Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1869-02-12

did my duty well.
81 never felt for our poor, brave fellows
as did there. l had been very fortunate,
and until that summer had never been in
hospital. Now 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 hard
that each brave boy must make his march
down the dark valley alone. But they all
went off gallantly. | would rather have
galloped forward on forlorn charge, any
day, than have followed any one of them
over to the Soldiers Rest though it is
a pretty place to camp down in. In fact,
my heart grew 80 soft here, so Christian
lied, as it were, that forgot to look for
my old enemy; for so, you see, still re-
garded the surly straggler who refused me
water at the roadside spring. e
"After the battles of the Wilderness, a
great multitude Of the wounded were
poured in upon us; all our wards were
filled to overf1owing. 1t was hot, close
weather; most of the patients were fevered
by their wounds and exposure to the sun,
and up and down the long CHASTITY lines OF
white beds the great cry was for water. l
took large pitcher of ice-water and q
tumbler, and started on the round of my
ward, as eager to give as the poor fellows
were to receive. The ice ratified and rung
in the pitcher in most inviting way, and
many heavy eyes opened at the sound, and
many hot hand was stretched out, when
all at once, on one of the two farthest beds
of the ward, | saw man start up, with
his face flaming with fever and his eyes
cleaning, as he almost screamed out I:
water give me water, for Gods sake !
"Then, madam, l could see no other
face in all the ward, for it was he !!
"I made few steps toward him and
saw he knew me as well as knew him,
for he fell back on his pillow, and just
turned his face toward the wall. Then
the devil tightened his grip on me, till it
seemed he had me fast and sure, and he
seemed to whisper into my ear: Rattle
the ice in the pitcher and aggravate him
Go up and down, giving water to all the
others, and not a drop to him!
"Then something else whispered, a little
nearer, though not in such sharp, hiss
ing way-conscience, suppose it was |;
good Methodists might call it the Holy
Spirit; other religious people might say
it was the spirit of my mother; and per-
haps would all mean about the same thing
anyhow, it seemed to say: Now, my
boy, is your chance to return good for
evil. Go to him, give him to drink first of
all l!' And that something walked me right
up to his bedside, made me slide my hand
under his shoulder and raise him up, and
put the tumbler to his lips. How he
drank I never can forget-in long, deep
draughts, almost tumblerful at a swal-
low, looking at me SO wistfully all the
time. When he was satisfied, he fell back,
and again turned his face to the wall,
without word. But somehow knew
that fellows heart was touched, as no
chaplain's sermon or tract had ever touch
ed it.
II asked the surgeon to let me have the
sole care of this ipatient, and he consent
ed, though he said the man had a bad gun
shot wound in the knee, and would have
to submit to an amputation, if he could
stand it, and if not, would probably
make me great deal of trouble while he
lasted.
"Well, took charge of him--I had to
1T, somehow but he kept up the same
silence with me for several days; then,
one morning, just as I was leaving his
bedside, he caught hold of my coat and
pulled me back. / bent down to ask him
what he wanted, and he said, in hoarse
whisper You remember that canteen
business in the Shenandoah Valley
Yes; but it don't matter now, old fellow,
| answered.
But it does matter he said. Il don't
know what made me so surly that day,
only that an upstart young lieutenant from
our town had just been swearing atme for
struggling and wasn't to blame for |
was sick. came down with the fever the
next day. As for what l said to you, I
was ashamed of it before you got out of
sight; and, to tell the truth, I've been
looking for you these two years, Just to
tell you 80. But when met you here,
where l was crying, almost dying, for
water, it seemed so like the carrying out
of your curse, I was almost afraid of you.
81 tell you what, madam, it gave me
strange feelings to think of him looking
for me, to make up, and I looking for him,
to be revenged, all this time; and it was
such little sin, after all. I'm not
ashamed to confess that the tears came
into my eyes as l said: Now, Eastman
(that was his name he was Maine man)
| don't fret about thatiittle matter any more
it's all right, and you've been better fel
low than 1 all along
"But he had taken it to heart, and was
too weak to throw it off. 1t was sc
mean,' he said, so unsoldier-like and bear
ish and | was so good to forgive it, he
insisted.
az stood by him while his leg was am
putated; and when, after time, the sur
geon said even that couldn't saw him
that he was sinking, found that the n al
was like brother to me. He took the
hard news that he must die, just as til.
war was almost ended, like the brave fel
low he was. He dictated a last letter t
his sister, the only relative he had; gav'
me some directions about sending some
keepsakes to her, and then asked for tn,
chaplain. This was good. sensible, elder
ly man, and he talked in about the RICH
style, think, and made us all feel quite
comfortable in the belief that in th,
Fathers house there must be mansion
| for the poor soldier, who had so otter
camped out in snow and rain; and tina
for him who had given his all for hi
| country, some great good must be in store
At last, the poor fellow said to tht
chaplain Isn't there something in tn,
Bible about giving cup of cold water ?
Ahi madam, I can't tell you how tha
hurt me. 30 Eastmanr said I, don't
don'tr But he only smiled as the chap
lain repeated the verse. Then he turned
to me and said; You didn't think 1ha
you were doing for yourself when yol
| gave me that glass Of iee-water the othe
day, did you, old fellow? Can pass fo
one Of the !iige aqsh though, With NJ