“She must be a messenger,” said one of the officers, swinging himself from the saddle, and coming toward Roxy, who, bareheaded, and with her face flushed from her run, her eyes shining with excitement, was indeed a queer little person to bring a division of soldiers to a standstill. But she told her story clearly and eagerly, repeating what she had heard the Confederate scouts say of the movements of Jackson’s army.
“And if you please, may I not ride home with you?” she concluded breathlessly, for Roxy supposed the soldiers were on the road that led by her Grandma Miller’s, but this was not the case.
HE LIFTED HER TO THE SADDLE IN FRONT OF HIM
The soldiers were bound for Sharpsburg, and the officer, supposing the little girl knew this, and that her home was near the town, promptly agreed to Roxy’s request and lifting her to the saddle in front of him, called a sharp word of command and they were off.
Etta-Belle, hiding behind the bushes at the edge of the field, and shaking with terror, watched until they were out of sight, and then started off in the other direction toward the Miller farm. “I reckons dey’ll wan’ news ob dat chile,” she muttered as she hurried along the road. Roxy had told the woman where she lived, and Etta-Belle had heard of the Miller farm, and toward noon she climbed the slope to the farmhouse and the anxious family gathered to hear her story of what had befallen Roxy.
“An’ de lille gal rush right into de road an’ stop de army, an’ de sojer set her on de hoss an’ de army go right on,” she concluded.
Rejoiced as they were to have news of their little daughter, Captain and Mrs. Delfield could not feel that she was safe until she was again at home; and it was decided that Mrs. Delfield and Jacob should start at once for Sharpsburg and endeavor to find Roxy. Grandma Miller’s horse was quickly harnessed to the high buggy and they were off. Etta-Belle had made friends with Dulcie, and Grandma Miller had said she might stay at the farm.
It was early twilight when Mrs. Delfield reached a friend’s house on the outskirts of Sharpsburg, and was told that General Lee’s troops were encamped a mile north of the town on the Hagerstown road near the Dunker Church, a small stone building that stood near a body of woods, beyond which was a field, and it was here that General Jackson’s troops were posted, and it was here that the terrible battle of Antietam was to take place.
Mrs. Delfield’s friends told her that McClellan’s army was approaching, that on the ridge above Sharpsburg Union batteries were already mounted, and that probably Roxy was not far away; and within an hour of Mrs. Delfield’s arrival the little girl was seen approaching the house.