The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1862-02-07
An Insane Soldier-.A Sad Story.


The following touching relation is ex-
tracted from private letter of Lieut.. COL
Joseph r Hawley, Seventh Connecticut
dated Tybee Island, December Goth:
Poor Dolph Do you know the Dolphs
that live near you? We'll, their son, who
belongs to Company D, got news that his
wife, two children and sister had all died
of diphtheria. How he cried Poor fel.
low ! We comforted him all we could.
spoke pleasantly to him when we met, and
hoped he was getting along well. l believe
he heard the other day that his mother was
sick, too. Somebody came to the snpper-
table last night, and called for the doctor to
see crazy man, and soon after man said
that Dolph wanted to see me. l went to
his tent. There we're half dozen of his
comrades there. One dim candle stuck in a
bottle, showed me the rifles stacked around
the centre pole, the cartridge-boxes, bayonets
and knapsacks. The ground was covered
with the splendid long moss they had 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 dreadlulIy
swelIed with weeping. "Hallo, Doph, how
are your" and be peered up toward my
face. "Colonel Howley," said somebody.
Yes" said he, T." that is Colonel Hawley,"
and he took my hand with tight grip.
Colonel Hawley, look at my baby, my poor,
sick baby" He had little pile of moss
and on it lay his cartridge boz, carefully
covered, all but one edge, with his blanket
That was his baby! And he turned the
blanket down as tenderly as if the cartridge
box were delicate little baby.
He spoke brOkenly and at intervals, and
with quick but mournul voice "Poor
baby-both babies slck--sister sick land
be pointed to where ne supposed they lay),
poor baby--very sick Give baby some
water" And he leaned on one elbow and
affectionately held leafup to the cartridge
box, as if baby would drink. He seemed
to consider himself in his own home, and
the family sick but living, but then he would
say "W ont let me go ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
--(waiting a few seconds)--no--no--won't
let me 60 home" his hands constantly fdg-
citing over something. Teen he consid-
cred them all dead and be by their graves.
"Sister," and he laid his hand down on
one side; "baby' hands down again to
mark each grave; "baby--wife--mother.
Oh, yes, mother is dead--won't let me
go home" l kept his hand ten minutes,
and sat down with him, and put my hand
on his shoulder, and tried to compel him
to listen. 1 told him his babies were hap.
py and his mother was not dead lis she p,
and if he would be good boy and sleep,
and get well, he should 60 home. "Moth
ers's here, and she says she didn't get that
money. You didn't send it to her." 90,
yes l did, Dolph; here's the receipt of the
express company. She's got it now. You
told me to send it to your wife right there
at Col. IS you know. She has got it
before this time" "Well-poor baby"-and
he put "trees" over their graves, etc. I had
to work some time to get him to take some
medicine-an opiate-but it had little effect.
"Ive built six forts," said he, "and mounted
six cannon. I'm going to take down that
Tort tomorrow-that one over there-Pu-
laski, I mean" -Four men were going to
watch with him 1.-THE tears came into all our
eyes sometimes, think) and told them to
move out the rifles and bayonets. He
caught them at it and shouted, "Let my rifle
alone! Give me my rife" And 1 let him
take it, seeing it was not loaded, and he
went furiously to work cleaning it. Final
~ be passed it to me to inspect" and I
slipped it away.
think it is the most affecting case of
insanity ever saw. could not make him
believe that we should send him home, but
we shall. l don't know whether to have
you tell his folks or not. The men take as
good care of him as they can. He has slept
but an hour out of the last twenty four, and
is as ceaseIessly active as canary bird hop.
ping about in his cage. He sent for me
again today, but he could not confne his
attention to anything. Poor baby" is
his principal remark, and he still tends bis
cartridge box. "A soldiers life is always
gay" the song says. A sad story; isn't
it? Call again on Dopns mother. Tell
her he will be we'll treated. We hope
his Insanity is caused partly by fever, and,
if we Can get him quietly sick with that,
perhaps he will come out 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 con-
tributed the thirty-two dollars he sent his
mother topay the funeral expenses of his
achote family.