Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-10-07

1 bdh iOuShb a. mere DoyS, and fha,
were fine looking middle aged mon
One Union veteran-he was bot,1.-
thirty-fve and forty years oId--a fr,ess
| of Mr.. Sawyer, took charge OK our ~.
| ~ and showed US over the field. teI1g-.
US In n very interesting manner whn-'
this and that engagement had taksa
place, Little Round Top, Cemess--
Ridge and other interesting noin,'
| pointing out where his own regira..
had fought without claiming tbs, /.
had won the fight or, indeed. sav,,.
anything about its or his achievens n.e
There was something in his an,o.s
ance that attracted me. and fh,s
framing from making claims for Il,
regiment or himself added TO nv ADJ,
ration for him. I had bemoaped -.
humble position, but now It was dor
bly, hard to bear, for / could NOT br.
think that. though be was courteous -
me az to the others, be must look down
on me as simple nursegirl.
After we bad seen the scenes Of be-,
ism of others | asked our guide 10 10
more exact in the matter of hiz our.
participation in the battle. Yield;,g
to my solicitations, he told his storv
which was interesting. though be "a.
Trained all through it from claiynip,
to have done anything very brave.
After driving about the field we sim.
ped at farmhouse not far from II far
dinner. A woman who served US seem.
ed interested in our chat about what
we had seen and. being asked whethe,
she had lived there when the battle
took place, said:
Eyes, / lived here, and wish
hadn't, for there is a matter Connected
with the battlefield that has been q 70
greet to me ever since and always will
be. A lady had come from the city OF
Philadelphia to be in the country for
her health. She boarded with nv
mother. who lived in a house where
part Of the fighting took place. We
country people didn't know that there
was to be a battle here and were not
prepared for it There were lots OF
soldiers gathering here, and We were
all much excited over their coming
This lady from Philadelphia had
baby and had brought nurse with
her to take care of it. The nurse was
taken sick and went home. Then the
lady hired me to take care Of her child.
Zone morning 1 wanted to 90 to see
my aunt, who lived across the field
where the soldiers were to fight, and |
thought it good plan TO take the baby
with me in her little carriage. So I
put the bottle in her mouth and start
ed. 1 was passing along quietly when
1 heard a lot Of firing all about me,
and it seemed as if a dozen thunder
storms had broken out at once. was
scared to DEATH
The woman seemed to live again in
the scene she was describing and trem-
bled
Then I did what I have regretted
all the rest of my life. 1 deserted the
baby. leaving the little thing sucking
at its bottle in its carriage. and ran
away and hid in the first house 1 came
to. The child was probably killed. for
nobody has ever heard of it since"
Il can assure you" said our guide.
that it wasn't killed, for our regiment
moved through the trees when you left
it. My captain detailed me TO take
charge of it l never have since liked
to talk about my part in the battle OF
Gettysburg-at least, TO mention this
incident-for when 1 say I was wheel
ing baby carriage everybody laughs"
For lands saket' exclaimed the wo-
man. what did you do with it,"
Put it in barn till the battle was
over. then found it safe and sound. but
bawling for more milk. Before the
next days fight came on I had provid-
ed for it temporarily. and. after the
lighting was over and the Confederates
had withdrawn, my captain sent me
off to hunt for its mother I couldn't
ind her, and was sent to Harrisburg
with it. where l chucked it in an or
)han asylum
Il am that babyr' I exclaimed, much
excited and. not realizing what | wa>
LONG, threw myself into the arms o.
he man that had rescued me.
There was n cOmmotiou NJ this, ana
hen the rest of the matter came out.
The woman who had been my nurse re-
rendered my mothers name-Cheno|
vith-and l had been baptized Harriet.
This correspondent with the initials II.
=" embroidered on my baby clothes
What remains | viii tell in few
words. My mother and father were
18th living. and I was reunited with
hem and several brothers and sisters
hey We're overjoyed ut finding me
nd lavished every blessing on me tna'
hey could think of. One day the sol
Ter who had rescued me asked me-
Where 10 l come in:" and when IN
uired Of him where he wished 70
ONE in he said. Flinders are keepers.
'hich. being interpreted, meant that ne
'anted me for himself, He dldHI
ave any trouble getting me.
After our marriage we went 70 tue
sylum where he had left me more
IAN twenty years before and exs~
led the record. There ! saw that itS
rst letter to the name l had teea
wen was intended for n c. hae
zen called Getty. from the battle CT
ettysbprg. bHt the name was soeh
ianged to Betty.