Sioux City register. [volume] (Sioux City, Iowa) 1858-1871, 1865-02-18
A SOLDIERS LETTER.

Dear Madam, m soldier, and my speech
is rough and plain;
I'm not much used to writing, and hate
to give you pain;
But promis'd that I'd do it-he thought
it might be So
If 1t came from one who loved him, per.
haps 'twould ease the blow.
By this time you must surely guess the
truth fain would hide,
And you'll pardon rough soldiers words,
while tell you how he died.
Twas the night before the battle, and in
our crowded tent,
More than one brave boy was sobbing, and
many knee was bent,
For we knew not when the morrow, with
its bloody work was done,
How many that were seated there should
see its setting sun;
Twas not so much for self they cared, as
for the loved at home,
And it's always worse 10 think of them
than to hear the cannon's boom.
Twas then we left the crowded tent, your
soldier boy aud /,
Aud We both breathed freer standing
underneath the clear blue sky;
l was more than ten years older, but be
seemed to take to me,
And oftener than the younger ones he
sought my company;
lie seemed to wan, to talk Of home, and
those he held most dear, h.
And though Id none to talk Of yet al.
ways loved to hear u
So then he told me on that night Of the
time he came away,
And how you sore y grieved for him, but
would not let him stay; -
And how his own fond hope had been that
when this war was throu. b,
He might 60 back with honor, to his friends
at home and you;
lie named his sister, one by one, and then
deep flush came,
While he told me Of another, but be did
not speak her name.
And then he said, Dear Robert, it may
be that shall fall,
And will you write to them at home how
loved and spoke Of all ?"
SO | promised but did not think the
time would come so soon;
The hight was just three Gays ago-he
d,ed to day at noon,
1t seems so hard that one SO loved, as he
was, should be gone,
While should still be living here, who
had no friends II, home.
|. was in the morrow's battle, fast rained
the shot and shell,
He was fighting close beside me, aid
saw him when he fell;
SO then ! took him in my arms and laid
on the grass
Twas going against orders, but think
they'll let it pass
Twas "a minnie ball that struck him. it
entered IA, the side;
And they did not think it fatal till the
morning that be died.
So when he found that be must 90, he
called me to his bed,
And said, " Yoa Il hot forget to write Ken
you hear that | am dead;
And you II tell them how loved them, and
bid them all god bye
Say tried to do the best | could, and did
not fear to die;
And underneath my pillow there's curl
OF goiden na!r,
There's name upon the paper send it
to my mothers care.
Last night wanted so to live, seemed
so young to go
Last week l passed my birth day, was
nineteen you know;
When l thought of all I'd planned to do,
it seemed SO hard to die,
But then I prayed to God for grace, and
my cares are all gone BY"
And here his voice grew weaker, and he
partly raised his head,
And whispered, Good bye, mother!' and
SO your boy was dead!
I wrap'd his cloak around him, and We
bore him out tonight,
And laid him by a clump of trees, where
the moon was shining bright,
And we carved ou. q head board as skill
full as we could
It you should wish to find it can tell you
where it stood.
/ send you back your hymn book, and the
cap he used to wear;
And lock | cut the night before, Of his
bright curling hair.
send you back his Bible the night be,
fore he died,
We turn'd its leaves together, as read il
by his side
I've KEEP, the belt he always wore, he told
..@. me so to do;
N has hole upon the side, It's where the
1 ball went through.
So now I've done his bidding, there is moth
ing moro to tell,
But shall always mourn with you, the
boy We loved SO we'll.