Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-05-08

CCuIiiO>Vd 81 luSil res ui'tiI eutiStcu lbtO
the United States service: the south
ern armies were composed of those
thus enlisted and a number of indie
pendent rowing bands called partisaps
Then there were the guerrlllas, who
were bent principally on robbery and
murder ard. though they were south
erners. respected neither Federal nor
Confederate sympathizers. The parti.
sans were not within the province Of
legitimate warfare. Guer:illas. when
captured, were Invariably shot.
In the spring of 1862 in Tennessee
some men belonging to one of these
partisan bands were captured. and, not
having been enlisted into the Confed-
crate service. the officer who made the
capture ordered them to be executed.
The news of their execution was car
rid through the lines to Confederate
force. and on hearing it the officer in
command ordered an equal number OF.
Federal prisoners to be shot in retalia-
ton.
One OF these prisoners. Dick South
! gate. belonging to an Ohio regiment.
( had been i'll with camp fever. and the
commander of the Confederates had
paroled him that he might be nursed
in farmhouse near the camp There
/ he had been especially cared for by the
daughter of the house. girl of nine
teen.
/ The civil war was full of romances
between northern soldiers who. i'll or
wounded. were cared for by southern
women. Whatever the enmity. it is
woman's nature to pity a sufferer, and
the Confederate women We're as kind
TO the Union men who were disabled
as they were to their own soldiers. 1t
was natural that a love affair should
spring up between Dick Southgate and
Emily Morgan. The time they were to-
gether was short. for in war the oppos-
ing armies are constantly shifting
Snuthgate was in the Morgan home
but two weeks when the officer who
had captured him received an order to
he ready 10 march within short notice,
Southgate's parole was Cancelled, and
he was taken back to the Confederate
camp He took with him the heart of
the Tennessee country girl
There was no struggle between love
and patriotism in Emily Morgan. Liv-
ing on the boundary between east and
west Tennessee. the eastern popula-
ton being largely sympathetic with
the Union. the western with the Con-
federacy. she had no especial prefer
ence for either cause. Put even if she
had been devoted TO that of the south
it would not one whit have Influenced
her in the case Of the handsome young
soldier who was taken away from her
pale and thin long before she deemed
him ct to leave his bed
SouthgHte was ordered back to the
Confederate camp Just before the news
OF the execution of the partisans came
through the lines He was sitting on
the ground before that portion Of the
camp assigned to the prisoners when
an officer approached and called out:
Fall i'm
The men formed in line. Southgate
rising with difficulty and standing with
the rest. and the officer said to them:
I'm retaliation for the execution Of
Confederate prisoners of recent date
TO be selected by lot. are to be shot
You will begin to count from left To
right"
Every man turned white The first
man on the left called out 'onc." the
next Two. the next Three" and so
on. Southcate was the twelfth man
from the left end of the line, When
the counting was finished the officer
took the name Of every third man
. making note Of It, Then he read
aloud the list. announcing that they
We're to be executed Mt 6 O'Clock the
next morning SouthGate. being the
twelfth man in line. was one OF those
TO he executed
As soon rs the men had broken ranks
Southgate wrote 4 note 70 Emily Nor
!. gan announcing his forthcoming exc
cution. thanking her for her care OF
him while i'll and saying that he would
die thinking of her All requests of the
doomed men in matters of preparation
for death were attended 10 by thei
! captnrs. and a messenger was sent u
: Emily with Dicks note She was work
= ing in tire garden when a soldier OF
4 horseback rode up and handed it e
J her
- Emily read the note and lust as sh
/ had finished it sUn0nedb The mesSer
/. ger having started on his return ant
Q there being no one else hear her nj IN
time. she lay on Il flower bed till sh
resumed consciousness. Then. the re
membrance of the message she had RI
i ceived returning to her. she sat up an
mOaned
That same afternoon country DO
( dressed IN ''hutternut." or homeSnu
, goods. entered the Confederate cam
3 and said hP would like to enlist re
) cruits were welcomed in the south 4
0 those days. not much attention hein
2 paid To age or strength. and the young
ster was enlisted. giving his name a
Edward Brown.
Brown. being told that some Federf
q prisoners we're 70 be shot the nas
morning. expressed desire to Sc
them. TIE camp of the prisoners We
pointed out 10 him. three ~ four tent
surrnuE sd nv spntries. and he strol!o
: over 10 have look. The men to b
T.