The weekly Oskaloosa herald. [volume] (Oskaloosa, Iowa) 1855-1885, 1872-09-05
LITTLE POTTER. H
An Incident of the late Rebellion.

skinned, twinkle eyed young fello,
was known the regiment over a
Little Potter" The name cam
from his trade before var times, an,
from the fact that he was Away
talking shop, and examining clay
with all the enthusiasm of geolo
gist. He h d the faculty of becom
ing interested in anything that an,
other man was doing. Standing nea
the picket fire, though uncomfortable
himself, he could ALWAYS suggest
way TO make the coffee boil, and h;
would gather up little chips ant
sphnters, and pile under or abou
the kettle with the keenest enjoy
ment, although the coffee belonged
to the most taciturn man in the com
pany. He showed this kindly inter
est in every mans affairs. and as 8
m after of course, was universally
liked. ....'
At Shiloh, in the midst of the sec
ond days battle, Little Potter lef
the company to get water for him
self and several OF his companions
A quick change of position, new
line of battle formation, took place
after his departure, and Little
Potter was seen no more for several
days. After the rebels retreated he
was acting as nurse in the brigade
hospital. He couldn't find the regi-
ment on his return, but found the
hospital, and the division surgeon
ordered him on duty, and discover
ing his excellence as nurse, would
not let him return to the company.
There was a quarrel between the
Captain and the Surgeon, the former
seeing Little Potter as skulker, and
the former seeing him as useful
man who had made mistake thru
no fault of his own. The captain re-
ported Potter absent without leave,
and he was court-m artialed. The
sentence was that he should forfeit
six months pay. The men of the
company were indignant, but Potter
said nothing. The stoppage OF six
months pay told sorely on him, but
he weathered the storm, and came
out as serene as though he had new
er been court martialed.
Much clothing was lost at Shiloh,
and list was made out OF clothing
lost in battle. The sergeant would
ask:
well, Blain, what did you lose at
Shiloh p Answer San overcoat
and knapsack. gH
what did you lose at Shiloh, Pot,
ter p
With Understandable drollery, Pot
ter said with kind of lisp that was
characteristic:
Il lotht theventy- eight dollarth.
This was the only reference he
made to the court-martial and the
six months pay until the morning the
morning of the terrible 3lst of 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 tho
the shortest man in the company, he
held his place there in spite OF the
rule to the contrary. There was a
sweeping charge. That company
loft their dead further to the front
than any other regiment in action that
day. They were cruelty crushed, re.
lentlessly driven. 81
Little Potter was giant in doing
He kept his place next to the orderly
when the company was scattered
With precision that under othel
circumstances would have been droll
he formed on the orderly whenever
a charge was made, and while it was
every man for himself AS he was
ramming home load, ball struck
him in the feshy part of the leg, cut
ting a great cash, and tearing his
clothes. He was advised to go to
the rear. The reply was:
81 will show them who is the cow
ard"
A shot struck him in the left shout
der, and he became deadly PALE
Still with teeth and right hand ht
managed to load his gun and fire.
Another shot struck him in the thigh
and he fell. He was dragged to 8
stump and placed SO that the raking
fire would not touch him. He DELHI
erately crawled round and placed
himself so as to face the rebels, and
as the company gave back in one o
those hand to hand conflicts, Little
Potter kissed his hand to the mer
nearest him, and nestled down will
a sigh Of relief.
Days afterward the sergeant found
a pair of black eyes glisteniug from
festoons of white sheets, in hospi
tai at Murfreesboro. They belonged
to Little Potter, broken-legged, bro
ken-armed and bandaged. He coult
not move and could hardly speak
But as the fearful men bent over hin
he lisped: eve walked them, didn'
we?'
The rebels found him bracet
against the stump punching at then
with his gun held in one hand, a
they ran by. He was taken to tn
hospital, and here, day after day
went his old comrades to see him.
They did more: they wrote to Ger
Rosencranz, telling the simple story
They carried the letter along tn
red tape line, from brigade head
quarters to division, from division t
corps, from corps to army head.quai
tiers, and returned with an order tror
Rosencrans himself, directing tha
the six months pay be returned t
Little Potter that all charges o.
the record be erased; and that al
order complimenting his gallantry b
read on dress parade, and thst
copy be sent to the IN An who behay
ed so nobly. The order was rea'
on dress parade, and the document
with all it's array of endorsement
and old Rosa's letter were carrie'
Little Potter by men who coul
scarcely speak. He seemed like on
TRANSPORTED, as one OF his old tim
friends read and re-read the orde
and letter. He had it held down t
his eyes so he could SEQ the re-
lines and official signatures. The
came his first tears. -
Now, boys, / don't care to &c
well. It's all wiped out, amt it P
/ was determined to get well to wip
| If ont Won know Ruf now torn II,