FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   23   24   25   26   27   28   29   30   31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47  
48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   >>   >|  
upon all of us at the same moment, a suspicion that this was a trap to delude us into signing the Non-Combatant's Oath. Instantly there went up a general shout: "Read the parole to us." The Rebel was handed a blank parole by a companion, and he read over the printed condition at the top, which was that those signing agreed not to bear arms against the Confederates in the field, or in garrison, not to man any works, assist in any expedition, do any sort of guard duty, serve in any military constabulary, or perform any kind of military service until properly exchanged. For a minute this was satisfactory; then their ingrained distrust of any thing a Rebel said or did returned, and they shouted: "No, no; let some of us read it; let Ilinoy' read it--" The Rebel looked around in a puzzled manner. "Who the h--l is 'Illinoy!' Where is he?" said he. I saluted and said: "That's a nickname they give me." "Very well," said he, "get up on this stump and read this parole to these d---d fools that won't believe me." I mounted the stump, took the blank from his hand and read it over slowly, giving as much emphasis as possible to the all-important clause at the end--"until properly exchanged." I then said: "Boys, this seems all right to me," and they answered, with almost one voice: "Yes, that's all right. We'll sign that." I was never so proud of the American soldier-boy as at that moment. They all felt that signing that paper was to give them freedom and life. They knew too well from sad experience what the alternative was. Many felt that unless released another week would see them in their graves. All knew that every day's stay in Rebel hands greatly lessened their chances of life. Yet in all that thousand there was not one voice in favor of yielding a tittle of honor to save life. They would secure their freedom honorably, or die faithfully. Remember that this was a miscellaneous crowd of boys, gathered from all sections of the country, and from many of whom no exalted conceptions of duty and honor were expected. I wish some one would point out to me, on the brightest pages of knightly record, some deed of fealty and truth that equals the simple fidelity of these unknown heros. I do not think that one of them felt that he was doing anything especially meritorious. He only obeyed the natural promptings of his loyal heart. The business of signing the paroles was then begun in earnest. We w
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   23   24   25   26   27   28   29   30   31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47  
48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
signing
 
parole
 
military
 
exchanged
 

freedom

 

properly

 

moment

 

released

 

graves

 

meritorious


alternative

 

paroles

 

business

 

earnest

 

soldier

 

American

 

experience

 
obeyed
 
promptings
 

natural


gathered

 

knightly

 
Remember
 

miscellaneous

 

record

 

brightest

 
sections
 

conceptions

 

exalted

 
country

faithfully

 
thousand
 

yielding

 

tittle

 
chances
 

greatly

 

lessened

 

unknown

 

fidelity

 

fealty


honorably

 
secure
 
simple
 

equals

 

expected

 

garrison

 

assist

 

Confederates

 

agreed

 
expedition