Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1863-01-01
vol. XVII.

u
\ the batteries on the hill on our left, when
at the command, Shy the left flank, march =
we changed our direction 10 the front, and
faced the FIRE before us, and advanced to
the lines Of the brikades that had preceded
us from the town; but soon the smoke OBJ
ecured the view Of everything save the
/ finishes Of the batteries before us and the
musketry in the dim sulphureus twilight
Of the battle, until the receding lines, in
falling back, produced mingled mass of
advancing and retreating men. Steady,
men-forWsrdr { rang ont the voice Of our
commander; and, disentangled from the
retreating fugitiEes, we steadily bore on
until we neared the batteries, and with a
cheer we sprang forward, but that instant
a line FIRE leaped out from behind stone
wall, close to our 'front.' and. 1 don't
remember anything more about it.
Ny next recollections were of q con-
fGsed and mixed character; one moment
would seem perfectly en-a-;---'5f =, 1; 71-ne;
( IuIng, me next Of nothing. Then l would
imagine was ct home and half asleep,
while all the house was astir with some
mast or anticipated catastrophe with which
| was in some way connected All was
| dark, and a great load seemed to press me
down and glue me to the ground in spite
of ali my efforts to rise. l could hear
voices, but none familiar, and but one That
seemed spoken by one Of human kind, or
had q human chord Of sympathy in it.
1 Then I felt something force open my jaws,
and some fluid trickled into my throat,
which managed to swallow to prevent
strangling, and it trickled down, and
4 still painfully swallowed, hoping, praying
that it would stop; but it did not until |
recognized that it was some strong spirit
that 1 was taking, and that was becom-
/ ing more able to swallow t.
a. All this time I could hear the kind
voice encouraging me, also some cold, un-
sympathising voices, but l could not dis
/ tinguish what they said. Only by the
tone could tell the sympathetic from the
unsympathetie. At last distinguished
the words Of one in part, who said, ITS no
use working with Kim; he's dying now.
ouieny, but so earnestly and sympathis-
| inely, the kind voice replied, mo, doctor,
he is not dying; he is coming to life; he
iOiH live if we don't give him up; this hurt
Of his head won't amount to anything if
we can get him warmed up; don't you see
he has been nearly frozen TO death, while
faint from loss Of blood but he is coming
on finely, and by-and-by, you can take off
his arm, and the man may get well. Who
knows but he has mother OF sister to love
him, and thank you or me some day for q
son or brother saved Yes l was saved /;
understood itall now. I remembered the
battle and my state, its doubtless conse-
ouence, and for the sake Of that dear
/ mother and sister 80 strangely invoked, l
made an effort, and succeeded in opening
my eyes once more to the light Of the sun
on earth.
HAt first the light confused me, but soon
could distinguish three surgeons beside
me, looking at me with some curiosity, if
not interest. On the opposite side, as |
lay on the ground, in q large tent, kneeled
a SDonan, who, with her left hand support
ed my head, while with her right she held
a spoon, with which, at short intervals, she
dipped the warm fluid from a cup held by
a mere bcy-soldier, who seemed her special
attendant -----.-
al tried to speak, but could not, and she
merely shook her head to discourage my
efforts, and, turning to her attendant, said ;
Now. Johnny, the beef soup and in o
minute the soup was substituted for the
toddy, and gradually felt life and the
love Of IT returning.
After furthur effort to look about me,
saw that there was basin Of water be-
side me, with sponge in il, and from
the blood on the lady's hands / inferred
what afterward learnedssto be the truth
that she had been engaged in washing the
blood from my head and face, when she
} discovered that what had seemed on su'
, per6cial view, to be most desperate
n. n1rrIf he IN
was but q mere scalp wound, which bled
profusely and doubtless made most un
promising case for surgery at first view
a view very natural indeed, taking int
consideration the state of my stupor.
r @Gradually recovered strength, until
( after sufficient reaction, my shattered arm
was amputated, and am doing well Al
could be expected. was, it seems, strucl
: both on the head and arm by pieces Of tn
same proiectile, whatever it may hav
1 been. and lay senseless on the field till lat
j in the night, when was found, by som
i humane litter bearers, and carried to tn
8 CITY; and then, before being dressed, wa
nut into an ambulance and carried owe
r here, where, amongst the hundred simi
larly brought, was necessarily obliged
: await my turn, and thank God, when m,
r turn did come 1 fell into good hands,
Il Uoman's hands at that. In that plae
# even in the roar and din and carnage G
% battle, was found a woman, with q hear
I to dare danger and sympathise with th
1t battle stricken, and sense and skill an
erpeTienes enough to make her treasuI
Y. beyond all price-mRy the blessings c
IT Heaven be hers in all time to come!
1 have since observed her in her mini
trations here, and she does, indeed, see
pifted IN q most wonderful degree f
u scenes like this, or else hard school
Of suffering has made her the strange woma
or she is. To the wounded she is all sympi
" thv and kindness, but let any one not
: patient attempt familiarity, even in jes
Il and her black eyes fash such an indignsi
rebuke as is hardly equalled by her coo
n cutting reioinder. More than one shou
n der-strapped puppy has had occasion
q rue the time be intruded his remarks upC
ID her. have learned that she has been
p the army ever since the war broke OF
re nursing the sick and wounded, and ev
FL " in the front " Hospitals in the rear
c- are no place for her.
From all the labors, and privatiOns al
at sufferiDgs Of her campaigning life she I
rs ceives no pay; she draws her rations as
private soldier, and the private sOldie
who know her almost worship her. love
Y, heard one say, to-day, that he would ki
as he would kill dog, the man who won
dare insult her, even in thought, and |
ne lieTe it. War produces great developmeI
a. of character, and Miss Nellie N. Chase
-ie a most notable instance Of it. She is 1
an yet twenty-four years old, but in e1pe
te encs as nurse or hospital matron, on
II battlefield, I think she has no living eqn
.ct She may not thank me for this notice
en- her great services l don't think she "
70 for she dislikes nOtoriety, and never mi
M 5.i giles in the asOciety Of the army" nor p'
10 mits intimacies nor attentions from a
~ but those who have adopted her and p
10 - tect her.