Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1870-09-13
Let Not Your Heart be Troubled. y

A christian soldier thus tells his expert
ence of the happiest hour of his life:
at was when lost my arm at the battle
of the Seven Pines, on the Peninsular. We
made charge about the middle of the af-
ternoon. The firing was very heavy, and
| fell severely wounded. was shot thro'
the groin, and received flesh wound, be-
sides this in the arm. On coming to my
self the firing was receding, for our boys
were driving the enemy, and there were
none near me but the dead and wounded,
as helpless as myself began to be very
thirsty, and the pain of my wounds, espec-
tally that through the body, was intense.
About twenty yards from me, l could hear
the cool, ripping sound of little brook
running among some thick bushes. As
tried to drag myself toward it, for the low
er part of my body was helpless, found
my arm was broken. Slowly and with
great pain reached it, only to find the
water running in a channel some two feet
below the level of the field, and utterly out
of my reach 1t had been hot day, and
| was parched with thirst and fever. Wa
ter was there in my sight, almost in my
reach, and was dying for the want of it.
| dragged myself farther, reached over, lost
my balance. and fell into the stream. BY
Gods good providence, | was able to save
myself little, so that my face did not 60
under. l tainted with the pain, and lay
unconscious know not how long.
"When | came to myself l found my
broken arm under me, the lower part of my
body in the stream, which wasabOut TWEEN
ty inches deep, and my head resting on the
bank. The cool water had stopped the
flow of blood. Above me, on the field, were
the sound and voices of the stretcher bear
ers, collecting the wounded and burying
the dead, l tried to shout so they should
hear me, but was too weak. | was down
in the brook, and the dense, thick bushet
completely hid me from any one above
Hearing the voices receding, tried to lif
, myself and call with all my might, and, il
, the effort, tainted again.
"When came to, all were gone, and tn
t field was still. was left alone to die H
) was among the missing would be all m.
| friends would know of me. l thought O
my young wife and my little one in m,
= New England home. 1t was hard, yer
| hard, to think of. dying $3.50 lonely, $
very lonely. There was only one place
5 could 60 for comfort. | went there, an
this sweet passage you have read tonigh
e came into my mind. The dear Lord seem
ed to say, Let not your heart be troubled
| neither let it be afraid l was able to Civ
5 myself my wife, my child to his care. Tn
peace of God came down into my soul, an
D filled it with joy unutterable. Hooked II
: into the deep blue sky, which 1 could Sc
here and there through the leaves, and sa'
= overhead the white, feecy clouds sailin
past, and the sun STOPPING toward the ives
l thought, before that sun sets, l shall b
4 beyond the clouds, beyond thesky, at hom,
e | shall have one of those many mansion
4 l shall see Jesus and my Father, God. NJ
o peace ran like river. | wanted to shou
2 l tried to sing. There, alone in those vi
f ginia woods, buried to the neck in waite
e and left, as l thought. to die, spent tt
s happiest hour of my life; and, as san
/. once more into Inconsistencies, hoped
q awake with God.
= II was found just alive, and cared for |
e the Confederates as they came on Il
: ground. God gave me favor with ther
d and they were kind to me but think Il
It comfort l got there had much to do vii
my getting well, for they had few appl
: ances for the sick and wounded"