Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1917-06-08

motions. | am perfectly content to be
one of Captain Lang's Red Hot Boys
as they cab u.s."
And we are just as proud of you as
If you were a colonel" his father an
swered.
And then came Gettysburg. Nothing
was eyer heard of Harry Treadwell
after that, except the governments re-
port that fell like q shadow upon his
parents life.
The records stated that he had been
one of a party of seven seasoned men,
who, having passed through SO many
battles, decided not to face the i'm
pending carnage of that day and de-
serted.
"You couldn't blame Harry" his
mother said in her effort to soften the
blow to her husbands pride.
"Mary Treadwell! Never speak to
me as If you believed it again! Our
boy never did such a thing! It's some
awful mistake!"
mo, Aaron, l never WILL she re-
piled. 81 didn't mean that I believed
he had done it. But even if he did,
But he didn't! He never could. 1t
wasn't in him-not boy! It's hap
pened before, such mistakes, Mary.
They cannot always tell"
But If he did he might come home
again. Mary Treadwell's voice broke
as she thought of how much obloquy
she would endure to see her son again.
tCoran ha,,n onatnf T0 ~, mn
Mary. Harry's life has gone for his
country. He is dead, and we must
make his good name live"
As the years rolled on the proud ia
Their lived up to. his faith In his sons
Innocence. Bravely he faced the little
world at Trescott village. Once only
he raised his voice In his sons defense
In the old brick store.
my boy never deserted" he said.
with proud conviction. you folks may
think what you please. But V for
get that Aaron Treadwell knows that
his boy died at Gettysburg; that he is
proud of him and always will be and
is glad that he raised him to do his
share Of the fighting on that day"
Thus for nearly forty years Aaron
Treadwell walked among his fellow
farmers with head erect. To him his
son was dead to all but honor.
Whenever the great annual encamp,
ment of the Grand Army came to New
England he made a point of attending
with his wife. The faith he had kept
alive for a generation brought him in
to some prominence with the veterans
of his native state.
Some effort was made to clear the
record. but 1t was impossible to find
evidence that would overthrow the
governments position. 1t was clearly
established there had been a party of
seven who had escaped from the lines
that night.
There's nc use trying to do any
thing. boys" old Aaron Treadwell said.
Il don't care for myself what the gov
eminent says. 1t doesn't make any
difference with what -t Think. would
~be-gg11ssd if it could be done, but ever
in Harry's fathers mind he is an limo
cent man. l knew my son, and l know
he never deserted the ranks"
There was something grandly appeal
ing in the firm confidence of the white
haired man, and it was not without its
influence on others. He was In old
man now, and his unbroken belief was
wonderful In the eyes of those who
heard of 1t.
His t~ownspeople came almost to
share it, and oftentimes they endeav-
ored to dissuade him from taking a
long journey to some encampment.
This was especially true when the
great gathering was held In Boston In
1904. Aaron Treadwell was owe
eighty years old, and they feared the
exertion would be too much for him.
But he Shook his head and persisted
81 know we are old, Mary and l, but
we must stand up for our boy as long
as there Is the breath Of life In us. He
was a good boy; a brave soldier. He
fought seventeen battles, and he's new
err had any one else to stand up for
him."
And so the aged father and mother
| spent that week in Boston, feeling that
all the wonderful display of patriotism
and honor was as much for their son
as for the others.
They were tenderly cared for by
those who knew them. Captain Lang
who went with the other Trescott vet
Grams, came around one morning to
Aaron Treadwelrs room.
"There isn't much going on this
morning. Come with me to the Cadets
armory. where the Loyal Legion has
it's headquarters. They have the most
interesting collection of relics of the
civil war l have ever seen"
Aaron Treadwell and his wife were
delighted. Everything connected with
the civil war had come to possess q
vital interest to them.
Suddenly the old man fell to the floor
in a faint. They picked him up ten
5..1r cd oorr;aI him info ono of fh6