The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1912-03-12

looked forward to the coming battle.
when knew the mighty armies Of
North and South would once again
contest for the fertile Shenandoah. Ii
was to be American pitted against
American, struggle ever worthy of
tho gods. Slowly / rode back down
the files Of my men, marking their
alignment and accoutrements with
practised eye, smiling grimly as l
noted their eager faces, war-worn and
bronZed by exposure, yet reanimatc ii
by hope OF active service. AS
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 and three strong. gay in
bright new uniforms. with unstaincd
banner kissing the breeze above our
proud young heads, we rode hopeful.
ly forth from Charlottesville scarce
three years before, untried. undis-
ctplined, 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! Today.
down tho same red road, our eyes still
set grimly to the northward, our flag
a torn and ragged remnant, barely
forty men wore the I'D" 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" I said gravely, as I
ranged up beside him at the rear of
the troop, the men look exceedingly
well, and do not appear to have suf-
fered greatly because of short "a
tions"
"Oh, the lads are always in fine
lettle when they expect 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 a 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-
zle any recruiting officer up yondcr
to show finer lot Of fighting men
than those fellows ahead there"
| rode slowly forward to my own
position at the head Of the troop. As
l swung my horse into our accustomed
position 1 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
enveloplng cloud OF dust, was riding
without the column. In an independ-
ence of military discipline not to be
permitted. In the state OF mind I was
then In this discovery strangely IT.
ritated me.
Sergeant" questioned sharply, of
the raw-boned trooper at the end OF
the first platoon, what fellow is that
riding out yonder?"
Its Their pesky little cuss as come
In with ye yesterday, SIR" he returned
with grin. He's confiscated a muel
somewhar an says he's o goin back
hum long o VIC uns."
Curious to learn how Jed had
emerged from his arduous adventures.
spurred my horse alongside Of him.
The little man, bending forward
dubiou9ly, as II 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" | asked. as he
glanced up and saw me.
"Jist as durn quick az I kin git
thar" he returned empnatically. "By
gum, Cap, / amt bin way from Marian
long as this aforo In twelve year.
Reckon she thinks I've skedaddled fer
good this time, al I'll be a takin'
up with some other male critter lest
l git back thar mighty sudden. WON.
ems odd, Cap, durn nigh as ornary
bout some things as a muel."
He eyed his mount critically.
burned II over ] thought I'd git
astraddle O any fourlegged critter
agin,' he said, rubbing himself as if
in sudden aud painful recollection OF
the past. But ! sortr 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 a walk
! sorter reckon IT'S a heap easier a
Sittin' yere than ter take II afut all
thor way ter Their ilountinRs."
IL was long after dark the second
day when thoroughly wearicd. we
turned into an old tobacco field and
made camp for the night TO right
and left OF our position glowed the
CHEEKY fires, telling where Early's
command bivouacked in line Of battle
From the low range of hills I'm front
OF where we rested one could look
across an Intervening valley. and see
far off TO the norlhward the dim
flames Which marked the position Of
the enomy Down fin tho mysterious
darkness between divided only by
swift and narrow stream. we're the
blue and gray pickots Tho opposing
forces were sleeping on their arms.
making ready for the death grip on
the morrow.
As lay there thinking. wondering
what might be my fate before another
nightfall, seeing constantly IN my half.
dreams the fair face OF woman.
which made me more Of a coward
than / had ever felt myself before,