Union County star and Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1859-1864, 1864-01-15
The Ride of a Wounded Brigade.


b. +. Taylor continues in the Chicag'
Journal bis admirable sketches of life il
the camp and field. In Q recent lettel
from the Army of the Cumberland, b
gives the following picture Of night
ride Of the wounded brigade, after the bat
tie Of Cbickamauga:
"They we're loaded upon the train twt
platform cars we're paved with them, forty
on . car. Seven boxes were SO packed
you could not put your foot down among
them as they lay. The roofs of the car:
were tiled with them, and away we pound
ed all day, all night, into the next morn
ing, aud then Nashville. Half ofthe boys
had not shred of blanket, and it rained
steadily, pitilessly. What do you think
of platform cars for trumphal procession
wherein to bear wounded heroes to the
tune Of The Soldiers Return from the
War? But the stores of the Sanitary
Commission aud the gifts Of such ladies as
are now, believe, making your city a
Bethsl-a place of apgels-kept the boys
hearts up through all those weary, driz-
cling hours.
at is midnight, and the attendants are
going through the train with coffee, graced
with milk aud sugar-think of that-two
fresh, white, crisp erakers apiece, and q
little taste of fruit Did your hands pre-
pare it, dear lady? l hope SO, for the
little balance in your favor set down in
the ledger of God.
"Here they come with canteen will
you 20 with them? climb through that
window into car as black as the Hole of
Calcusts. But mind where you step; the
floor is one layer deep with wounded SOL
diers. As you swing the lantern round,
bsndsges show white and ghastly every
where; bandages, bandages, aud now aud
then rusty spot Of blood. What worn
out, faded faces look up at you! They
rouse like wounded creatures hunted down
to their lsirs as you come. The tin cups
extended 10 all sorts of hands but plump,
strong ones, tinkls all around you. You
are fairly girdled with tin-cup horizon.
How the dull, pale faces brighten as those
cups are filled? On We 60, out at one
window. in at another, stepping giDgerly
among mapgled limbs. We reach the
platform cars, creakiDg with their dreuch-
ed, chilled, bruised burdens, and l must
tell you-it's a shame ,housh-that one
poor fellow among them lay with latter
ed blanket pinned around him; be was
literally sans cupotte. 'Ho~ is thisT
s.id. Haven't got my descriptive list
that's what's the matter, was the reply.
Double allowances all around to the occa.
pants Of the platforms, and We retraced
our steps to the rear Of the train. You
should have heard the ghost ofs cheer that
fu,tered like q feeble bird, as We wen,
back. 1t was the most touching vote Of
thanks ever offered; there was little
fash up of talk fer minute, and all sub
sided into silence and darkness again.
Wearily wore the hours and heavily ham-
mersd the train. At intervals the guards .
traversed the roof Of the cars-and pulled .
in the worn-out boys that had Jared down
to the edges-pulled them in toward the
middle of the cars without waking them.
Occasionally one slips over the caves, |
an told, and is miserably crushed. What
q homeward march is all this to set tune
toI
"By some error disappointment there
was not quite coffee enough for all on
deck, and two slips of boys en- the roof of
the car where occupied corner were oft
without Q drop. Whenever We stopped,
and that was two hours here, and three
hours there, waiting for this and for that
there was no hurry, you kuow-and the
aide door was sided back 10 its grooves,
90. two hungry faces, stretching down
over the cars edge, and heard two feeble
voices crying: we have had nothing up
here since yesterday noon, we two-there
are only rs two boys-please give US
something. Haven't you got any hard
tack!' heard that pitiful appe,l to the F,
officers in charge, and saw those faces till
they haunted me, and to-day remember
those plsiDtive tones as if were bearing
. dirge. l felt in my pockets and haver-
sack for Q cracker, but found nothing. l
really hated myself for having eaten my
dinner and not saved it for them. A fur
ther search was rewarded with six crackers
from the Chicago Mechanical Bakery, and
watching my chance when Pets's back was
turued-the cook, and smutty au.ocrat
was Pete 10 his wsy-I took sly dip with
Q basin into the coffee boiler. As the car
gave lurch in the right direction, called
from the window, Boys" heard them
crawling to the edge, banded up the mid
night supper. 'BuiIy for you,' they said,
sk