Elmore County Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1910-1915, 1915-04-17
A Civil War Renaissance

was childhood playmate of Henri
and Isaac F4tzwater Of this city who's
nome paper contained the stor,
which they in turn handed to tn,
Republican, thinking it might be O
interest to our readers.-Editor.
The following Civil War reminis
ence refers to the wife of j. H. Riley
ticket agent, Western Maryland Rail
way Company headquarters Filkins
w. Va. Both Mr.. and Mrs. Riley are
we'll known throughout West Virgini;
and Western Maryland, and especiall,
along the West Virginia branch o
the Western Maryland Railway. S
B. Riley, general foreman of the West
ern Mary land at Hagerstown shops
is son. Mrs. Riley enjoys the re.
spect of large circle of friends at
IIA.ns, their present home She is
now past 70 wears of age.
An interesting story of the Civil
War was recently published in West
Virginia newspapers with a request
chat it be given more general circula-
ton.
The article was written by Mrs. M.
A. Yost, widow of DR.. Yost, formerly
we'll known physician of Marion
county, West Virginia. Mrs. Yost is
now resident of st. Louis, Mo- The
article was originally entitled, "A
Little Rough Rider of 1S63," and
was as follows:
In this semi-centennial year of the
close of the Civil War, doubtless
many incidents of the desperate
struggle will be related by those
then old enough to remember them
now.
One of the bravest of them all,
considering the age and sex of the
actor in it, was feat performed by
a little golden haired girl of ten, who
is now little gray haired grand
mother, living in Elkins, w. Va.
She was brought up on her father
1900 acre farm in the northern end
of Garrett county, Md, and horses
were her playthings almost from the
cradle.
Two or three years prior to the
war fine bred mare belonging to
her father, died, leaving a colt but
few days old.
He said to her, Daughter, this lit
5le orphan shall be your own pro-
Derty if you can raise it,
So Maria Immediately got busy,
'igged up a primitive nursing bottle
Ind drew generously upon a new
lerd of COWS for supplies.
Baldy responded in fine style to
Narion's good care, and by 1862 was
/ beautiful animal and the idol of her
leart.
She could ride like a young Cen
aur and the horse responded to her
will and way as if a part of herself.
No fence was too high for leap if
er young mistress was urging her
ver
In 1863 Imboden's Confederate cav
Try swept through the southern end
f Garrett county, burning the bridg-
S and exchanging their own worn out
teeds for fresh mounts along their 8
me of march, then raided on west +
Yard, carrying panic and dismay in
, the ranks of the Bloody Sixth" n
Tho were guarding the Baltimore and
'hio railroad in West Virginia.
Rough looking, grey clad men armed
, the teeth with carbines, bayonets
nd six shooters, rode through low
: end of Garrett county, which had
'caped the Imboden raiders, and be- q,
an to gather in all the most valuable ;,
orses, saying: ut is ordered as a
ilitary necessity" These proved to !
: not Confederate soldiers, but
md of marauding horse thieves.
Poor Mara's Badly" at once at
acted their favorable notice and
as soon added to their booty in
lite of all the little girls prayers
ID tears and offers of two of pa =.
is best horses, if they'd only re- u
1se her pet.
With oaths ard jeers they rode on,
she watched the form of her pet
de into the distance, with stream al
g eyes and breaking heart, for RI
e thought she had looked her last du
Baldy. ar
Late the same evening the raiders
leading several strings of
rses and ordered Maria's father to
'nish them with hay and oats and
J men food. tel
After supper an armed guard was Sc
ICED over the animals and the 9TH ~ -,
5rrr, v O