, 1864-05-06

| know VINO ScRfdmeu so, Lne poor WlIe was
certain about him.
He had been crazy before the war, but not
for two years, now, she said He had been
frettlng about home since he was hurt, and
when the doctor told him there was no chance
of his being sent there, he lost heart, and
wrote to his wife to come and carry him
away. 1t seemed almost hopeless for two
lone women, who had never been out of their
own little town, to succeed in finding a sol
der among so many, sent in so many differ
ent directions, but we helped them as we
could, and started them on their journey
the r ioorning, back on their track to
use their common sense and Yankee privil-
ege of questioning A week after Mrs. -
had letter full of gratitude, and saying
that the husband was found and secured for
home.
That same night we had in our tents, two
fathers with their wounded sous, and nice
old German mother with her boy. She had
come in from Wisconsin, and brought with
her patchwork bed quilt for her son, think
ing he might have lost his blanket, and
there he laid all covered up in his quilt,
looking SO home like, and feeling so too no
doubt, with his good old mother at his side.
She seemed bright and happy, had three sons
in the army-one had been killed, this one
wounded, yet she was so pleased with the
tents, and the care she saw taken with the
soldiers, that while taking her tea from a
barrel head at the table, she said, Indeed
if she was man, she'd be a soldier too, right
off" e0.
Late one afternoon-too late for the cars
"a train of ambulances arrived at our
| Lodge, with over one hundred rebels, to be
cared for through the night. Only one
among them seemed too weak and faint to
take anything. He was badly hurt and fail
ing. l went to him after his wound was
dressed, and found him lying on his blanket
stretched over the straw-a fair haired, blue
eyed young lieutenant a face innocent
enough for one our own New England boys
I could not think of him as a rebel; he was
too near heaven for that. He wanted moth
ing had not been willing to eat for days,
his comrades said but | coaxed him to try
little milk gruel made nicely with lemon
and brandy, and one of the satisfactions Of
our three weeks is the remembrance of the
empty cup took away afterward, and his
perfect enjoyment of that supper 1t was
so good the best thing he had had since he
was wounded" and thanked me so much
and talked about his good supper" for
hours.
Poor creature, he had no care, and it was
surprise and pleasure to find himself
thought Of so, in pleased, childlike way,
he talked about it till midnight, the attend
! told ha hoA ofo
thing, for at midnight the change came, and
from that time he only thought of the old
days before he was a soldier, when he sang
hymns in his fathers church. He sang them
now again, in clear sweet voice. Lord
have mercy upon me, and then, songs with
out words-a sort of low intonng. His
father was Lutheran Clergyman in South
Carolina one of the rebels told us in the
morning, when we went into the tent, to find
him sliding out Of our care
All day long we watched him, sometimes
fighting his battles over. oftener singing his
Lutheran chants, till in at the tent door, close
to which he lay, looked a rebel soldier, Just
arrived with our prisoners. He started when
he saw the Lieutenant, and quickly kneel-
ing down by him, called " Henryl Henry !"
But Henry was looking at some one a great
way of, and could not hear him. Do you
know this soldier 2" we said ooh, yes,
ma am and his brother is wounded and a
prisoner, too, in the cars, now" Two or
three men started after him found him, and
half carried him from the cars to our tent
" Henry" did not know him though and he
threw himself down by his side on the straw,
and for the rest of the day lay in sort Of
apathy, without speaking, except to assure
himselfthat he could stay with his brother,
without the risk Of being separated from his
fellow-prsoners.
And there the brothers lay, and there we
strangers sat listening to the strong, clear
voice, singing +" Lord have mercy upon me" J"
The Lord had mercy, and at sunset l put my
hand on the lieutenant's heart to find it still.
All night the brother lay close against the
cofin and in the morning went away with
his comrades, leaving US to bury Henry,
having confidence" but first, thanking US
for what we had done, and giving all that he
had to show his gratitude, the palmetto orn-
ament from his brothers cap and a button
from his coat. DR.. ". read the burial SER
vice that morning at the grave. and -
wrote his name on the little head board -
''Lieut. Rauch, 18th Regiment South Carroll
ma Vols"