Then he
fervently pressed his lips to the door of the vault. It was opened and
there were displayed the coffins of Washington and his wife, decorated
with flowers. The general descended the steps, kissed the leaden
caskets, while tears suffused his cheeks, and then reverently retired."
[Footnote: Lossing's "Our Country," Vol. V., p. 1327.]
Shortly after peace was declared, Fernando's regiment was mustered out
of the service, and he and Sukey went to their homes in Ohio. Both had
done their share toward preserving the honor of their country and wished
to retire to private life. A great change had come over Sukey. The text
quoted by Fernando on the morning when they found Captain Snipes dead
among the rocks seemed ever to ring in his ear.
"Vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord." He proceeded to a
careful study of the sentence, and from that became a student of the
Bible. A few days after their return, he said:
"Fernando, what I did during the war was right, but was not done in the
right spirit. I shot from revenge. I killed because I hated the British
officers. I seemed to feel the stinging cuts of the cat on my back. That
flogging made a devil of me. I hated the sight of a redcoat. It's all
gone now--not that my revenge is satiated, but because I am changed. A
new light has been opened up to my mind, and I can see it was no
disgrace to be flogged for freedom.
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