Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1863-01-22
A Baby Found on the Battle Field
ofthe Hatcbie, q
Extract of "a letter from private
soldier in the l4h Illinois Rtst.
BOLIVAR. Tenn. Nov. 10.

BOLIVAR, Tenn, Nov. 10.
Let me relate TO you touching
little incident, that will doubles!
strike you as little strlnge.
thought it strange when ! witnessed
1it-my companions thought il "eass
| lug strange" if not wonderful. Al
, the battle of Hatchie, when the con.
fliot was raging fiercest, upon advau'
eing, midway between the contend
ing forces, we found-Ghat do you
think? Not masked battery not
an insldious trip, inviting but to de-
stroy-Dot any visible engine Of
death-but sweet little blue eyed
baby. Swtetlittle thing, as | saw it
there, huggiug the cold earth, its on
Ky bed--the little tear on its cheek,
Tha. nature bade 1T weep, turned
An ice drop sparkling in the morning beamr
uualarmed mid the awful confusion
Of that fearful battle, With the mis-
siles lying thick about it, and crowd.
ing close upon its young existence,
yet unhnlt, it seemed wonderful
yerGiction Of the Divine declaration,
Out of the mouths of babes and
sucklings | will ordain wisdom" -
That little "ehill cf war;" ss ii lay
in its miraculous safety, seemed to
say to me these words of profound
instruction, "My Lelplesspess and
innocence appealed to God, and he
preserved me in the midst Of this
wrecking carnage. If you vii make
your. plain. to heaven, God will pre-
serve your poor bleeding country"
Little child Of destiny, born amid
the flash Of musk etry, the thunder
of cannon an & crash Of arms, | will
watch your course through life, and
witness whether an existence SO aus
plciously begun, will pass by the
masses unnoticed, and end without
leaving a name damned to ever
lasting famt!" Who would suppose
that III the wild fi,rce battle oil the
Hatchie, where the field is strewn
with he dead, aud the shrieks of the
lent The heavens with agony
a great army would pause in the
thiekest Of the cOnaIct to save q
harmless helpless child? Yet tie
brave fourteenth, that never yet has
1usiled in battle, did pause, and do
officer of the regiment ordered "onr
little baby taken to headquarters
and teDderly cared for. ra.
| remember os having read some
aayre in Grtcian history, a story
like the one have rela-
ted. A little child Wis found on the
battle field and by an infurIated SOL
diery trampled in the dust. After
Tie battle the victorious General said: |
''But for the blood of a little Child
that mars if, our victory would be
complete" :" Thauk God, the blood
of no little child mars our vietcry. /
The next day after the battle
'pur babe, was brought before the
Fourteenth, and unanimously adopt
I'd "chiId OF The regiment Three
OF four days after, strange as it may
seem, a poor heart-sirlcken, poverty
piDcbed mother came searching The
battle field 10 quest Of her child. Il
Ny dear--, imagine il you can
he wild exclamation Of thanksgiy-
ing fbat-burOt lrOm that poor woman
heart, when informed that her child |
had been rescued. ] saw the mot D. !
sr receive her child, heard her brief |
prayer for The soldiers who saved if,
and, with the blessings of a thou,
sand men following her and hers, sbe
took away e3..
''0ur little baby .H1
Iitt1e blue-eyed iauohipo htbv r--