Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1863-04-10


fight which would certainly take place or
their return march. We insisted so per.
sistently that he agreed to try, but received
for answer that unless man dropped down
in the ranks. he would not be, excused,
The ssme day he informed us of this de-
cision, he read to us letter from his mother.
and its cheerful, hopeful tone, so filed with
true mother love went to my heart I do
not mind telling that I advised him to pu,
on citizens clothes and desert was rights
ly punished by the Mortified look which he
gave me, and by his careful avoidance Of
my neighborhood for a day or two. AT
last came the morning when they obtained
their marching orders, and " hen he came
TO bid US good bye they we're already strik-
ing tents. We knew he could not march
five miles, but he declared he should try.
aud if he gave out he could tumble into an
ambulance; at any rate, he should see the
fight. We thought if he had been of our
own blood, our hearts would not have felt
much keener ache than they did when he
looked back, and scolded US gaily for our
mournful faces, and the tears that in spite
of US would dim our eyes. We thought our
eyes had looked their last on his handsome
face, but we were mistaken. They passed
at length from our sight. and not long after
the whole city listened in breathless sus-
pense for tidings from Perryville. Those
hours OF agonizing suspense seemed years,
but we at length learned we were victori-
Gus; alas, every new dispatch told at what
a dreadful cost. They brought the wound
ed, and shall never forget the sad and
ghastly procession that for days crept along
our streets to the hospitals, where all that
could be done for them had been prepared
by loyal hands. Everywhere we looked for
our frie I'D, and joyfully we exclaimed that
his name was not among the killed the
wounded were far too numerous to be as
yet correctly given. Every now face, that
lay white and rigid On its narrow bed, we
scanned eagerly, and came reluctantly ~
the conclusion that, as we foreboded, he
bad fallen exhausted by the way.
One morning curtained litter, escorted
by squad of soldiers, passed us in the
street, and supposing it to be an officer Of
high rank, we asked his name. He said
+" it was only private; - but before he
could say more, white hand crept out from
under the curtain and voice we never
thought 10 hear again, said in the old, light
manner, " So | have turned up again, you
see." 1t was our brave boy, and although
far too weak to tell his own story, not one
of the guard " of honor,"' they proudly
styled themselves, but contended for the
privilege of doing it for him. As he said.
be had seen the fight, but as we told him,
he was carried there, and his comrades said
he was so weak that ne actually staggered
under the weight of his gun, as his regi-
ment took their place 10 the line of battle.
Once there, we knew him well enough to
credit the accounts of his personal prowess
and hand to hand encounters, almost impos-
sible as they appeared. Up close he kept
with the stoutest, and when the color-bearer
of his regiment fell dead, he seized the flag
from bis clenched hand, and waving it reck-i
lsssly above his head, sprang forward as if
to hurl himself upon the coming foe.
Shell fell like hail around him, and one
in its remorseless course swept both his
limbs from his body, and he sank down,
still keeping the flag upright, and as high as
he could. The trampiing hosts came on,
and in the confusion they lost sight of their
hero. When the field was won, they looked
anxiously for him, and found him, with the
soiled and bloody banner by his side. They
thought him dead at first, but for his heroism
they would not leave him among the unno-
tced slain, and as they lifted him, he opened
his eyes and said family, "That he knew
our side was all right" They thought he
seemed so bright and smart that he would
live, and so did he, but we knew as we
looked into his eyes. sparkling with fever
that would soon be delirium. that it could
not be. AS we watched by him that night
he knew Us, and tried TO tell how glad he
was that we were with him; but he often
lost himself and lived over fearful incidents
of the battle and the march. On his hot
brow our tears fell like summer rain, as we
gathered each broken sentence, for his moth
er, we knew they would be priceless. The
hours wore on; we knew nothing we were