The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1869-02-11
Gelecte0 nlisceIIalrp.
4 CUP OF COLD WATER.
BY GRACE GREENWOOD.

BY GRACE GREENWOOD.
SHORTLY after the close of the war, I
travelled on the railway for some hours of
bright, June day, seated beside a Young
soldier, a cavalryman, from Wisconsin,
who was on his way home, with an honor
able discharge, after a service of four
years. My low-traveler proved to be
quite intelligent and socially inclined, and
beguiled the way by relating many in
cidents of the battle field, and of camp
and hospital life. One of The simplest OF
his stories, told with al appearance of the
utmost good faith, have never forgotten
remembering distinctly every detail,
while some of his more marvellous aud
tragical variations have quite faded from
my mind.
"Oar regiment" he said, "was under
Banks, in the spring of 1852, when he
made such good time in getting down the
Shenandoah Valley It was an awful,
driving, confused, exhausting, hurry
skurry change of base but it's curious
that | chiefly remember it by a little in
cldent, which perhaps you will think was
worth telling of
| signified my desiH to hear his little
story, and he went on:
" was one morning dispatched, in hot
haste, to the extreme rear, with very
important order AS ill-luck would have
1t, had to ride strange horse, as my own
bad fallen lame. The one provided for
me proved just the most ill-natured
vicious brute ever mounted. I had hard
work to mount him at all, for his furious
rearing and plunging; and when, at last,
reached the saddle, he was so enraged,
there was no getting him on for at least
five minutes. With his ugly head down,
and his ears back, he would whirl round
and round, pivoting on his fore-feet, and
lashing out with his hind legs, till fancy
they must have looked like the spokes of
big wheel. When he found that I was
master of the situation, that my hand was
firm and my spurs were sharp, he gave in
till the next time; but [ knew that he
was continually watching for chance to
fling me over his head and trample the
mastership out of me-
: rode hard that day, both because of
my orders, and for the purpose of putting
that devil of a horse through; but there
were many Instructions in the road
marching columns, artillery, army wagons,
and, above all, hosts of contrabands, who
were always scrambling to get out of your
way, just into your way; so it was noon
before had made half OF my distance. It
was hot, sultry, and dusty day. I had
exhausted my. canteen, and was painting
almost lolling, like dog. Just as my
thirst was becoming quite unbearable, I
came upon group OF soldiers, lounging
BY wayside spring, drinking and filing
their canteens. At first l thought 1 would
dismOunt, as my horse seemed pretty well
subdued and Uo3oed, but no sooner did he
guess my intention, than he began again
his diabaiical friskings and plungings, at
which the stragglers about the spring set
up provoking laugh, which brought my
already hot blood up to the boiling point.
Still, | didn't burst out at once. | swung
off my canteen, and said to one of the
men, the only fellow that hadn't laughed
al my bout with the horse Here, com
rade, Just you fill this for me-
He was tall, dark, heavy -browed,
surly-looking chap, but for all that, didn't
look for such an answer as he growlcd
out:
"'Fill your own canteen, and BE- 80
TO your
q tell you was mad the other fellows
laughed again, and thel. | was madden,
and just says to him: You mean devil
hope to God shall yet hear you begging
for drink of water! If ever do, I'll see
you die, and go where you belong, before
I'll give it to you
Then gallopcd on, though some of
the men called to me to come back, say
ing they'd fill my canteen. l didn't stop
TIL | reached q house, mile or two
farther on, where little black boy
watered both me and my horse, and filled
my canteen, with smile that the handful
of new pennies | gave him couldn't begin
to pay for. When I compared the con-
duct of this poor little chip of ebony, who
said he never had no father, nor mother,
nor no name but Pete with the treat
nent | had received from a white fellow
soldier, | found that that drink of cold
water hadn't cooled down my anger
much. And for months and months
after, whenever | thought of that at
fair, the old, mad feeling would come
boiling up. The fellows face always
came out as clear before me as my own
brothers, only it seemed to be more sharp
= ly cut into my memory. I don't know
why [ resented this offence so bitterly
have let bigger things of the sort pass, and
soon forgotten them but this stuck by me-
I am not revengeful fellow naturally,
but / never gave up the hope of seeing
that man again, and somehow paying him
back for his brutal insolence. There
wasn't a camp or review | was in for the
next two years but looked for him, right
and left I never went over field, after
battle, but | searched for him among
the dying-God forgive me, At last, my
opportunity came.
81 had been wounded, and was in one
of the Washington hospitals-almost well,
yet still not quite fit for duty in the saddle.
hate, above all things, to be idle; SO L
begged for light employment SIS hospital
nurse, and they gave it to me, and said /
did my duty we'll
| never felt for our poor, brave fellows
rs did there. had been very fortunate,
and until that summer had never been in
hospital Now l SAW such suffering and
such heroism as had never seen On the
battlefield. Companionship helped to
keep up the spirits of those we could not
save, to the last Then it seemed hsrd
that each brave boy must make his march
down the dark valley alone But thew all
went off CALAMITY. I would rather have
galloped for ward on a forlorn charge, any
day, than have followed any one of them
over to the Soldiers Rest though it is
pretty place to camp down in. In fact
my heart grew so soft here, 50 Christian
lied, as it were, that forgot to look fol
nay old enemy; for so, you see, still re
garded the surly stra ggler who refused mt
water at the roadside spring.
s'After the battles of the Wilderness,
great multitude of the wounded wert
poured in upon US; ell our wards wer,
filled to OVERLOOKING. 1t was hot, clos
uaather. m oqt Of the ratiarts were fayere,