The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1862-02-27
The Insane Soldier.
A SAD STORY.


extracted from aprivate letter OF Lieut.
Col Joseph r. Hawley, eth Connec-
ticut, dated Tybee Island, December
20:
Poor Dolph! Do you know the
Dolphs that live near you? Well,
their son, who belongs TO Co. d, got
news that ais wife, two children and
sister had died of diptheria, How he
cried. Poor fellow? We comforted
him all we could. ] spoke pleasantly
to him when we met and hoped he
was getting along well. I believe he
beard the other day that his 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 q man said that Dolph wan
ted to see me. / went to his tent.
There were half q dozen of his cons
rades there. One dim candle, stuck
in bottle, showed me the rifles stack
ed round the center pole, the cartrige
boxes, bayonets, and knapsacks. The
ground was covered with the splendid
long moss they had pulled from the
live oaks, Dol ph sat squat npon the
ground, his face and hands very dirty,
his fingers constantly picking some>
thing, his body moving, Lis head
turning wildly from one side to the
other, his eyes dreadfully swelIed with
weeping. 'Hallo, Dolph how are you?
And he peered up toward my face
Colonel Hawley," said somebody. {"
Yes" said he, shat is Col. Hawley,"
and he took my hand with a tight grip.
"Col. 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 a delicate little baby.
He spoke brokenly and at intervals,
and with quick but mournful voice
''Poor baby-very sick. Give baby
some water" And he leaned on one
elbow and afectionately held a leaf up
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 home-no-no-no-
(waiting a few seconds)-no-no--
won't let me 60 homer his hands CON
stantly fgeting over something. Then
he considered the.E all dead and he by
their graves. "Sister, "and he laid his
hand down on one side; "haby, hands
down again to mark each grave! baby
wife, mother! Oh yes, mother IS dead
won't let me 90 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. | told him his babies were
happy, ard his mother was not dead
lis she ?)-and if he would be a good
boy and sleep, and get well, he should
60 home.
"Mother's here, and says she didn't
get that money. You didn't send it
to her" ooh yes did, Dolph; here's
the receipt of the Express Company.
You told me to send to your wife right
there at Col. F-'s, you know She
has got it before this time" A." Well
poor baby " and he put ''ttees" over
their graves, &c, &c. | had to work
some time to get him to take some med
icine-an opiate-but it had little effect.
GIVE built six forts" said he, " and
mounted six cannon. Pm going to
take down that fort to- morroW-that
one over there, Pulaski, | mean"
-Four men were going to watch with
him-(the tears came into all cur eyes,
sometimes, | think)-and / told them
to move out the rifles and bayouets.
He caught them at it, and exclaimed
" Let my rifle alone Give me my ri
f1e." And I let him take it, seeing it
was not loaded, and he went furiously
to work cleaning it. Finally he pass
ed it to me to "inspect," and / slipped
it away.
think it is the most affecting case
of insanity ever saw. | couldn't
make him believe we should send him
home, but we shall. / don't know
whether to have you tell his folks OF
not. The men take as good care OF
him as they can. lie has slept but one
hour out of the last twenty-four, and
is as ceaselessly active as a canary
bird hopping about in his cage. He
sent for me again to-day, but he could
not confne his attention to anything.
"Poor BABY" is his principal remark,
and he still tends his cartridge box.
g A soldiers life is always gay" the
song says. A sad story isn't it ? Cal
again on Dolph's mother. Tell hel
The will be well treated. We hope his
insanity is caused partly by fever, and
if we can get him quietly sick with
hat,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
contributed the thirty-two dollars he
| n bic of hor fo 4,1,J fila Tj;,,o,.1,