Rensselaer Republican, Volume 20, Number 18, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 January 1888 — COURTING THE CAPTAIN [ARTICLE]

COURTING THE CAPTAIN

Jfhere was probably no more youth•l bearer of a colonel’s com mission in the civil war than my sei L : < Bora In a family of soldiers, edricjjartt and drilled from infancy as a 1 gained A high rank as a bqrf and was able to perform its lutipsto the satisiMlion of my supexjotc. But, aside from duty, I was “larky’, sb any youiig*wilege chap in the world A goods, made by the kind wotnen, iny regb intent through the United B:atea Ci.ris„4i&n comruiejfcion. The who superintended the distribution-hf brought brie evejring, a note he bad (mind pinned on A pair of .’■d<oolen FtuckingS Nome" fun loving prl wrote that she w>'iMthrough charity, correspond soldier receiving those foot coverings The let er was signed Dolly Miller ami the postoffior address was givep. I Je6k the slip of -paper, and when the jiad departed, indited a noteip<fie pests vie to they on ng lady. ILpriiamsrat the end, though, was not itfy ojenybut that of Capt. T. B. Reid, in r of one of -Companies, fellow, handsome, brave, and young, was Reid—a great favorite td/O with the lad zMe won his yacdf’ by gallant settee. and was a soMier all through. Though he aJ#iO'could keep his cud up in imversatioh, yet his earhr etiwa'ion had neglected; he •Wrote a villainous fist, and all his ideas Z up before they reached the point V to the initials of my com rich* Bp as to identify + he answer (if 6ne seme) when it reached the tent, where all mail matters Kvered. .. / '/a Three weeks after there note for Capt. T. B V. Reid Gino. Of course, the parted (Ufliyered into jny • hamiyMi modest, little -letter^"wat^tfre/ 'coptotteg' told that some IjVefy jfad written Body real md/ letter she in tomato intcresttngirr contents, that she, would cairy gut the prqmiswTWnde in her behalf, and if Oaptat&S Rbhcauld find amusement or pleatoflnin 7 corresponding with her, AetofkwjMing to do what she could to himin his duties and dangers.” >?ff)f edurse I answered and “spread toy self.” No fool’s letter would do for this bright, honest Miss Dolly, and, being flattered by her high estimate of my •arly work, I “put in my best licks,” It was no* long before letters came ■nd went by eacir mat’. Iwas really interested in the true, kindly maiden 1> had never met, and had it not been for the “girl I left behind me,” might have explained my first deception and gone in for myself. As it was, I felt-rather conscience-stricken when I found to what extentany gush and romance had taken hold on that, dear young lady s feelings. But I kept it up all the same. As I “piled up thb agony” on the miseries of a soldier’s life, and gave utterance to a longing for some tender, krvit g woman to reconcile me to the world and iu trials, Miss Dolly’s letters bet* me more and more aflectionate and suggestive. She wrote that site was an Brphan, had considerable money in her’

•wn right, and that she eould love a brave soldier and honest gentleman raeh as she conceived Capt. Reid to be from the tone of his letters. I sent her Reid’s photograph, taken from my album, and received her. own in return. A very sweet, innocent, con tiding face it was; good girl written in •very feature. Reid spied it soon after I placed it among my collection, and he admired it hugely. I did not hint that it had been really sent to him, but I felt more ashamed than ever. . Btill I continued the correspondence, and, forced to reply in kind, I care say that I wrote many words that conveyed great affection, and much language that •ould easily be construed into almost direct proposals of marriage; though these were always qualified by remarks showing how unwilling I was, or would be, to bring a young wife to share t* e privations and hardships of a life in the tela. - _ This interchange of words, growing continually more tender, was kept up until after the capture of Mobile; then my regiment was sent to a point on the Mississippi river. During the stirring times of . action and the confusion of change of station, •nr letters were, in many cases, misaarried or failed to reach us. I had not hear! from Miss Dolly for nearly six weeks, and earnestly hoped she had dropped the correspondence, for it had grown entirely too warnrlSr nay eomiort and peace of mind under the circumstances. I ’ One day it happened—as things oo.1

