The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1864-01-09
From the Mde pendent.
An incident In a Chaplain's Experience.
7 REV. JOSEPH II. rwrrcHELL

tHuptufn 20 Eeyshs{u CrcetstoF bftyddt.
II was Wednesday morning after the bat
tie of Charlottesville that l was left Al a
house near United States Ford, on the north
bank of the Rappahannock, in charge of some
forty wounded men--half of them Confeder-
ates. The army, drenched with cold rain, had
been marching by since midnight, and was
now all passed on its way to the old camps
around Falmouth. The ambulances, dragging
heavily through the mud under their moaning
freight, joined the column at intervals. Train
after train receiving its complement had gone
till not another one remained, and here were
two-score poor fellows for whom there was no
room. The last surgeon departing with the
last train promised to hurry back, the same
day If possible, asufficient conveyance for this
remnant.
All the wounds had just been dressed, so as
S oon as | became head of the establishment
repaired TO our single mess-kettle, and sum
monng the sole attendant-a handy youth
from New Hempshire-entered upon the con-
coction Of the general dinner-not without
tribulation, for onr commissariat was slim, and
being no Soycr, felt little apprehcnsive, SO
TO speak, of poisoning the whole party.
While deep in this business some Que called
out from the adjoining room where the pa
tients lay. L sent my lieutenant to see what
was the matter. He returned hastily, saying,
THAT boy wants you, SIR" knew who he
meant = very handsome lad among the
wounded, who had caught my eye during the
night; l had also noticed that he was one Of
those who were left, and we had been talking
about him. l stepped at once toward his
shake down. in the corner, and lightly in
qnired, what Is it, sonny ?"-for anticipat-
ed one of the many impossible or impractical
bic plans OF easement that fevcrish wound
suggests, and which are best disposed of by
trying, or pretending to try. the imagined in
a q. Ixf.. - r.
er on that principle.) No answer following
my question: drew nearer, leaned over and
looked atshim. What saw gave me great
start. lie was In the article of death. Could
it be? The wound in his side was considered
slight; an hour before he had begged to be
put in an ambulance; indeed, the man who lay
next to him said that he got up and walked to
the door without help, in his eagerness to go.
But now there was that in his young face
which told too plainly that he would never
walk again in this world. He met my look.
Terror showed in his eyes--his soul was sud
denly required, poor boy-and their mute i'm
plorings for help contended with gathering
veil, the presage of darkness.
Profoundly moved knelt down and pleaded
In the ear OF One who was present to help
him. He gave earnest heed. Then prayed,
and after asked him il he could trust his Re
deener, and he answered Yes" The end
was iBON LOtullg dpdlc. lUttIndl uCiil0TTndpe
had quenched his pulse, and the light of his
eyes waned fast. He began to choke. "Let
me sit up" he gasped. l raised him, but
that minute broke the golden bowl. He sufio-
Gated, grew purple in the face, struggled,
shivered; then, gush of blood from the
mouth, and his comely head dropped upon
his breast--his body sank dead weight in
my arms. There was a heavier weight at my
heart as | laid him softly down. "poor little
f..Iio f,.als. Oh
ate sergeant who lay near, breaking the 81
lence. Tor all the room had been hushed while
the soul was passing.
la fieid-hospitals, for many good reasons
we do not walt long after death for burial.
Preparation is quickly made. A blanket, a
spade, and a scrap of board for the the Hic
Jacet are the simple requirements. There are
no friends to be called. In this case, as we
expected TO. leave the place before dark, there
was cause for more haste than usual.
l found clean piece OF pine from the side
OF cracker box whereupon to write the name
and date. "Who was the boy ?" l asked, tax
ing out pencil. None replied. What, did
none of you know him." / repeated. No
all his acquaintance bad gone onswith the am
balances. No iwonder he wantedl to go, toe
boy that he was And kneeled down beside
the body again 10 search it, not doubling that
something about his person would reveal his
name. There was his knife, comb, thread and
needle-case, purse, and other pocket furniture
soldiers own. L scrutinized each article,
through and through, and his clothing a. well;
but, strange, could not find 1t. l even eX-
amined his stockings-might he they were
from home and marked FINELY, pulled
his cap out from the rubbish that had served
for pillow, the usual badge of corps and di-
vision was not upon il. This completed the
mystery. There lay, a dead soldier. Nothing
more could be known or said of him. The Sc
cret Knocked me. i rebelled against it, and
felt like demanding that it be uncovered.
hard bitter sense OF loss-bo tn his and mine
came over me. How sweet and dear the in
terest OF identity then appeared Death reign
ed in the still corpse, exulted in triumph
greater than ordinary. Nature, education
yea, the poor rights oi the dead, cried out
against this concealment. "Whs are you, boy,
anyhow?"I i murmured half unconscious, yet
so earnest that superstitious thrill ran
through me lest the dumb lips should move. A
ewminutes before they would have told. re-
| newed the search with the feeling that | must
succeed, but gave it up at last in despair.
Then, l do not know exactly why-I sup
pose it was reaction or the law Of equilibrium
and compensation asserting itseli--iny bosom
filled with the tenderest emotion toward the
| lifeess clay. / pitied the lad before, but now
strong, yearning love. as OF a brother, and the
| growth OF years, sprang up in an instant. 1t
was well nigh uncomfortable. i could have
| wept aloud. In truth, he was passing lovely
! TO look upon. | do not think he was more
! than seventeen years old. His face was fair
as a girls, ard its features were clothed with
that high, unearthly calm-is it the absence OF
| human passion (which always settles upon
the dead countenance and lends 1t q peculiar
nobleness. He had brown hair, not curly, but
| clustering; just such hair as a mothers fingers
would be often pushing back from the fore
head. The blue of his eyes shone through the
! film, and-l remarked II as strange-tears
stood in them. The "rigar mortis" yet stayed
! its horrible chill, and the round limbs of early
youth were still warm and yielding. The
| small wound in his smooth, white side had not
| bled at all outwardly, but in its treacherous
/ depths death cruelty ambushed, and throttled
him unawares. had u faint recollection of
hearing some one say that he was shot by ac
cident aud not in battle, but was not sure.
The very idea added pang. Must it be that
this beautiful body go to nameless dust
Around his waist, next to the skin, was one Of
those flannel bands, worn by many soldiers
| for health's sake. This one was neatly stitched
as if woman had made it, aud, with other
things L noted, it led me to think he had been
gently reared. Probably his name was given
| in baptism. God help them who carried him
up the church aisle before the font,
l cannot tell all my musings of the time. 1t
was place of sorrow, but also sanctuary.
/ could have knelt there for hours, indulging
my grief and reyery, but the living called me
| fIom the dead / took the dear little fellow
! IN in NV arms aud hearing him ont of doors