Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1862-02-07
4 SAD STORY.

4
The following touching relation is an extract
from private letter Of Lieut.. Col. Bawley
dated Tybee Island, December 29th. and pub
lished iu the Hartford Press:
Poor Doipbl Do you knoy the Dolpbs that
live near you? Well, their son VINO belongs
to Company D, got news that his wife, two
children, and sister had all died Of diplharia.
How he cried. Poor fellow. We eomforted
him all we could. | spoke pleasantly 70 him
when We met, and hoped he was getting along
we'll. beiievs he heard tie other dsy th4t
Bis mother vas sick too Slmsboiy cana to
the supper table last night aud called for the
doctor TO see crazy man, and soon after q
mat said that D9lph wanted to see me. | went
to bis tent. There were half dcz3n Of his
comrades there. One din candle stuck in .
bottle showed me The riaes stacked arouUd the
centre pole--ths cartridge boxes, b4yonets aud
kEaps&cks. The ground vas covered with the
splendid long MOSS they had pulled from the
live Faks. Dolph sat squat ou tho gronnd,
bis f.ee and haBds wore dirty, his fugeIs con-
stantly picking sometbiug, Bis body moving,
his head turning wildly from oDa side 70 the
other, bis eyes dreaifuiiy sWeled With weep
log.
"HAIlo, Dolph, how arc yons' And be
peered up toward my face.
SGD. aawley," said somebody
"Yes," SAID be,ee that is COL Hawley," ard
be took mY hand With a tight grip. '.gol
Hawley, look ai my baby, my POOR sick ba
by.o
lie had little pile of moss, and OF il lay
bis cartridge box, carefully covered, all but
one edge of if, With his blanket. That was
bis baby. And be turned his blanket down as
tenderly as the cartridge box we're delicass
little baby. H. spoke brokenly aud at inter-
vale, but With qGiek and mournful voice
"Poor baby-both babies sick-sisteF sick
and he pointed to where he supposed the5
lay-poor baby very sick. Give baby some
water" And be leaned on one elbow and af-
fectionateiy held leaf up to the cartridgc
box, as if baby would drink He seemed 10
consider himself 10 his own bome, and tht
family sick bnt living, but then be would say
"Wou't let me go home -no-no--n0--f fwalt-
Jog few seeonde3 no---no --won'f let NE 90
holne;" biz. hands constantly fdgeting over
something. Then he considered them ali dead
and be by their graves. SISTER" and he laid
his band down on one side; ssnaby," hands
dowa again to mark each grave; 'sbaby-wite
--nofher. Oh, yes, mother rs dead-WOn't
let me 60 hoUe.n
/ kept his band ten minutes and sat down
by him, and put my hlnd on his shoulder, and
tried to compel him to listen. ! told him that
bis babies were happy and his mother was not
deaJ,tis shelf and il bo would be good beg
aud sleep and get well he should 60 home.
'Mother's here aud said she didn't get that
money. You dida't send it to ber.
90, yes, did, Dalph, here is the receipt of
the express company. She's got it now. You
told me to seDd it 10 my wife right there at
Col. F--s, you know. She has get it
before this time.
''Well-Poor baby''-and be put strees"
over their graves, &C. had to work some
tlme.to get him to take some medicine-an opiats
but it bad little effect. "IV'e built six
forts,' said nc, ''mounted six cannon. I'm
goins to take down that fort .morrow--,hat
one over thers-Pulaski, mean"
-Four men were going 10 watch with him
THE tears oame into all our eyes, sometimes,
l thiDk,l and | told them to move the rifles
and baJonets. lie caught them at it and
shouted, "Let my riffs alone. Give me my
rifle And let him take it, seeing it was
not loaded, and he went furiously to work
cleaning it. Finally be passed it to me to
"inspeet," and slipped it away.
think it IS the most afFeetiag case of ias
sanity ever saw. L couldn't make him be-
lieve that We should send him home, but we
shall The men take as good care of him as
they caO. He has slept but an hour out Of
the las; twenty four, and is ceaselessly active
as canary bird, hopping about 10 his cage.
lie sem for me again to-day, but he could not
eonlina has attention to anything. "Poor ba-
by Is his principle remark, aud he still tends
bis cartridge boz. "a soldiers life is always
gay, the song says. A sad story, isn't it,
e hope his insanity is caused partly by fever,
and 1t we can gen him him quietly sick With
that; perhaps he will come out ali right. If
not | II see that he goes straight to the Insane
Retreat at Hartfurd, and with him money
enough To keen him awhiia