Southern Stories

by Various

  A DIVIDED DUTY

  BY M. A. CASSIDY

  The Magill residence was situated near the highways connecting Knoxvilleand Chattanooga. Encamping armies had burned every splinter of fencing,and so the cleared space was thrown into one great field, encircled by agigantic hedge of oak and pine. Near the center of the cleared land, ona little eminence, was a farm-house. It was a long, one-story building,running back some distance, its several additions having beenconstructed as the family required more room. A little to the right, andextending the full length of the house, was a row of negro cabins--therebeing a passway between the two as wide as an ordinary road. The yardsloped gently to the roadway and railroad; near the latter, another risebegan, which extended back to the woodland and commanded an extensiveview of the surrounding country.

  One afternoon, early in the autumn of 1864, Mrs. Magill and her sonHarry, a comely lad of thirteen, sat on the front veranda, and talked ofwhat a happy reunion there would be when their loved ones should returnfrom the war. And on this glorious autumnal afternoon the hearts of thewidow and her son were happy in anticipation.

  Mrs. Magill had two sons in the war. One wore the Blue, the other theGray. John, the eldest of three boys, had enlisted in Wheeler'sConfederate cavalry, in the second year of the war; and, a year later,Thomas had joined the Federals under General Burnside at Knoxville. Bothwere known as brave and dashing soldiers, and both had been promoted,for gallantry, to captaincies. This family division was a source ofgreat grief to Mrs. Magill. Dearer to her than Union or Confederacy wereher children; and from their youth she had trained them in the ways ofpeace. And now, in their manhood, two of them, under different flags,were arrayed against each other in a deadly and unnatural strife. Sheoften heard from both her soldier boys, and their inquiries after thewelfare of each other were full of tenderness. Harry, as is usual withyounger brothers, fairly worshiped both of them. He was no less troubledthan his mother when they went away to fight on opposite sides. Theircontrary action left him in doubt as to which side he should take. Everyboy of his acquaintance was ardent in espousing one side or the other.But what could he do, since he had a brother in each army? Should hebecome a rebel, Thomas might be displeased; and he loved Tom too well towillfully incur his displeasure. Should he decide to remain loyal to theUnion, John might resent it; and he could not think of offending onewhom he held in such high esteem. "What shall I do?" he asked himself agreat many times a day. The war spirit in him was becoming rampant, andmust have scope. He at length took the perplexing question to hismother. She promptly advised him to remain neutral. But somehow Harrygot it into his head that neutrality was something very different frommanliness. So he made up his mind to be one thing or the other,or--happy thought!--why not be both? And, after puzzling over thequestion a long time, he settled on the novel idea of making himselfhalf "Rebel" and half "Yankee." In pursuance of this plan, he persuadedhis mother to make him a uniform, half of which should be blue, and theother half gray. She made it of a Federal and a Confederate overcoat;and Harry was a queer-looking little fellow as he went about thecountry, clad in his blue-gray uniform, the U. S. A. buttons on oneside, and the C. S. A. on the other. The boys called him a "mongrel";and neither the Federal nor Confederate commands of boy soldiery wouldallow him in their ranks. This was a source of great mortification toHarry; but he was seriously in earnest, and fully resolved to carry outhis campaign of impartial affection. His being cut by the other boys,who could afford to take a decided stand because they did not have abrother on each side, reduced him to the necessity of playing "war"(about the only game indulged in by Southern boys at this time) alone.When he put up his lines of corn-stalk soldiers, to play battle, it wasobserved, by his mother, that both sides always won an equal number ofvictories. Harry was not sure that the war could ever end at this rateof even fighting; but arrayed as he was, in the colors of both armies,his inclination was to be true to both. There were generally tears inhis mother's eyes, when she saw that two of the corn-stalk soldiers, thetallest and straightest of them all, representing John and Thomas, werealways left standing, even after the most furious of contests, in whichall the others had fallen.

  Harry had left off playing quite early, on the afternoon of which Iwrite, and had joined his mother on the veranda. They had not been longtogether when something unusual attracted their attention.

