Urbana union. [volume] (Urbana, Ohio) 1862-1872, 1863-04-08
8aIitr in 8Omaau.

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A Sad Story
The following touching relation is an ex-
tract from private letter Of Lieut.. Colonel
HaYley, dated Tybee Island, Dec. 20th, and
published in the Hartford Press;
Poor Dolph 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 he cried. Poor fellow.
We oomforted him all we could spoke
pleasantly to him when we met and hoped
he was getting along well. believed he
heard the other day tliat his mother was sick
too. Somebody came to the supper table last
night and called for the doctor to see crazy
man, and soon after man said That DoIph
wanted to see me. I went to his tent. There
were half dozen comrade there. One dim
candle stuck in a bottle, showed me the rifles
stacked around the center pole-tho cartridge
boxes bayonets and lnapsaclls The ground
was covered with the splendid long moss they
had pulled from the live oaks. Dol5h sat
squat upon the ground, his face and hands
very dirty, his fingers constantly picking
something, his body moving, his head turn
ing wildly from one side to tie other, his
eyes dreadiuly swelled with weeping.
" Halo, DOlph, how are you? And be
peered up toward my face
X Col HawIey,' said somebody.
ayes" said he, ''that is Col Hawley." and
he took my hand with tight grip. oCol
Hawley look at my baby, my poor sick baby
He had a little pile of moss. and on it lay
his cartridge box, -care'u!ly covered, all but
one edge of it, with his blanket. That was
his babyl And he turned his blanket down
at tenderly as if tie cartridge box were a
delicate little baby. He spoke brokcnly and
at intervals buJwith a quick but mournldl
voice" Poor baby-both babies sici1-sister
sick-( and he pointed to where he supposed
they ay-)-poor baby-very sick. Give baby
some water" And he leaned on one elbow
and afeclionately held 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 me 60 home-no-no-no-I
(waiting few seconds) no-no-won't let
me so home" his hands constantly fdgeting
over something. Then he considered them
all dead, aEd he by their graves. Sister" I
and he laid his hands down on one side
"baby." hands down again to mark each
grave; "baby-wife-n.ot7er. Oh, yes, moth /
er is dead-won't let me go home"
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 and his mother was
not dead, lis she p and if he would lie good
boy and sleep and get wei he should go
home
Mothers here and says she didn't get that
money. You' didn't send it to her"
80, yes, I did, Dolph; here's the receipt
2f the express company. She's got it now.
You told me to send It to my wife right +
here at CoE tF--'s, you know. She has
got it before this time. @
" Well-pOor baby"-and he put 4" Trees
over their graves, &c. l had to work some
ime to get hml to take some medieino-an
'piate-but it had but little effect. I've
'uilt six forts said hei and mounted six can
ION. I'm going down to take that fort to-
one over -there-Pulaski, I
nean.' II
-Four men were going 10 watch hin-(he
ears came into all our eyes, sometimes I
hink) and I told them to move out the rifles
nd bayonets He caught them at it and
h56ted, ''Let my rifle aloneI Give me my
lie? And let him take it, seeing it was i
lot loaded, and he went furiously to work Z
leaning it Finally he passed it 10 me to !
inGpect1" and I slipped it away. ID