The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1862-06-24
.h8 Wounded New England Soldiers,

Tha Wounded New England Soldiers.
Chaplain james, OF one OF the New Eng.
and regiments, connected with Burnsides ex.
pedition, thus writes Of some of the scenes at
he battle near Newberu, NorthCarolina
The case OF Edward r. Groton, of com.
pany C., a native Of Clappville, Mass, is so
peculiar that 1t merits especial mention. The
ia, before the fight, he SAID to COMPANION.
Are you going 10 take your book with YOU
70 the battlefield (! i don't know. he re.
pIiud | shall take NINE said he, and at
the word, placed i, carefully in the left breast
pocket Of MS blouse This prayer book was
aiven to HIM by q friend at home the day be.
fore he left. Two other soldiers received from
MN The same gift, but one OF them threw it
away at Camp Hicks in Annapolis. The
other was the companion with whom the fore
going conversation was he'd. Among the first
70 re brought out from the field was Grafton
with bali through his side. 1t had passed
in at MS left breast, and out at his back, and
was severe and dangerous wound. 1t
Aouid have proved mortal at the instant, had
It not passed directly through his prayer
BOOK, distance of au inch and a quarter,
thus deadeniug It's force, and changing its d.
rcction. The book lies before HE at this mo.
ment, pierced on the side, and very near the
middle Of the cover, the blood of the owner
staining it through at least two hundred pa
ges.
Nothing has more impressed inc during the
a,, month, than the cheerful demoanor OF the
sounded men in the hospitals When borne
away from the field upon htters, it was per-
APPS natural that they should make light of
some flesh wound in the body or limbs, or
even that they should speak cheerfully after
osng member. | addressed several such,
one OF whom said to me, | was not wounded
till had given tine rascals twenty-one good
rounds Another, am sure | dropped one
before got my wound. Another, | only
regret this ball in my thigh, because it pre-
vents my firing any more Another who had
an ankle carried away with fragment of
shell exclaimed, This is cheap victory to
me-. There was little crying out for pain,
aud abundance OF heroism and noble patience
under suffering. But three or four days after
he battle, that is the time to try a mans
.oul. The wounds become corrupt, for gun.
shot wounds must always heal by suppuration,
and are usually very offensive. The excite
nent Of the conflict has passed away and
they must lie and suffer for days, weeks and
even mouths. But under these circumstances,
our men seemed happy aud smiling whenever
You met them. [ nave in mind hero of the
New Jersey 9th, who had both legs amputa.
ted the same cannon which wounded him
'aking eff leg for another man, besides kill
lns captain and a private, He lay on his
cot, full OF sustained peace, rejoicing in the
victory achieved, and as for himself trusting
in the good Lord to provide for his family,
and restore him to them. He seemed as he
4y true Christian philosopher will
name another case in my own regiment. Two
yluDg men lay on beds side by side, each hav
0g suffered the loss of leg by ampu,ation
one the left, the other the right. From
neither Of them has any one ever heard a
complaining word Their faces are ever
yTealhed in sunshine. They even joke with
one another, and say that between them
10Th they can make out one very respectable
nau and one pair Of shoes and stockings will
answer for them BOTH