The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1864-07-07
TAe 1! Dying se.ir's,Ien... :

The Dying sergent.
f. II was, perhapA, ten days after The ses
| ond battle Of Manassas. that visited one Of
the hospitals, near, wasking.onn,,.a fot the
purpose of ascertaining II any Of the dis
abled Of my own commani had been borne
there, and, II go, Of speaking TO them a
kind word, always 50 grateful 70 wound
cd soldier. Al was passing through the
numerous wards, viewing with feeling, Of
sympathy and pride the ymutilated, but paA
riotic and accomplishing sufferers. two
str.ngers--a sister and an auns Of one d
tbs young heroes boosted mo, and askei
II would be so kind a Is coms to tie
couch Of their relative, and stand BY him
while the surgeon should stsputats his
limb, which they tod me had bsen ainpus
tated few days before, but, on accotnt Of
the arteries having commenced to aough
away, the physicians had decided iapon
this as the only hope Of saving his lif. |
followed them ia the oouoh. They were
both weeping, but the wounded solder, al
though suffering intensely, mst ne 9th 4
smile, and saluted me, sat do~h y his
couch, and took his hand in rainei He
told me that he Was : sergeant IN the Fifth
New York (DurYsa's zouave's;) ,th4 he
was wounded late In the action, and le4 up
on the field; that he rem tined whsre ~ fell
from Saturday until the following We1nes.
day with no food, save a few hard Gack-
ers, left in my hayresack and wfh no
water, except that which God gave me IRON
heaven, in rain and dew, and which I
caught in my blanket" The sergeant con-
ttinued his story. after moments pause oc.
casiopsd by his suffering, by saying "You
know, Ool,nel, how God always remembers
Us wounded soldiers, with rain after the
battle is over, and when our lips are parch.
ed and our tongues are burning WITH fever
On Wednesday, I was found BY bne Of our
surgeons, who dressed my wound, and
placed me with other disabled soidiers in
an ambulance, to Be- sent 70 Washington.
| arrived late on Thursday svening. when
my lin5 was amputatsd, and I" 49,.
The sergeant sgsin paused ia his story, and
I begged him not to go on. ] noticed that
his voice became weaker, and his face m,re
pale and deathlike, and moment aiter-
ward observed blood trinklins down up
on the floor from the rubber poncheon on
which the sergeant wss lying. I at ones
called the surgeon TO his bedside. He ex-
amined the limb, and. after consulting with
other surgeons in attendance, told me they
had decided that it was impossible to save
his life; that re.amputation would be use
less: that the soldier was fast sinking from
exhaustion; and that, in all probability.
would not survive the hour; and desired
that should make known their decision
and apprehension TO the amt and sister.
With such language asa soldier might
command, ! informed them that the ser.
geant must soon rest. Tears filed their
eyes, and they sobbed bitterly; but their
grief was borne ss Christian women alone
can bear such sorrow-fbr they heard the
voice Of the elder brother speaking to them,
a. to Martha, - am the resurrection and the
life, he that believath in me, though he
were dead, yet shall he live" The SISTER,
'wip:ng away her tears and taking q small
prayer-book from her dress asked me If I
would tell her brother how soon he must
die, and if would read to him s'the prayer
for the dying" Iwent again to the couch,
and stood beside the dying soldier. "Ser-
geant,' I said, 1--WE shall halt soon we are
not going to march much further to-day"
"Are we going to halt Colonel" said the
sergeant. ''so early In the day! ~
Are we going into bivouaa before night?"
yes, Sergeant replied; "the march is,
nearly over--the bugle can will soon sound
the halt" The Sergeant's mind wandered
for moment. but my tears interpreted to
him nay words. sAh, Colonel" hesaid.
''do you mean that am 90 soon to die"
Eyes, Sergeant" said; "you are soon 70
die" rei.es,s s,F IA ses.;f..,, Ia
''Weli, Colonel, s@ glad am going to
die-t want 10 rest-the march has not
been so long, but am weary-I ana tired
II want to haiti want to be with Christ
II want to be with my Savinr.'' I read to
him 1.-THE prayer for tho dying" most Of
WHICH he repeated; and then his sister
kneeled beside the couch toe her dying
brother and offered up to God . prayer full
OF earnsstness, love and faith. The life
blood Of the dying soldier was trickling
down from the bedside and crimsoning her
dress. while she, besousht the Father that
the robes Of her dying brother might be
"washed and made white in the blood Of
the l,nb." The prayer was ifinished.-.-
Ths Sergeant said "Amen." We stood
again BY his bedside. Sister ..aunt do not
wesp. for ! am going 10 Cbriss; I ap goins
70 rest in heaven. Tsllmy mother, sister"
-and the soldier took from his finger :
ring and kissed It "tsll my mother. sister, :
-san the Sergeant. ''that this is for her,
and that I remembered her and loved her,
dying" and then hs took another ring
from his hand, kisssd Il. and ga" Sis
tsr, give this to her to wts&1e ~ Aeart il
plsdssd, sad tell hsr--teis X sassonns to
me IN helvsn." Aud, Coloua .sau;1 the
Sergeant. turning % mo. and IL faqel right
snsd with the words. "tsl my eosr.des Of