The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1862-04-09
A Sad story.

SAD story.
The following touclliiig little licdsiitii
related in private letter from Col. IIaw.
ley, at Tybec island: Poor Dolph! D.
you know the Dolphs that live near you:
Well, their son, who belongs to Co. ID, got
news that his wife, two children, and siste,
had all died Of diptheria. How he cried.
Poor fellow. We comforted him all W.
could. spoke pleasantly to him when
we met, and hoped he was getting along
well. believe he heard the other das
that his mother was sick, too. Somebody
came to the supper table last night and cali
ca .or the doctor 10 see crazy man, anh
soon after a man said that Dolph wanted
to see me. went I'd his tent. There
were hall-dozen Of his comrades there,
One dim candle, stuck in bottle, showed
me the rifles stacked around the centre
pole the cartridge boxes, bavoncts and
knapsacks The ground was covered witli
the splendid long moss they pulled from
the live oaks Dolph sat squat upon the
ground his face and hands very dirty, his
fingers constantly picking something, his
body moving, his head turning wildly FROM
one side to the other; his eyes dreadfully
swellcd with weeping. Halo, Do(ph:
hpw arc you?' And he peered upwards
into my face. Colonel Hawley." said
somebody. Yes" said he, ''that is Col
Hawley,' and hc took my hand with tight
grip. Colonel Hawlcy, look at my baby
my poor sick baby" He had a little
pile of moss, and on it lay his cartridge
jor, carefully covered, all but one edge Of
it, with his blanket. This was his baby
And he turned the blanket down as ten
dery as if the cartridgc-box wer' delicate
little baby. He spoke brokcnly and at Iii;
tcrvals, and with Il quick but morhfui
voice: poor baby-both babies sick
(ani he pointed to where he supposed they
lay,) poor baby--vcry sick. Give baby
seme water" And he leaned on one Ell
bow and affectonately held q leaf up to
the cartridge box, as if the baby wouli
drink. He seemed to consider himself in
his own home, and the family sick, bttt
living, and then he would say, won't let
me 90 homc-no- - Misunderstanding few
scconds) no-no-w won't let me 60 homc''
his hands constantly tidgetting over
something: Then he would consider them
all dead, and himself standing by thsi,
graves. Sister" and he laid his hand dowr!
on one side; baby" hands down again 10
mark each grave; "baby- w.fs-mother.- -
Oh, yes, mother is dead-won't let me 60
home" kept his hand ten minutes and
sat down by him, and put my hand on his
shoulder, and tried to compel him to listen.
I told him his babies were happy and his
mother nat dead, lis she y and if he would
be good boy, and sleep and get well. he
should 90 home. Mothers here, and says
she didn't get that money. You didn't
send it to her" 80, yes, did, Dolph-
here's the receipt of the express company;
She's got it now. You told me to send it
to my wife, right there at Col. F--'s you
know. She has got it before this time.
"Well poor baby and he put trees
over their graves, &C., &c. had to work
some time to get him to take some n.edicins
an opiate-but it had little effect. i've
built six forts" said h., "and mounted six
cannon. I'm going to take down that fort
to morrow-that one over there e-Pulaskl.
mean" Four men were going TO watch
with him (the tears came into all our eyes
sometimes, Think and told thsm to
move out the rifles and bayone.s. He
caught them at it, and shouted, Let IN.
rifle alone! Give me my rife And
let him take it, seeing it was not loaded,
and he went furously to work cleaning it.
Finally he passed it to me to inspect, and
slipped it away.
think it is the most affecting case Of
insanity l ever say. ccul int make him
believe that we could send him home, but
we shall don't know whether to have
you tell his folks or not. The men take AZ
good care Of him as they can. He has
slept but an hour Of the twenty-four, and
is as ccaselessly active as a canary bird
hopping about his cage. He sent for me
again to day, but he could not confine his
attention to anything. "Poor babyH' is
his principal rcr ark. and he still tends his
cartride-box "a soldiers life is always
gay" the song says. A sad story, isn't It?
Call again on Dolph's mother. Tell her he
will be well treated We hope this insan-
ity is caused partly by fever, and il we can
get him quietly sick with that, perhaps he
will come ont all right. If not, I'll see
that he goes straight to the Insane Retreat
at Hartford, and with him money enough
to keep him awhile.
1t was his comrades and friends who
contributed the thirty-tw two dollars he sent
to his mother to pay the JNaerat .erpenses
Of his .chols family.