The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1915-08-10
MARY BARRETT HOWARD


the uniform of the Grand Army of the
starohed pink bingham frock alike
wore an expression of mingled delight
and solemnity.
The look OF delight was due to the
fact that these two good comrades
were on their way TO a G. A. r. re-
union which was to be held In town
ore than SO miles distant, and the
look of soIemnity was due to the
warnings and admonitions of Ellen's
anxious mother.
1t was possibly the desire to es-
cape, temporarily, at least, from the
depressing recollection that her grand
father was on no account to permit
her, Ellen, TO consume more than
three pieces of cake at one sitting,
and that her behavior among all
those strangers" would rebound to the
permanent glory or the lasting dis
honor of the whole Bailey family, that
caused the little girl. almost before
she had seated herself on the awe
some sDlendor of the red plush up
holstery, to demand one of the stories
of "old. unhappy. far~off things and
battles long ago" which she never
tired of hearing
We'll. now" the old captain said
fondly. Il cont know as | ever saw
a girl that liked to hear war stories
as well az You do, Ellen"
I'm most as good as boy to you.
! guess" Ellen said proudly. Don't
you think l am, grandchildren"
Il think you're good sight better"
Captain Brown declared with empha-
sis. "A boyd been always chasin'
round and with my game leg so I'd
had hard work keepin' up with him.
Besides, you know, you always remind
me of that little girl who had big
brown eyes just like yours"
Yes, | know" Ellen said. nesting
closer to the old mans side Tell me
about her, grandpop. an about her
big brother
"T'he first time | ever saw Jim
Strode," Captain Brown began che
diently, was jest month after the
war broke out"-Captain Brown al
ways spoke of "the war" as If there
had never been another before or
since our war for the Union He was
standin' up In a buggy haranguin' a
crowd o. men and boys tellin' them
that the country needed their services
and tryin' to get 'em to enlist The
little girl with eyes like yours was
markln' place In a book with the
other, and lookin' up at her brother
as If she thought he'd made the earth.
by and bye they drove on and l
was so possessed TO hear him talk
some more that run home and hitch
ed up the old mare and me and an
other boy tagged him around all that
day from one village to another.
The little girl drove and Jim
Strobe studded that book-military
tactics II was. / found out later-as
hard as he could between times
Then when he reached the center of
the next town he'd call another crowd
around him and talk SO earnest that
before the day was over SO men had
volunteered to enlist
y was crazy to go myself, but | was
too young, and when they took me
two years after, Jim Strobe, that pale
slim little Teller, had already made q
name for himself as one o. the most
famous scouts in the whole Union
army
I've told you about it often
he 0TH
his faded eyes kindling with sudden
IRE. "but / get all wrought up jest
the same, every time, when I think o.
them scouts. for scoutin takes a sight
more courage than jest plain fightin'
because II you're caught instde the
enemy's lines you're liable to be hung
as spy. / could never bring myself
TO volunteer for that service. but Jim
Strobe jest seemed to revel In danger
for it's own sake"
But you were brave, too, grand
father" Ellen said. jealousy Mother
said they made you a captain for gal
liant conduct In battle"
''Oh, we'll, want afraid o. befn'
killed In square fight" Captain
Brown admitted. And I'd keep agoin'
as long as l could stand; but a scout
has to think quick and be a smarter
man than ever | was to be any good
why, Ellen. once Jim was chased
by party o. Confederates and when
he saw they were gainin' on him he
put his horse at big stone wall and
went over 1t and hid close to the edge
OF the woods. He was right under
their noses. but they never supposed
he'd have the nerve to stay so close
to the edge. so they rampaged about
deeper in the woods until they 60,
tired lookin' for him, and then he got
hts horse out Of thicket where he'd
hidden him and rode into camp as
calm as a pan o. milk
Another time he and two other
men Joined the enemy's marchin' col
umn, and that's the most desperate
thing a scout can do Lots OF EN-
that tried 1t have been caught and
hung, but for two hours them fellers
marched with Breckenbridge's infan
try and rode out with Lomoxs cavalry
and brought back information to GU,
commandin' general that meant a vic,
tory for us instead o. a defeat.
81 could talk forever and not get
round to tellin' you all the DARN
things that Teller took part In. He
was one o. the sixty men that STAN
peded q whole brigade o. Confederate