Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-07-28

THERE BE u.s." SAID THE STORY TELLER.
are reasons why the name of the bat
tie should he more deeply impressed
on my memory than on yours.
"Of course we OF the north devoured
the accounts of the battles OF the war.
and l. in reading an account of Fred
ericksburg, was interested in a soldier
in the ranks of one of the Union regi-
ments who. when all the officers were
killed off, took command and led the
remnant of the men clear mp TO the
southern line. There he fell and was
carried away by his comrades. We
were much more apt to be impressed
by a single act of heroism like this
than by n great victory of whole
army. and l thought n great deal about
this soldier who had stepped out from
the ranks to lead handful of his COM
rades. who had been spared from the
awful shower of bullets and shells and
cannon balls which had clean sweep
over that un5roken incline from the
river to the ridge. ] pictured him tall
and slender, with a resolute face, coal
black eyes and wavy black hair.
suppose I pictured him dark because
we usually associate strength and will
power with dark complexioned persons
and mildnesS with blends.
1.-TWO or three months after the bat
tie of Fredericksburg / was visiting
some friends in Pennsylvania. was
told that there were several soldiers
on the place who had been wounded
in the battle, on leave of absence. re-
covering from their wounds. / was
anxious to see one of them, just as any
one is interested in seeing curiosity.
One of them was colonel. and i think
the others were soldiers in the ranks.
'One day / went to return a call a
lady had made on me as a stranger,
for those were the days of hospitality,
and on being shown into room n
man, or rather. a boy, for he didn't
look to be more than seventeen or
+ eighteen years old. was reading book.
He didn't rise as l entered, though he
made something of an effort to do so,
but he greeted me with a pleasant
smile. and since the hostess was quite
awhlle coming down we fell to talking
~ fancy said, that you are an
invalid
I'm not exactly an invalid: I'm a
convalescent' he said. But think a
couple of weeks mere will let me up
"'This is not good season for one
! TO be sick was my next remark. Last
spring about this time was obliged
/ to be away from school two months on
| account of Illness. and it threw me
back in my classes. Are You inschool?'
We'll. no: haven't been to school
for more than year. You see. these
times are so exciting that boys can't
very well be kept ut school. Some of
them 90 for the nearest recruiting sta
! ton. pass for more than the required
! age. eighteen. and enlist But didn't
have any trouble on that score. I was
nineteen
lyon don't mean that you are q
soIdier?'
Yes. be replied, smiling at my sur,
prise. I'm older than look. In
/ twenty
"'Ob. you're one Of those ] have
/ heard of who were wounded In the bat
| tie OF Fredericksburg
We'll. yes. | was in that fight
"'My goodness gracious. You dom
mean that the army is composed OF
such
81 stopped short realizing that wha
was saying was by no means compii
mentary.
such measly material as ]? No
admit that I'm not fair specimen
/ scraped through as to height whel
enlisted. measuring barely FIVE fec
four. / weighed 40 pounds. though
he added proudly. though l don't bc
lieye Id pull up hundred now
"'You mean ninety.
II thought what a shame it was I
send such stripping out to be sho
down Ike dog. and that. too. by hr
man beings. The sight of him CAV
me repugnance 10 war I've neve
recovered from. and ] am happy to sa
that every year war is rendered NOR
difficult among civilized nations an
consequently is less likely to occur.