incident do happen in thia world—that I was sitting in the provost marshal's office at the landing when a large steamboat came down the river. It stopped at our port, as all boats had to, in compliance with military orders. I saw several passengers land, among them a lady. These were left standing on the levee while their passes and ’baggage underwent examination. j In a few momenta" the lieutenant commanding the provost guard came to me. “Colonel, there is a yodng lady here asking for Capt RaHff of your regiment.” Of all attention and activity jxf*a moment. I never doubted bptrthat it was one of Reid’s sisters (I luew he had several) who had foolishly come to pay him a visit. I was sorry for it, because our camps were no place for a lady, and there were rather strict orders against their admission, I buttoned up my coat, gave mjr z cap a cant over my right ear, and nr&de my way toward the lovely damsel, who atood among most wrngenial surroundinga/

under and Mars! 1 * recognised Dolly Miller (from her likeness to the photograph sent me), the moment I laid my eyes upon her. Here was a fix—of my own manufacture, too. How to get rid of it. I went forw trd'and introduced myself with all of whipK I was possessed, as Capt. Reid's Colon 1 and his friend. 1 had mentioned idyself in some of the-ietters I hadwritten, purporting to come from R., and a blushing look of plepriure came over the girl’s face. s' “Cstn. Reid has often written of you, and while I fully expected to rand him here to meet me, I am glad he •ent a sut stitute I pari feel in some way acquainted with?* “Did Capt. Reid expect you?” “Why certainly. I wrote him three weeks ago that if not change for the would ' to join him here, in epi de of all the dis comforts he so viridly pictured. Thnmatjters did hapffem I «U' of life oy mv The Jdjn in order to me, 'fatlse?& harirls. “1 that you are aware of iqy correspondence with Capt. Reid, determined to trust my future him of whom I know little, rather than tempt fate with one 1 could like, of whom 1 knew everything, and all to his discredit.” v" I had to have time for thought and plans.

“Miss? —Miller, —thank you. Well, Miss Miller, I. know that the Captain never received your letter. We have been busy at Mobile, and have just arrived here; have had no mail for fully twenty days. Our oamp is all ip confusion as yet, and there is much to be arranged. Will you try and content yourself for an hour or two while I go to camp and notify Oaot. Reid?” She consented to Watt; the postmaster's private office was given up tb her. It was a pretty but distressed face I left behind me as I rode off. eoneiderably worried about my own part and penalty in the affair. I wept straight to camp, sent for Reid, and there was a full hour’s confab, a good deal of hard swearing on his part, a power of persuasion on my own before the matter was settled. I knew the Captain well. He had money, a rood heart and no entanglement. He was calculated to make a loving husband for any woman. I put the case strongly to him. Here was an honest but unsophisticated maiden, with money of her own, ready to become his wife.' I had saved him all the trouble of courtship, won his bride for him, and had her safely housed and

waiting. ’ “What more eould he want. Would he be so ungrateful as to let all my earn est endeavors on his behalf go for-noth-ing! Besides, hehad always vowed he was in love with the girl, though he had never seen but her picture. My eloquence gained him over even as my literary ski'l had secured the lady. I exhibited all her letters, told, so nearly as I could, the contents of those I had written her, and before two hours I led my gallant comrade to his happy, willing sweetheart. Jr Tiat evening they were married by the chaplain ol tbe Massachusetts. Reid at once tendered hisjesignation, and was given leave of absence pending its acceptance. The next morning our young couple took boat for Cincinnati. Mr. and Mrs. T. IL' Reid (no V in* the name now) are happy, rich and contented in Wisconsin. I hear from them often, but neither has ever given me a, bint that any explanations have taken place between them regarding their wooing by correspondence. 80 my lark in that line turned out 0. K. for all parties, but it might have been a terrible matter for every one concerned; I have never since been interested in any courtships but my own, and in these I learned how serious such affairs generally are. According to Joaquin Miller the California woman talks lees than any other womah in the world. At least there are no corns on the mistletoe.