Winchester journal. [volume] (Winchester, Indiana) 1862-1863, 1863-11-20


the poor fellows; laying them down
any where, until the soiled clothing
which most Of them had worn ever
since the battle could be removed
The sickening sights that met my
eyes, as, under the direction Of my
friend the sister, | handed food and
drink, or bathed and wiped, amid all
that blood and dirt, / can not dcs-
cribc, but to this day the sight OF q
flannel shirt OF the color most com
mon there makes me faint. There
was but an insufficient supply OF re
freshments, and other ladies coming
in to assist, | was going ont into the
kitchen to help there, when a nurse
met me and said the surgeon wanted
me at number nine | went across
the hall to the said number, a little
room, comparatively, where were
about twenty men worse Off than any
! had seen. 1t seemed as if every
one of these anguished eyes followed
me as | went to the doctor. who said,
'All the iest are busy; my ether is
gone, so need somebody. Can YOU
hold this fellows head for few min
utes? He is q little wandering, and
keeps talking to somebody he calls
Mary. He'll think You are She
| saw by the arm, ploughed by a
ball from wrist to shoulder, that
there must be an amputation but
surely if the doctor could do it, and
the man bear 1t, could see it, What
is his name, DR.! Don know. boys
do any of you? 'Shure, an it ; Kit,
Miss, spoke up big Irshman, sc
done up in rags you could only sec
his eyes.
Il am come to see you, Kit and
put my cold, shaking hand OH his
boyish forehead.
You are my Marie, are you not
knew by his accent, as well as his
face, that he was German, SO | spoke
low to him in that language, and he
accepted me in that hour OF eXtrem
ity for that far away dear one ii,
would talk, telling me, brave, stou
5 soul that he was Now Marie, yor
} said I'd run; ask 'em ii / did; asl
| 'em if | didn't 90 right through tn,
7 field, up to the rebel guns, till
e dropped Did he, boysY / woulC
4 say, and when their hearty yes
would reach his ears, he would opel
: his eyes and call out cheerily, take
( it back, Marie, take it back.
+, Keep him from talking and NOV
/, ing so much, said the surgeon.
= Then | began telling him what hi.
+ folks (as he called them were doing
n at home, and as in his dclirlum he haC
= let fall many things that guided me
+ | felt | did no wrong either to hin
2 or the others present by cheating
t theM OF few minutes of misery
), Alter Mary, Kit chief thought seem
r ed to be OF some grounds he wanted
/ dug up and planted with rose bush
c es.
: You'll tell EN- when we go home
e if | can t; we will have the roses
e we can have anything else, you lik,
; EN- SO. Why, you brought me one
:, didn you?'
II Strangely enough, as | passeC
h through the porch, took filf open
n ed bud from house rose that stoot
G there, and fastened it in my belt Slow
g ly his fingers moved as if he would lill
: it, and i loosed it from its conline
/. ment, and put it to the pale lips, a
5 pure as they were young. He kiss
; ed it eagerly, murmuring something
c about bringing it from home. Thel
+ held it where his eyes saw it as lonI
s as they SAW anything earthly An'
e that afternoon | sent that white ros
e to the far off Michigan home, wher
d the real Mary will sit and weep TO
|. her hero through manya colder
# day.
it But why don't he feel the pain
doctor!
d Bless you, he is too near gone;
c don't think there is sign Ola chanc
q and never did. but Brown would hav
II me attend him..
II 10 YOU mean ne must ulc.
t OF course, and the hurried ma
/ went on.
G Die, his head in my hands? Deaf
WAS strange to ne, and for the frs
j time ny heart thrObhed feariullv AN,
= ny sight left me rs | caught Sigh
o sOunO from the surgeon instrument
c Ii anyl ody had minded ne, ! shoul,
d have tainted, bat ali We're busy wit
i their own doing or suffering, so
= sohlcd through, though ny tear
Il dropped once or twice on Kits face
u w hy, Marie. what are YOU erwin,
c for: Won the roses grow: nese
mind. II make them. Kiss ne, I
t let me know YOU don t blame me-
), l put my lips to his, and if | ha,
G not been so mortally afraid Of tha
t surgeon. | should have cried uncon
trollably; but just then he called on
4 sharply that | moved Kits head. am
. added, Most through; You did tol
c crably for a new hand
, Lock at Kit, Miss said one Of IL
=. men near me, fer while the docto
g was speaking NY eyes had wandere
G TO his face. The doctor looked. toe
e and muttered. Told Brown he woul
e rot live through it: he is dying. :
c And lie stopped his work and wen
$ to another patient without delay.