The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1847-06-16
Humanity of American Soldiers.

Humanity Of American Soldiers.
The following extract from letter writ
ten by Capt. Loser, and published in a late
number'of the Reading Journal, is an inter.
esting evidence of the humanity of our vol
hnteers to conquered enemy:
Gone poor fellow, when the line halted,
lhe was carrying large bundle,) seated
himself upon the ground and actually ate
the grass with seeming pleasure, one ofthe
soldiers then gave him some water: he drank
largely, and by motions thanked him, and
returned again to the grass. Gen. Worth,
just then passing, stopped and ordered one
of the men, who happened to have some
crackers with him; to give the poor fellow
some. This was done the man ate more
like a manaic than christian; when he
had finished he fell upon his knees and
thanked him. Some one who spoke Span
ish asked him when he had last eaten he
said that for five days nothing, not even wa
ter, had passed his lips.
Another and more effecting case occur
red few moments after, as was walking
down towards the city. A quite we'll dres-
sed Spaniard came up to one of our soldiers
who was standing guard over the arms that
the Mexicans had stacked, eating small
piece ofcracker, and offered him fifty cents
for it. The soldier refused his money, but
gave him whole cracker, (you must Under
stand that a soldiers cracker is about five
inches square.) The man thanked him
and turned again toward the city, when
there came running to him three little boys
and u girl, clapping their hands in joy
The father divided the cracker with his lit
tie ones into four pieces, (this occurred not
more than thirty feet from the solders,) and
astnrned aga in to get another. The guard
was looking on, and sticking his musket in
the ground left his post to meet him, (this
act under ordinary circumstances is pun
ishable with death) and gave him an
other
The man put his hand into his pocket
and offered him four or five dollars in silver
this he still refused, and while they were
thus engaged the little ones again came, up,
and the soldiers was shaking hands with
them, when into the party came their mo-
ther, with little infant in her arms. The
little ones actually commenced dividing
their small portion of probably two days
food with their mother. The scene was
too romantic and affecting for many stout
Yankee heart standing by, particularly
our hero with his face twisted in every pos
sible shape except that Of laughing, the sold
ier empticd the contents of his havcrsack
upon the ground in their midst, and broke
away, (spite of the mans cndeavors to re-
tain him. wiping his eyes with his coat sle-
eve; more like a school boy whipped than
one who had manfully stood three days
cannohading from nearl y two hundred guns.
The shout that was sent up from that crowd
was almost as loud us the one that proclaim
ed the uniurling for the first time Of the stars
and stripes upon the walls of San Juan de
Ulloa.
ODD FELLowsnlp IN DANGEE.-Thc trial
of VIM. r Canterbury, and others, for Civ
ing exhibitions Of the secrets of Odd Fellow
ship, without IL liccnce. commenced at
Springfield, Mass. on Monday, but the Dis
trict Attorney did not continue the case, the
defence being that the exhibition was
not of character requiring lcenee. The
Sprinfield Gazette says:
1t may interest our Odd Fellow friends to
know that the whole secrets Of their order
came within an ace Of being disclosed on
Monday afternoon. One of their number
was put upon the stand as u witness, by the
defendants, and was requested to state whut
was the process OF electlng and initiating
members ofa lodge. The witness objected
to answering some of the questions put TO
him, as he though he thereby would be violat
ing an obligation which he had assumed
The Court ruled, however that he was bound
to make the disclosure, it being penal Of
fence to assume such an obligation as the
witness seemed to think he had assumed !;
but soon after the ruling, an adjournment
for the night took place, and on Tuesday
morning, as we have stated, the examina.
ton was discontinued.