Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-11-21
a RnIdiar,s mann.


OF ali the trying incidents connected with this
unnatural there is none SO touching in its char
acter the death Of one Of those brave and devoted
Z men on oed Of disease, who hgve enrolled them.
selves, as the defenders Of our country The car.
mage of the battle field, if set in the shades of
death by violence and agony, has also its light of
glorious family escutcheon, to cheer the last mo
ments Of the dying hero.
The Roman Bard embodied the idea, which ever
animstes the patriot hero's heart in all ages and
countries, when he said:
aDulce ct decorSuR est pro patria mort"
The Christian soldier is yet inspired by higher
sentiment, when he feels that there is connected
with his love of country and the resolve % die in
its defence, rather than witness its pollution and
subjugation, obedience to the God he serves and
from whom he expects his future salvation.
But death by slow disease in soldiers hospital,
surrounded by stranger faces, however kindly they
may beam upon the sufferer, and however gentle 8
hand may seothe his anguish, and however sympaA
thizing a spirit may receive his last sgonizing
breath, is sad sad fate. Such deaths daily occur
in the various hospitals in this city, All that tender
ness, sympathy and womans angelic ministrations
can do are dispensed freely and fully to the dying
patriot The tears Of our mstrons are freely shed
for the lonely strangers fate, who, far from home
and its endearments separated by distance from
the mother and sister whose happiness is mingled
with his fate or from the wife of his affections
and the prattl1ng children who were wont to cling
around his knee and welcome him to home of
love- thus passes to the Hereafter, alike unknowing
AID unknown to those who surround his dying
couch.
A Kentucky soldier died yesterday in one of the
CJnege street Military Hospitals whose last me-
Inents were so illustrative Of the character of
Christian hero as to have excited q sensation of
deep sorrow among those who witnessed his last
moments. In the language of the attending sur,
geon, he was "every inch man. " His patience
and fortltuds were remarkably exhibited through
every stage of his lingering Illness and he retained
clear intellect to the last When dying and conversng
abouths DEATH he said that he prepared for the
change and that ssrs Uietory beyond the graueT
How much significance is attached to such senti-
ment from the lips of dying volunteer, who met his
fatewhen engaged in war fer his couatry's indie
pendencel How touching, how manly, how soldier
like and how replete with religious ferTor and en-
thusiasm There ne despot troubles the disen-
thralIed spirit; no mercenary and mercilsss invs-
ders scatter their CORY trophies aronnd no hearts
are torn no ties broken by the ambition Of rulers
and the cruelty and avarice Of Oppressors. The
wreath of victory over sin, sorrow aud suffering is
his.
The oppressOrs who would rob US of our homes
and our honor and who have waged this war, may
thus send thousands Of victims to an nntimely
grave, but they have no power over the freed
spirit, which now claims an unrestrained aleg lance
to the only Power to whom homage and glory and
dominion are due from all the earth.