  A short distance down the railroad a body of cavalrymen had dismounted,and soon they were as busy as ants, tearing up the track. One squadpreceded the others and loosened the rails by drawing the spikes; thencame another squad that placed the ties in great heaps; after this camea third that kindled fires beneath them. The ties were rotten and dry,and, in a very few moments, there were scores of bright, hot fires. Soonthe rails were at a red heat near the center, the ends beingcomparatively cool. While in this state a number of men would take therails and bend them around telegraph poles or any solid objects thatwere near. The soldiers twisted the rails into fantastic shapes; andwhen they were through with their work of destruction, they seemedperfectly satisfied that none of the old material could be used inreconstructing the road. Harry and his mother had observed theoperations of these men with much interest for some time, when suddenlythey saw one of them mount his horse, and ride toward the house.

  "He is a rebel!" exclaimed Harry, who stood watching the approachinghorseman.

  "Surely you are mistaken, Harry. There can be no Confederates here,"said Mrs. Magill, "the Federals are too near."

  While yet the soldier was some distance from the house, the boy's facelighted up with joy, as he exclaimed:

  "Oh, mother, I do believe it's John!"

  "John? Where is he?" asked his mother, running to where the boy stood.

  "Why, there, on the horse! He's coming home! He's coming home!" And thusexclaiming, Harry danced around the veranda like an Indian lad in afirst war-dance. Then he ran to meet his brother in gray. Mrs. Magillwas thrilled with sensations of joy and fear: joy, because she wasabout to see again her eldest son, after a painful separation of twoyears; fear, because of the nearness of the Federals. When within ashort distance of his brother, Harry stopped and waited there, preparedto give the military salute due one of his brother's rank. But thatsalute was never given; for almost at the same instant that Harrystopped, Captain John Magill reined up his horse quite suddenly, drew apistol from its holster, and looked suspiciously toward a clump of treeson the hill-top. Harry turned his eyes to learn what had startled hisbrother. He beheld a score or more of men in blue uniforms, partlyconcealed by the clump of trees; and it was evident that these were thevanguard of a larger body of Federals. Captain John Magill wheeled assuddenly as he had halted, and galloped back to the Confederates engagedin demolishing the railroad. As fast as he could run, Harry followed.Mrs. Magill comprehended the situation; and, spell-bound, she stood onthe veranda, with arms outstretched, a statue of anguish and expectancy.

  When Captain John Magill reached his comrades, he gave the alarm, and"there was mounting in hot haste." The two hundred raiders had timeonly to form an irregular line of battle, when twice as many Federalsappeared on the hill-top. It was evident that there was going to be alively skirmish. Harry singled out John, who rode up and down the linegiving commands, and running to him, he clasped him around a leg withboth arms, enthusiastically exclaiming:

  "Howdy, John! Don't you know me?"

  The young captain looked down at the joy-beaming face of his littlebrother, but, as he had never seen the little fellow in his fantasticuniform, for a moment failed to recognize him.

  A shade of disappointment flitted over Harry's face as he said:

  "I am your little brother Harry; and I'm just as much Rebel as Yankee."

  Captain John Magill laughed as he leaned over and grasped Harry's hand.

  "Why, Harry! What on earth are you doing here? Get up behind me, and Iwill gallop home with you before the firing begins," said John,evidently alarmed for the boy's safety. Placing his foot on that of hisbrother, Harry
clambered up behind. By this time the lines were in rangeof each other, and a lively fusillade at once began. Harry behavedmanfully under fire, and entreated his brother to allow him to stayuntil the fight was over. But the elder brother was intent on taking himto a place of safety, so putting spurs to his horse he rode swiftlytoward the house. His plan was to return the boy to his mother, and thenrejoin his comrades. But the Confederates did not know his intentions;and seeing their Captain making his way rapidly to the rear, with thisstrangely-clad boy behind him, they of course thought him retreating,and they followed pell-mell.

