The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1864-10-26
Soldier stories.


var:
yesterday week Morgan's brigade of
Davis's division were on picket, when
squad of rebels, mounted, came upiwith-
10 three hundred yards of our pickets
and called out, "Will you exchange cof
fee for tobacco 2" "Yes," was the reply.
"Fort Pillow, d-n you, as the piekets
leveled .heir guns and discharged a vol
ley into them, wounding one man. The
rebels not liking leaden coffee retreated,
exclaimiRg as they ran ''are you niggers
or white men, to treat US this way 2"
Side by this is a story told of two
men of the Goth Massachusetts. It says
that:
ain the battle of the Wilderness the
10th were in the thick of the fight, and
one color bearer after another was shot
down almost as fast as the men could be
replaced. But such was the eagerness
to keep the flag aloft that at one time
two men-1rish-caught hold of the
standard OF once, as it was about to fall.
and struggled for it. just then shot
struck the staff cutting it in two, leaving
one man with the flag, ard the other with
the broken stick Bedad, said the man,
with the short end of the staff, the reb-
els have decided for US this time, and
went to loading and firing again, as cool
as if nothing had happened
a correspondent from Buffers army
likewise gives the following account OF
heart rendiug incident happening in the
course of the fight of the 18th inst:
During the progress of the battle the
woods caught fire, spreading with the ra-
pidity of a burning prairie A large
number ofrabel wounded, as well as some
of our own, lay in the thicket The fran
tic yells of these poor sufferers, as the fla
mes reached them, were heart rending and.
agonizlng. In order TO rescue few who
could be reached, flag of truce was sent
and excepted, proposing time to bury the
dead and save the living. One hour was
the time stipulated, and in that time all
The work was effected. The rebel officers
appeared despondent, reports Of defeat
had reached them from ali quarters. A
large number of prisoners were captured
who were mostly from South Carolina and
Richmond. Every civilian in the rebel
capital Is impressed to work on the de-
feuaes o. Richmond, which are strength.
ened 10 receive Grants attack"
The following is 2 very affecting Incl.
dent
"a rebel prisoner asked for a clean
shirt for his young comrade whose fresh
but blood stained bandages told of an am-
putation just above the knee.
"One of the Sanitary Commission gave
the shirt but said the boy must first be
washed. Who will Go that?
'Oh, any of those women yonder.' B
kind looking woman from Philadelphia .
was asked If she was willing to wash
rebel prisoner. Certainly! was her
prompt reply. L have son in the Union
army, and [ would like to have some
body wash him
with towel and Eater in z TN basin.
she cheerfully walked through the mud .
to the tent. Careful not to disturb bis
amputated leg, she gently removed the
old shirt aud began to wash him, but the
tenderness of mothers heart was at
work, and she began to cry over him, say
lug that she imagined she vas washing
her own son. This was mere than he
could bear He, too began to weed, and
to ask God to pless her for her kindness
to him. The scene was too much for the
bystanders, and they left the Northern
Mother and the Southern son to their ga
cred grief, wishing that tears could blot
out the sin of this rebellion, and the /
blood of this unnatural war"
The following incident occurred at
Spottsylvania, and is thus narrated by q
correspondent of the Cincinnati CONNER
;ial:
During the lull in the strife I rode back
to I'd corps hospital to see the wounded
"How goes it, boys?" was the ques-
ion. i
"All right" said one. i
"Rather rough" said another.
"They niver will get through the ID
sorps" said Hibernian'
The luil had become storm. HcT {
fearfully relied the musketry. 1t is utter
y useless to attempt the description or
1t was volley after volioy,
surge after surge, roll after roll Il
Maurice Collins, of the 18th Massachu-
setts, was brought in with an ugly wound
through his shoulder. He was catholic
and the priest was showing him the cru
ci6x.
"Will it be mortal 7" he asked.
"Perhsps not, if you can lie still sad
keep quiet; but you may have to lose your