St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1864-06-02
THE DYING sBnGEANT.

l-'->-S *<7t'- .~slss
THE DYING sRnHEANT.
[Bris.disr General J. c. Rtoe, 1iho Ii; W; va.
killed in tie late battles in Virginia, sent
some time since the following skstch to
John G. Whittier. who forwarded it rince
the death of Gen. Rice to the 1ndepsnden.. !
1twas, perhaps, ten days after the sec.
ond battle Of Msnassas, that l visited one
Of the hospitals, near Washington, for the
purpose Of ascertaining if any OF the disa-
bled of my own command had been borne
there, and if so, of speaking to them kind,
cheerful word. always so grateful to a
wounded soldier. As l was passing
through the numerous wards, viewing with
feelings Of sympathy and pride the mutil.-
ted but patriotic and accomplishing suffer-
ers, two strangers-a sister and an aunt of
one Of the young heroes-.ccosted me, and
asked if l would be so kind as t. come to
the couch Of their relative, and stand by
him while the surgeon should .mpat.1e his
limb, which they told me had been an,pu.
tated few days before, but, on account oY
the arteries having commenced to slough
away, tn. physician had decided upon this
as the only hope Of saving his life. I fol-
owed them to the couch. They were both.
weeping, but the wounded soldier, although
suffering intensely, met me with smile,
and saluted ne. l 50, down BY his tc:oucb,
and took his hand ia mine. He told me
that Ee was a sergeant IN the Fifth New
York duryea's Zouaves y that Ike was
wounded late in the sc.ion, and left apon
the field; that he remained where he fell
from Saturday until the following wednes:
day, "with no food save few hard crack
ers, left in my haversaft, and with no wa
ter, e4ceps that which God gave me from
heaven, in rain and dew, and which
caught in my blanket" The sergeant
continued his story, after a moments pause
occasio'hed by his suffering, by saying, "You
know, colonel, how Goa 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, was found by one of our
surgeons, who dressed my wound, and
PLACED me with other disabled soldiers in
an ambulance, to be sent to Washington.
arrived here late on Thursday evening,
when my limb was amputated, and p
The sergeant again paused IN his story,
and l begged him not to 60 on. 1 noticed
that his voice became weaker, and his face
more pale and deathlike, and moment
afterward l observed blood trickling down
uhon the floor from the rubber ponchon on
which the sergeant was lying. at once
called the surgeon to his bedside. He ex-
anined the limb, and, after consulting with
other surgeons in attendance, told me they
had decided that it was impossible to save
h{s life that reamputation would be use.
less; that tfs Soldier Was fast sinking from III
exhaustion; and that in all probability, he
would not survive the hour; and desired
that I Should make known their decision
and apprehensions to the aunt aud sister.
With such language as . soldier might
command, l informed them that the SER
geant must soon rest. Tears filled their
eyes and they sobbed bitterly but their
grief VAS borne as Christian women alone
can bear such sorrow-for they heard the
voice Of the elder brother speaking to them;
~ to Martha, II am the resurrection and
the life; he that believeth in me, though
he were dead, yet shall he live" The sis
ter, wiping away her tears and taking =
small prayer book from her dress, asked
me if would read to him 'the prayer for
the DYING I went again to the couch,
and stood beside the dying soldier. '.Ser:
geant." I said; 1--WE shall halt soon-we ore
not going to march much further to-day
care We going to halt, colonel" said the
sergeant, $50 early in the: day! Are We
going into bivou.c before night 2. eyes,
sergeant" ] replied; the march is nearly.
~over-the OYER bugle call viii soon sound 'th.
hslt.''''uj The sergeant'ss mind wandered
for = moment but my tsars interpreted to
him ny words. ':Ah colonel, said hs, '.do
you meaAp that I am % soon % die, ..Ye,,
sergeant. = said, '.youu ars soon, to di,.'
.'Well, colonel, / an glad am goinng Ii die
II want to rest-the march has not been
g g lops, bSt I an 11eary-1 an ,tired--I
want q halt-t want to be With Christ
want to b With ny 9svior.'s rad u.
him ''the prayer for the dying" most Of
which he repeated; and then the sister
klnesled a. beside the couch Of her dying broth.
q, and Of offered up to God : prayer full Of
sernseetaese pe.. \. loys g. sad a, 81 f.ith. The ne