  Captain John Magill saw the effect of his movement, and, halting, madean effort to rally his men. But the Confederates were thoroughlystampeded, and they dashed madly away. The shouting Federals were now atclose range, and the bee-like song of the bullets could be heard onevery side. Hastily placing Harry in front of him, to shield him as muchas possible from the enemy's fire, he followed his men, now somedistance in advance. When they reached the house, Mrs. Magill stood paleand motionless, expecting every moment to see her children fall.Glancing back, Captain John Magill saw that a moment's delay would makehim a prisoner; so as he dashed past his mother he cried out, "Don't beuneasy. I'll take care of Harry"; and then he was gone like the wind,his pursuers not a hundred yards behind him. Then a complete change cameover Mrs. Magill. Impelled by the great love of a mother, she ran intothe yard, and stood calmly in the way of the advancing Federals, whosecourse lay between the cabins and the house--as if to stop, with herfrail form, the impetuous charge.

  On they came like a hurricane. The mother did not move. Her eyes wereclosed and her lips compressed. Very near her sounded the hoof-beats. Amoment more and she expected to be trampled to death beneath thosehurrying feet; but she hoped--yea, and prayed--that her death mightsomehow delay the Federals until her sons should escape.

  "Halt! Halt!" The command was in thunder tones, and was echoed andre-echoed along the charging line. The soldiers pulled with all theirmight on the bits, and many a horse was thrown back on his haunches.Opening her eyes Mrs. Magill saw that the Federal captain, bending overher from his saddle, was her son Thomas.

  "Oh, Thomas!--would you kill John and Harry!" she exclaimed, and thenfell fainting in his arms. Laying her tenderly on the veranda, hedirected a surgeon to attend her, and mounting his horse, rode rapidlyin the direction taken by his brothers. Soon he saw them a quarter of amile ahead. Taking a white handkerchief he held it aloft, and diggingthe spurs deep into his horse's flanks, he rode with increased speed,all the time hallooing at the top of his strong voice. John heard; but,thinking it a summons to surrender, he urged his horse forward, hopingto gain the sheltering wood. But the horse, in attempting to jump acrossa washout, stumbled and fell; and John found himself rolling on theground with Harry in his arms. Rising, he placed Harry behind him, anddrew his sword, determined to sell their lives dearly. Imagine hissurprise when he beheld but one pursuer, and that one holding on high anemblem of peace. In a moment more, he recognized his brother. Theirmeeting was affectionate. Harry was beside himself with joy. He hadreally been under fire, with "sure-enough bullets" singing about hisears! This was something of which none of the boys who had scorned hisblue-gray uniform could boast!

  "Our brother is a brave little fellow. He did not once flinch when yourbullets were singing around us," he heard John say to Thomas, and thispraise elated the boy very much.

  "Let us return to mother. She is very anxious," said Thomas.

  John gazed inquiringly at his brother in blue.

  "You need have no fear," said Thomas. "I will be responsible for yoursafety."

  So the two soldier brothers, leading their horses, and each holding oneof Harry's hands, walked up to the house.

  "I see you wear the gray, Harry; that's right," said John, with amalicious glance at Thomas.

  "He is true blue on this side," said Thomas, laughing heartily, as theludicrousness of Harry's uniform dawned upon him.

  An affecting meeting was that between mother and sons; and something onthe cheeks of the brave men who were present "washed off the stains ofpowder."

  When parting time came, the sun rested, like a great ruby, above thecircling wood of crimson and gold; and when the brother in blue stoodhand in hand with the brother in gray, all nature seemed to smile inanticipation of the time when a fraternal grasp should reunite the Northand South.

  This day was the turning-point in Harry's life. Thenceforth all hisinclinations were to become a soldier. After the war, he was educated byJohn and Thomas; and, passing his examination triumphantly over three ofthe boys who had derided him, he was appointed to West Point. He is nowLieutenant Henry Magill, U. S. A.

  His brothers still treasure the little blue-gray uniform as the mementoof a "divided duty."