The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1872-07-02

Much clothing was lost at Shiloh, and
list was made out of clothing lost in the
battle.
The sergeant would ask:
"Well Blame, what did you lose at
Shiloh?'
Answer Gan overcoat and knapsaclx."
"What did you lose at Shiloh, Potter"
With indescribable -drollery, Potter said
with.a sort of lisp that was characters tic
81 lotht theventy-eight dollarth -
This was was the only reference he made
to the court-martial and the six months
pay until the morning of the terrible De-
cember 81, at Stone River In the hurry
of the company formation for battle, Little
Potter was the first man in place, after the
orderly, and though the shortest man in
the company, he held his place there in
face of the rule to the contrary. There was
a sweeping charge. That company left
their dead further to the front than any
other regiment in action that day They
were cruelty crushed relentlessly driven.
Little Potter was giant in doing. He
kept his place next to the orderly when
the company was broken and scattered,
with precision that would under other
circumstances have been droll, he formed
on the orderly whenever charge was
made, and while it was every man for him
self AS he was rammine home load, a
ball struck him in the feshy part of the
leg, cutting great cash and tearing his
clothes. He was advised to 60 to the rear.
The reply was ...,.
81 will show them who is a coward"
A shot struck him in the left shoulder,
and he became deadly pale. Still with
teeth and right hand he managed to load
his gun and fire. Another shot struck him
in the thigh, and he fell. He was dragged
to stump and placed SO that the raking
fire would not touch him. He deliberately
crawled around and placed himself so as to
face the rebels, and as the company gave
ba elk in one of those hand-to-hand fights,
. little Potter kissed his hand to the men
nearest him and nestled down with sigh
of relief.
} Days afterwards the sergeant found a pair
Of black eyes glistening from festoons of
white sheets, in a hospital at Murfreesboro.
They belonged to Little Potter, broken
legged, broken-armed and bandaged. He
could not move and hardly speak. But as
the fearful men bent over him, he lisped
"We waxthd them, didn't we?"
The rebels found him braced against the
stump punching at them with his gun held
! in one hand, as they ran by. He was taken
to the hospital, and here, day after day,
D went his old comrades to see him. They
did more; they wrote to General Rosecrans,
g telling the simple story. They carried the
Q letter along the red tape line, from brigade
quarters to division, from division to corps,
t from corps to army headquarters and re-
turned with an order from Rosecrans him
+ self, directing that the six months pay be
4 returned to Little Potter, that all charges
Q on record be erased, and that an order COM
l plimenting his gallantry be read on dress
l parade, and that copy be sent to the
l man who behaved SO nobly. The order
a was read on dress parade, and the docu-
ment with all its array of endorsements and
l old Rosa's letter was carried to Little
S Potter, by men who could scarcely speak.
S He seemed like one transfgured, as one of
his old-time friends read and re-read the
order letter. He had it held down to his
eyes SO he could see the red lines and Of
fetal signatures. Then came his first tears.
: "Now, boys, don't care to get we'll
It's all wiped out, amt it? l was deter
9 mined to get well to wipe it out, you know.
, But now torn up as l am, it is better to
, die" NNI '' aa,
, And the next morning, with tho order
and old Rosa's letter on his breast, Little
: Potter died. And still we can hear the griz-
1 ely old surgeons words, as he came tothe
cot I" Dead? Why-GOd bless the boy"