Urbana union. [volume] (Urbana, Ohio) 1862-1872, 1862-04-09
8raIitp in 3}oWlpte.
A Sad Story.

The following touching relation is an ex-
tract from private letter of Lieut.. Colonel
Hawley, dated Tybee Island, Dec 29th, and
published in the Hartford Press
Poor Dolphl Do you know the Dolphs
that lived near you? Well, their son, who
belongs to Company D, got news that his
wife, two children and sister had all died
Of dipheria. How ghe cried. Poor fellow.
We oomforteda him all we could. L spoke
pleasantly to him when we met, and hoped
he was getting along we'll Il believedahe
heard the other day tlatlis mother was sick
too. Somebody came to the supper table last
night and called for the doctor to see a crazy
man, and soon after NJ said that Dulph
wanted to see me. wen 10 his tent. There
were half dozen colnrade there. One dim
candle stuck in a bottle, showed me The rifles
stacked aroundthe center poIe-the cartridge
boxes, bayonets and knapsaclls The ground
was covered with the splendid long moss they
had pulled from the live oaks. Dolph sat
squat upon tie ground, his face and hands
very dirty, his fingers constantly picking
something, his body moving, his head turn
ing wildly from one side to the other his
eyes dreadfully swelled with weeFing. q.
Halo, Doph, how are youf" And he
peered up toward my face.
"Col Hawley, said somebody.
"Yes," said he, that is Col. Hawley," and
he took my hand with light grip. Col.
Hawley look at my baby, my poor sick baby"
He had a little pile of moss, and on it lay
his cartridge box, carefully covered, all but
one edge Of it, witll his blanket That was
his baby And he turned his blanket down
at tenderly as if the cartridge box were a
delicate little baby. He spoke brokcnly and
at intervals. but with a quick but mourniul
voice" Poor baby-both babies sick-sister
sicll-( and he pointed to where he supposed
they lay poor baby-very sick Give baby
some water" And he leaned on one elbow
and aGeclionately held a leaf up to the cart
ridge box, as if baby would drink. Heseem-
ed to consider himself in his own home and
the family sick but living, but then he would
say, " Won't let NE go oLomc-no-no-no-
waiting a few sgconds) no-no-won't let
me go home:" his hands constantly fdgeting
over something. Then be considered them
all dead, ard he by their graves. Sister"
and he laid his hands down on one side;
'baby." hands down again to mark each
grave; "baby-wiic-n.otter. Oh, yes, moth
er is dcad-won't let me go home."
l 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 was
not dead, { is she p and If he would lie a good
BOY and sleep and get well he shocld 60
home.
Mothers here and says she didn't get that
money. You didn't send it to her" 81
40, yes, I did, Dolph; here's the receipt
Of the express company. She's got now.
You told me to send it to my vie right
there at Col F--'s, you know She has
got 1t before tins time.
"Wcn-poor baby"-and he put trees
over their graves, &c had 20 work some
time to get him to take some mcdicinc-an
opiate-5ut it had but little effect. I've
built six forts, said he, and mounted six can
non. I'm going down 10 take that fort to-
morrow-that one over therc-Pulaski, I
mean
-Four men were going 10 watch hin-ltEe
tears came into all our eyes, sometimes, /
think and told them to move out the rifles
and bayoaets. He caught them at It and
''Let my rife alonel Give me my
rae2 And let him take It, seeing it was
not loaded, and he went furiously to work
cleaning it. Finally he passed it to me to-
" inspect" and slipped it away.