CHAPTER EIGHTH.
THE PRISONERS--THE HUSBAND AND THE LOVER.
We stated that on the recovery of Alfred Wentworth and LieutenantShackleford from their wounds, both were sent to Camp Douglastogether, and as Alfred had no regiment of his own captured, thelieutenant promptly requested him to become one of his mess. Thegenerous courage exhibited by Alfred Wentworth, and the fact that butfor his chivalric attention, he should have died on the bloody fieldof Fort Donelson, had created a feeling of gratitude in LieutenantShackleford for his preserver, which, on closer acquaintance, hadripened into a warm friendship, and he soon made Alfred acquaintedwith the fact of his betrothal to Emma Humphries, and Alfred in turnwould speak of his wife and children in such tones of affection asonly those who love can use. They would sit down for hours andconverse on the loved ones at home, thus wiling away the sad andlonely hours of a prison life, until the news was received in Chicagoof the fall of New Orleans. Although he bitterly regretted his nativecity having fallen into the hands of the enemy, the opportunity whichit presented of once more being able to correspond with his wife, madehim feel happier, and as soon as mail communication was received withthe city, he requested and obtained permission to write her.
Alfred Wentworth had not the slightest idea that Horace Awtry wouldever dare to offend his wife, much less to offer infamous proposals,and on their being refused have her driven from the home he had placedher in. It is true that his wife had written to him that Mr. Awtry hadrenewed his acquaintance with her, but her statements of his kindattention to her and the children, and her mentioning the eager mannerin which he had relieved her anxiety after the battle of the 21st ofJuly, 1861, instead of raising any suspicion on his part of thehonesty and purity of his motives, only made him return thanks in hisheart for the previous kindness shown to his wife.
On obtaining permission to write her, he immediately penned a long andaffectionate letter which was forwarded. For many days after heremained in a long suspense for the expected answer, as he neverbelieved for a moment that she would delay answering him, but as daysrolled into weeks, and no letter came, while the other prisoners fromNew Orleans received letters regularly, he became alarmed, and spokehis fears to Shackleford.
"Do not be afraid of any harm having occurred to her, Alf," said thelieutenant, after listening attentively to his friend's words. "Youmay depend that your letter never reached her, and she, in ignorancewhether you escaped unhurt from the engagement, cannot write, notknowing where you are."
"It is not her silence which troubles me as much as the knowledge thatshe possess no other money than Confederate notes," replied Alfred."How she will manage to support herself and the children God onlyknows."
"Have you not friends there?" enquired Harry.
"Yes, but I cannot depend on them for assistance, for two reasons:first, because from the disordered state of the money market in NewOrleans, they are almost as badly off as she is; and second, I amquite certain that Eva would rather starve than ask for charity."
"Charity!", echoed his companion. "Do you call it charity to assistanother situated as your wife is, particularly where her husband isfar from her fighting for his country?"
"You do not know the people of New Orleans," replied Alfred. "Nomatter how kindly a favor may be bestowed on them, it is stillconsidered charity, and though dire necessity may induce them toaccept aid if proffered, the knowledge that they were eating the breadof charity, would embitter each mouthful."
"Pooh, pooh," said his friend, "all these fine notions would do verywell before the war, but at the present time the least we think ofthem the better."
"It is all very well for you to speak that way," answered Alfred, "foryou have no wife and children to cause uneasiness, but I cannot beotherwise than anxious to know what has become of her, that I receiveno letters, while other prisoners have had theirs regularly by mail."
"An unfortunate fact, which you may depend has been caused by no otherreason than the neglect of the Yankee officers to forward yourletters," said Harry, then continuing: "Come, cheer up, and throwaside your dullness. Another battle like that of Shiloh, will give theSouth as many Yankee prisoners as they have of us, and then ho! forhome and the "Sunny South!" As soon as we return, I will take you toJackson, and then you can write your wife to come out, and she canlive with my mother, if you are not too proud to accept myhospitality."
"Thank you," he replied, "but I must first wait until we areexchanged, and God knows when that will be."
"Why, man, I tell you there is no doubt of our whipping the Yanks andcapturing a lot of them in the next battle; then adieu to CampDouglas, and hurrah for the Confederacy once more!" replied Harry,taking his companion by the arm, and dragging him to their tent wheredinner had been placed in readiness for them.