down. but after Casey had
for awhile he dropped back
and whispered:
There are two men and two women
in there. ] am going to rush the house.
NO shooting unless the men show
fight"
We punched at the front door and
his revolver ready. The door
was on the latch. Casey opened
it. and We stepped i'm after him. This
was what he saw: A bright and
CHEEKY fire in the big f~ireplace-an old
grey haired man seated in a rocking
chair, smoking a pipe-an old woman
standing behind him with q hand on
his shoulder in an affectionate way
a confederate in uniform with his back
the hre--hiS wife seated, but holding
his hand.
Yes. the man casey wanted was be-
us. He was Il second lieutenant of
cavalry. and~his saber and revolver lay
on the table before him. Not a moe
did he make as We ranged ourselves
across the room. No one moved. No
one spoke. The wife turned her face
towards us. and j saw ii grow white as
she frightened her grip on her husbands
hand, but she did not cry out. The old
removed the pipe from his mouth.
but nothing more. He held it in his
shaking band aus the smoke curled up
from il. His old wife locked at us calm
ly. never moving an inch-nevcr open
ing her lips.
We saw 1t all as we stood there with
n water dripping down from our pom
mos and pattering on the bare floor.
We saw it all. and no man spoke. And
we had seen all this our eyes took
stockings hanging on the
chimney jamb and bullying with the
gifts SAINT Claus had brought. NV
heart gave a bound as I saw them.
looke at Casey, and he was looking at
the little stockings and gasping like.
He turned his eyes from them to the
officer. The confederate was standing
and straight. He was a man, he
a He knew what he was fscing, AND
never a culver.
casey looked at the white-lipped wife
: h calm old lady--at the old man
sat SO quiet. and then I'm a voice
80 low and tense that I did not recog-
nize it. he said:
Boys. he amt the man: Get to hell
III Of this!'
But he's a rebel" protested one OF
the troopers.
Didn't ! say 10 get to hell out of
this?"
We filed out on tiptoe and mounted
our horses and headed for camp. We
had gone a mile or more before said
the sergeant:
Casey. it's six miles ont and six
Making ~. sor.. he answered.
And It's a bad night"
"A dom had night