The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1913-10-03


the Ninety-ninth.
"All the world knows how we
hustled our batteries to the heights
and how we pounded away at the
Johnnies and how they pounded back
at US. Then Mcclellan gave the word
for the Ninety-ninth, with some unim-
portant support, to charge the enc
my's left, and with a wild hurrah, we
upped and atted 'em. / was running
at the head Of my company across the
valley-toward them, of course, when
/ felt sudden sharp, singing sensa-
ton in my side, and the next moment
| lost consciousness. When | recov-
cred | found myself in a clean white
bed, with a kindly dark face bending
over me and pressing glass Of some
cooling beverage to my lips. l don't
mean to say the face was pressing the
glass, of course, you might know that.
1t was the owner of the face to whom
| was indebted for that charitable at
tention. / heard the old nanny say:
I reckon he'll drag through now, Miss
Co'delia. honey
'Ah'm mighty sorry to heah it,
said a soft, musical voice. All wish
all the Yankees were at the bottom of
the Potomac. Aid have poisoned him
Il All had seen him befo' yo' nursed
him
II looked in the direction of the
voice and l saw one of the most beau
tiful girls my eyes had ever rested
upon.
thank you, madam, for your
kind Intentions l said, sarcastically.
"She tossed her beautiful head with
a disdainful expression. 'Misuhrable
Yankeei' she murmured. Then she
got up, and with qUeenly air swept
from the room.
Il didn't see anything more of her
until the next day. l tried to put on
an interesting look and pathetically
begged her to tell me how the battle
had gone.
We licked you out of yo' boots,
she said, triumphantly. 'Yo' can make
up yo'r mind that we are going to
keep on doing it, too. All came in
here to see how yo were getting
along
1t was kind of you-noble-ge
erous, / said. appreciate it beyond
measure. L
Hold yo' hosses,' she said. 'Ah
don't wont any of that so't talk from
any Yankee. ! was going to say that
Am not going to have yo' loafin'
around here any longer than All have
to-
'She was still reviling me and all
Yankees when we heard a sound of
gruff voices below, and almost direct
ly the tramp of heavy feet and the
clank of a saber coming up the stair.
My little rebel screamed and shrank
into corner of the room as a mo-
ment later three Of my men entered,
and with a shout OF joy discovered
me.
Have they been a i'll treatin' or
abusin' you, loot?' asked my trusty
orderly, Smith, when his transports
of delight had in some measure abat-
ed. Say the word an Well smoke the
whole caboodle out. The blame rebs
deserve 1t, anyway
certainly had a ferocious manner of
talking. l begged her to be calm,
however. and assured her Of my pro-
lection. We miserable Yankees do
not war upon women I said. Smith,
/ have received nothing but the most
uniform courtesy. and kindness at the
hands of the inmates of this house.
l owe my life TO this lady.
Il looked at the girl as l spoke, and
l thought that she seemed remorse-
full. AS my men raised me she es-
capped from the room, the last that
saw of her then.
81 met her in Baltimore twenty
years later. She was the most unre-
constructed woman I ever saw-and
the most unpleasant. / ventured to
remind her that l was the young Off
Ger whom she had Hospitality enter
tanned after Antietam. l remembered
her directly.
All remembah you puhfectly, sub.
she answered. All, remembah that
All wanted to poison yo'. Aim sorry
that All did not. Yo' wouldn't have
been carpet-baggin' around heah II
All had. All neglected an opportu
nifty Then she turned her back on
me-"
Then what do yor mean when you
said that the war had brought you
happiness?"
Il was exchanged into the commits
sariat in consequence of that wound
/ did pretty well there and was able