Litchfield enquirer., 1862-07-24

HERoIsM OF OUR WoUNDED.-A correspond
ent of the New York Evening Post, writes from
Washington of scenes he::witnessed in the hos
pital there
On the edge of his cot sat young man whose
face SC arcelY bore vestige of that of man.
1t Was so swollen that his eyes were not visible,
and as purple as if already mortified. The low
er part of his jaw, with his tongue, was shot
away.
Holding hts head with both bands. and lean,
ing over y stand. sat young lieutenant whose
hearing was nearly destroyed, one eye shattered
and the other shot out.
Many letters to the home friends of these suf.
ferers were written for them by women that
morning How touching was the falsehood
which all alike wished indited Tell her that
am not much hurt, and expect to be well enough
to be in the next battle.' Or, am very slight
ly wounded and shall soon be we'll enough to
come on furlough.' Don't tell my mother
how am hurt, it will make her feel so very bad,
said young boy from New Y ork city, severely
wounded; tell her am getting on nicely, and
shall soon be WE'LL
Say - My dear wife, do not fret. My wounds
are all dressed, and have the best Of care
Tell sissy that papa sends her kiss, and is COM
ing home to see her, This was the message Of
young man. pale and PROSTATE.
You must have had enough Of fighting
said to clear eyed man, Tone of Col. Bakers
men) who had one limb shattered and the other
shot off. I'D go back tomorrow, if had q
wooden leg he said, lifting his head in the bed
at the very thought.
why didn't you send your boys asked of
an exceedingly gentlemanly looking man Of more
than sixty, in whose elbow and shoulder bullet
was still lodged. 1 took two sons and SON.
in-law, and would have taken more if I had had
Them he said with smile. --->.,--~,---~- =.
a Soldier in Good Cause was the name
OF little book given to young man from Mi
chigan. That IS itr he exclaimed. locking at
the title, A good cause that is why We can
fight so well for it. have been wounded Tor it
Il am ready to die for it. ~. ,.... /
These are not fancy utterances, but spontane-
Gus words. which record Is heard them from
the lips of our suffering but heroic soldiers. It
sentiment, a love for their country, the thought
that they have sacrificed themselves for it, which
makes these young men, suddenly MANNED, and
many rendered helpless for life, SO utterly pa
tient, so cheerful even, through the long weary
days Of excrutiating pain.
In one of the wards there were large num-
Der of wounded men from Casey's DIVISION
They did not care for their wounds, one said,
but it was hard to be wounded in the fight and
then be called cowards.' Our boys are not
cowards,' he declared. But we were surprised
while we were cooking our dinner, aud over
powered by great numbers,
Near by lay young man whose mild blue
eyes and fine fibred frame indicated an organiza-
ton exquisitely sensitive Hdsafirss vone of
his arms had been shot off close TO t. j shoulder
his right ARMAND the odor from the un-
dressed wound made the atmosphere almost un-
bearable. By his side sat the wife of Senator.
writing for him to his mother. Suffering had
weakened his nerves, and, in spite of.an evident
struggle to keep them back, as he indited his
message of love, tears rolled down his emaciated
face, and tears rolled down the cheeks Of the
lady while she wrote.
The next morning when the surgeon dressed
this arm, when he dug the clotted blood from
the fostering bone, and thrust the keen knife in
to the live, quivering flesh, this poor fellow look
ed upon the operation with less emotion than
he would had it been performed upon another
person, not groan escaped him. Not tear
fell down his cheek then!
Entering another ward, the first object on
which my eyes rested was the form OF a child, a
boy not more than twelve years old, with one
leg amputated. There he lay, outside of the
coverlet, beautiful, dark haired boy; the lids
shut over his sleeping eyes, the long ashes firing
ing on his cheek. Directly over his head some
womanly hand had hung the engraving of q
kneeling boy, with seraphie face and lifted hands
praying to his Father in Heaven.