Gettysburg, Battle of, Gettysburg, Pa., 1863 -- Fiction; Pennsylvania -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Fiction; War stories
"Emmyline," he said gently, when she brought him the things for which
he had asked, "do you suppose you could help me?"
"I could try," said Emmeline.
Private Christy passed her the end of one of the long strips of cloth.
"There, Emmyline, you take that and wind it round and round."
With a gasp, Emmeline obeyed; together she and Private Christy bound
the wounded arm of Private Mallon.
The sun had vanished behind the woodland and the fleecy clouds above
were golden; the cooler air of evening had begun to breathe through the
old farmhouse. The sound of firing near by had ceased entirely. The
battle was surely over; surely, thought Emmeline, these men would go
away and Gettysburg could have peace. Perhaps she could still go home
to-night! There were many wagons standing idle down by Willoughby Run;
perhaps one could be spared to take her. If she could only go home and
see her mother she would ask for nothing more in the world. Perhaps
Henry had come back. If Henry were wounded like these men, her mother
could not take care of him and Bertha, too. She _must_ go home. Then
Emmeline gave a great cry. Deliverance had come! She sprang to the
window and began to call to some one outside. Private Christy, who was
on his knees near the window, turned and looked out quickly.
"They are Union soldiers!" cried Emmeline. "We have won! They will take
me home! Here I am! Here I am!" She waved her arms as she called.
Private Christy looked down at the company of blue-coated soldiers. He
saw what Emmeline did not see: that their progress was directed and
hastened by soldiers in gray who carried muskets.
"They are prisoners, Emmyline."
"Prisoners!" cried Emmeline.
"Yes, sissy."
"Didn't we win?"
"Not exactly, Emmyline."
"What will they do with them?"
"They'll take 'em down to that woods and guard 'em."
Leaning suddenly out of the window, Emmeline began to scream. Among
the prisoners was a slender soldier to whom she called.
"There is my brother! Henry, Henry, dear, dear Henry! Here I am, Henry,
here I am!"
"Be quiet, sissy!" commanded Private Christy.
Emmeline stepped across a soldier on the floor, and then across
another. In frantic excitement she sought the door.
Private Christy caught and held her. "Where are you going, Emmyline?"
he asked.
"I'm going to my brother."
"You don't know if it was your brother. It was too dark to see."
"It was my brother! I'm going to find him!"
"No, Emmyline."
"What will they do to him?"
"Nothing."
"I haven't seen him for months and months. He is my only brother. He
had a bandage round his head. Oh, please, please let me go!"
"No," said Private Christy. "Come, Emmyline, I need you."
Emmeline went back to her work, and her tears dropped on the face of
the soldier by whom she knelt.
"It's too bad, sissy," said he weakly. "I wish I could help you."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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