Judith Gap journal. [volume] (Judith Gap, Mont.) 1908-19??, 1913-08-22
A Battlefield
Baby
By ARTHUR w. BREWSTER

the backgrounds Of Chickamuu.a and
Missionary Ridge. A young man ac
compancd our party who told us that
as baby he had been In u battle.
When he had grown old enough to be
told anything about himself his sup
posed father informed him that he (the
fathcr) had been II Union soldier in the
battle Of Missionary Ridge and during
the fight. hearing II cry in some bushes.
had gone there and found baby. He
took the little chap out Of the fight.
and when ordered to march on the
baby was adopted by the company and
carried along. The finder afterward
took him home and brought him up.
He was now on his way to visit the
battlefield with a view to learning
something Of his parentage
I remained for some time ut Chat
tanooga. and the young man. Runyan
who was looking for his ancestors re-
manned with me. l was engaged in
certain work on the battlefield Of
Chickamauga. and Runyan was engag
ed in his own search. There was an
old negro in the hotel Mt which we
stayed who did odd jobs. and paid
him tO do things for me. He was a
lugubrious old fellow and never but
once saw smile on his face.
One day asked him why he was so
melancholy.
dat are Il story by its own SELF"
was his reply. with a solemn shake Of
the head.
HyoN - MT ~ Ut
might rs we'll tell me. for I'm 80 Gu
rious to know that l won't let you
alone till you do"
He hemmed and hnwed awhile and
finally told the story:
II wor horned OH n plantation on de
redge. and my mars wor one Oh de
best young men in de souf. l wor glib
en- to him by his fadder when he wor
married. Dat wor not long bcfo' de
wah broke out. My young mars he
had little plantation OBJ he own. and
he wuk 1t with no mo- n dozen mig
gahs. wor house servant and. hav
in belonged to de family TO- SO long.
had charge of eberyfing.
"Dcn de wah come on. and mars he
! 80 jine de Confederate army. When he
went away he say to me. 'Joe. is
gwine to lcab my wife and my chile
what isn't bawn yet in 20 car his
voice trembled when he spoke oh de
clilc--'nnd spcct 20 to Glib up 70
own life befo' 20 let any trouble hap
pen EN-
II tor him dat 1t don't make no diff
ference wedder It nO'thc'n or southern
49,. I, h.,Ss -
missiles head.
while he wOr away fghtin' Wo'd
come to missile dat he got Token sick.
Nv dat time de baby wor bon and
about a yea old. Missile say to ME
one day. says she: Joe. my husban'
am berry sick. and l got to go to him.
DO yO' tink yO' kin take car oh de
baby till l come back? say. 1 sho'
l kim So missile told me all about de
bahy's food and what to do when dis
happen and dat happen till don't
know wetlder l wor on my head or my
heels. Den she went away.
"Missie hadn't been gone berry long
befO deere wor fightin' ut Chckama,lgy
creek. and ! wheeled de baby out to
dc brow oh de redge where | could see
de battle goin' on. De nO'the'n folks
wor lribcn purity nigh into dis place.
and after dat de tightin' stopped TO a
long time. Mr. RragS'S army wor
down below dc redge, and then he come
up on top oh de redge Meantime mis-
sic come back. and when de south'n
army wor camped on lie rsige mars
he got Token sick some mo-. and she
| IN,
Oh de baby.
"One day l wOr wheelin tic baby
along de brow OBJ de retige. and l see
de nOthcn folks down below all
marchin' up and down s If dcy wOr
maradn' Fus' ting knowed II lot oil
dem sojcrs JUS started to climb dc hill
DE men on top wor Shootin' down al
'em. and .lcy wor de debble io pay.
wheeled de baby back toward de house
rs fas' as l kin. but meet SOME
southern sojers. and one oh lie ossifer.
say to me:
"'Heah. yo' niggah. yo' put IA shout
der to dc wheel oh de gum
II didn't dare disobey. put my
shoulder to de gun. and We took it t
dc brow OBJ de redgc. De Yankee,
come right up and took de gun. and
wor in de middle OBJ de fight. l tried t.
git back to de baby. and when | 20
dar whar l lef' him in de bushes III
wor gone"
Kunyan while the story was being
told was sitting by table reading ,
newspaper. though he was really lis
tcning to the darby. At this point h
inmped UP and shouted:
What was the name Of your mas
ter:"
Mars GoodPidSe.'
Then Goodpidge must be my rea
+ name. was the baby YOU were wheel
D Ing about on Missionary ridge. VIVA
| became of my father
y You dat baby: Dat cant be SC
, mars. He want mon foot and