Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1863-11-25
The Ride of the Wounded Brigade

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The Ride of the Wounded Brigade.
B. F. Taylor, the army correspondent
of the Chicago Journal, writes from the
Army of the Cumberland of night S
ride of the wounded Brigade after the
battle of Chicamauga: They were loaded
upon the train two platform ears were
paved with them, forty on a car. Seven
boxes were so packed you could not set
your foot down among them as they lay.
| The roofs of the cars were tiled with
them; and away we pounded, all day, all
night, into the next morning, and then
Nashville Half of the boys had not the
shred of blanket, and it rained stead
lily piteously What think you oil platform
cars for a triumphal procession wherein
| to bear wounded soldiers to the tune Of
The Soldiers return from the War;
Well, what would come at is this the
stores of the Sanitary Commission and
the gifts of such ladies as are now, | be-
lieve, making your city Bethel-a place
of Angels-kept the boys hearts up thro'
all those weary, drizzling hours 1t is
midnight, and the attendants are going
through the trains with coffee, graced
with milk and sugar-think of that =.
two fresh, white. crisp crackers apiece.
and little taste of fruit. Did your
hands prepare it, dear lady? hope so
for the little balance in your favor is set
down in the ledger of God. 4
But here they come with canteen .
will you 60 with them? climb through
that window into car black as the Hole
Of Calcutta But mind where you step
the floor is one layer deep with wounded
soldiers. As you swing the lantern
round, bandages show white and CHASTITY
everywhere; bandsges, bandages, and
now and then rusty spot of blood
What worn out, faded faces look up at
you. They rouse like wounded creatures.
hunted to their lairs as you come. The
tin cups, extended in all sorts Of hands
but plump, strong ones tinkle all around
you. You are fairly girdled with tin
cup horizon. How the dull, faint faces
brighten as those cups are filed! On we
go, out at one window, in at another,
stepping gingerly among mangled
limbs. We reach the platform cars
creaking with their drenched, chilled,
bruised burdens and must tell you-it's
a shame, though-that one poor fellow
among them lay with tattered blanket
pinned around him; he was literally sans
culottc, How is this?" said. Haven't
got my descriptive list-that's what's the
matter" was the reply.
Double allowance all around to the oc-
cupants of the platforms, and We retrace
our steps to the rear of the train You
should have heard the ghost of cheer
that rose and fiuttered like feeble bird.
as we went back. IL was the most touch
ing vote of thanks ever offered there
was little flash up of talk for minute.
and all subsided INTO silence and dark
ness again. Wearily wore the hours and
heavily hammered the train. At inter-
walls the guard traversed the roofs of the
cars, and pulled in the wornout boys that
had Jared down to rhe edges, pulled
them in towards the middle Of the cars
without waking them. Occasionally one
slips over the caves, am told, and is mis-
erably crushed. What homewardI
march is all this TO set a tune to.
By some error in apportionment there
was not quite coffee enough for all on
deck, and two slips Of boys on the roof of
car where occupied corner. were left
without a drop. Whenever we stopped
and that was two hours here and three
hours there. waiting for this and that
there was no hurry, you know-and the
side-door was sided back in its groove, |
saw two hungry faces stretched down ov-
er the cars edge, and heard two feeble
voices cryin, ave have had nothing up
here since yesterday noon, We two-there
are only us two boys-lplease give US some
thing. Haven't you any hard tack?"
felt in my pockets and haversack for
a cracker, but found nothing. really ha-
ted myself for having eaten my dinner, ]
and not saved it for them. A further I
search was rewarded with six crackers |
from the Chicago Mechanical Bakers, and
watching my chance when Pete's back |
was turned-the cook, and smutty auto
crat was Pete in his way-I took sly dip /
with the basip into the coffee boiler. As
the car gave lurch in the right direction
| called from the window, 'boys I" | |
heard them crawling to the edge. and
handed up their midnight supper. "Bul-
ly for you'll they said and saw them no
more. When the train reached Nash
Vile, and / clambered down to solid
ground again looked up at the roof it
was bare. God grant the boys are with
their mothers tonight. And how do you
like the ride of the Wounded Brigade?