St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1863-08-13
LETTER from mrs. swlssHELm.

+ o~~So~>oos
Regular Correspondence. / 'A<3 sSfi<siaasss''
WAsu1saToN, Aug. I'd, 1868.
DEAR WILL.-Last evening the DEM
ocRAr came just before time to go to bed
and lighting my lamp to read it, the FIRST
thing that caught my eye was the news
of4Wesley Miller's death. / II was the
first intimation I had Of it, for, finding it
impossible to go to Gettysburg. to look at.
ter the wounded, I have carefully abstain
ed from looking at any. The strain of
keeping up spirits and talking cheerfully
to men of whom there was hope while 9TH
ers were dying around me, has told on my
nervous system almost as much as the ex-
cessive walking has on my feet, and L
could not bear the accounts Of suffering
could do nothing to relieve, 80 that all the
particulars I have heard Of the Gettysburg
tight have come through the DEMOCRAT
or have been forced npon me by some one
who did not know how I felt about it.
The news of Wesley's death is none the
less shock that it came late, and all.
night long sleep refused to settle on
my eyelids as I ran backward over the
events Of the years in which. I knew him,
from the bright Sabbath morning in which
be p. esented himself aud won my heart
by his careless, koyish grace, by the un-
mistakable signs of want of calculation,
and that easy politeness which marked
him the Unborn gentleman, until the day
| saw him last, going down. from the Of
fee, through the grove It was evident,
from the first, that he never would save
his money it anybody needed it, that he
never would take care OF his clothes, and
that no one need expect him to have
change of coats if any one near was coat
less. If generosity can be fault it. was
one of his, and his bravery had some
thing of recklessuess in it. I have been
going back over that winter when cook
ed for him and s. in that little back room
behind the Office, said J'ck room lying
across the main entrance, where Wesley
made the fires in the morning and bak-
ed griddle cakes, when I must needs go
through, the room in which you three
slept to get to my own, and used to go in
cold aights to cover you all better and
tuck you in, when Wesley always had
button to be sewed on OF rent to darn;
when he used to 90 to the Post Office in
the evening, get interested in some dis
cussien and stay until after time to be in
bed and [ had to wait up or. get up to
let him in, and the evenings when~ he-was
In In time and read the chapter at family
worship He never failed to do that with
quiet reverence very unlike the easy In
difference which marked his usual man
ner: In al tfese years Of familiar inter-
course he exhibited SO, much Of the hioh-
er aud nobler qualities, showed such a
genuine generation ior all that is truly
srea' and good that when in his forget
fulness he made US piece Of Cpl" we
could not eat at dinner, the trouble was
much less than if some one else had made
it. He was singularly calculated to make
friends and win affection !; but had he
lived, the world would have taught many
bitter lesson to his unsuspecticg,. gener-
GUS self.forgetfulness. In the army he
found full employment for his peculiar
gifts and having his faculties fully en-
ployed as nothing else could have employ
ed them, he became model soldier
With his highly cultivated intelligence
and keen appreciation of. the good and
true he could not do otherwise than frht
for a, princi ple-the principle of sslfgov-
ernment, and the Father who doeth all
things we'll, has no doubt chosen wisely
in selecting him as one of those whose
blood Should wash this guilty nation and
establish the hope of down. trodden hu-
manlty. It is sublime mission to be one
Of those who die for: the people and he
was worthy oft. =" In fifty years, very few
of those who mourn these fallen heroes
will be here; and in the great record it
discomfort with ones appointed lot could
be right, the mourners might weep for
themselves, living and dying without any
evident purpose or result I'm reality it
IS We who shall die ii h ru.L r. 4 44s
'sLikea dull worm to rot .,rT 4, >f:sT
= Cast foully in. the earth to- be forgot: :!
who should weep for ourselves and one an
other. Those who have died for a great
- ! 3.