Ellsworth American., 1875-12-02

~ thdift iDI WHAT shoot r,-
Piled the old man. his eye fired with ex-
ctement and his whole frame swayiuu
| with emotion.
Chamberlain referred him to Col. Wis.
ter. 10 the question if he could be al.
lowed - fight. Wister replied" Yes; aud
WISH there were many more like Won
But YOU have no ammunition. "'Ies L have, ''
SAID Burns, ciapping his pockets. DO
YOU Know how to shoot?" Give me a
chance cried Burns. land | viii show
You whether | can shoot or not" lyon
may have chance" said the Colonel :
but this open ground is no place for an
Old man like you. Go to the woods with
the Iron Brigade. where you can have
some shelter"
lie went rs directed. and Joined the Sew
ehth Wisc"n-in, Lieut.. Colonel Calls, and
| opened upon the Rebels but the wood did
not suit hun ;he wanted a fair unobstruct-
ell view. aud went To the fence In the on
Ell ground. Among his acquaintances he
had always been known as dead shot.
| lie was now in no haste TO create smoke
out awaiting his opportunity. he fired only
when he saw something that he could hit
| lie watched especially for men mounted
| aud many saddle was emptiel. His un-
| erlng Aim attracted the attention of the
soldiers and officers OF the Seveth, and
| Col. Calls sent him hne silver-mounred
ride that had been captured from the ene-
my IN the battle OF Antietam. Away
! across WIiIoughOy rui, was seen an Office r
| rIding beautiful gray horse. He come
on leading hi> men with the utmost "a!
| iahtry. lie WAS poInted out To Burns,
and that beautiful charger WAS soon seen
! eatloping ridrrle,s over the field. aud the
old hero WAS saluted with three
| cheers 10y the sold ers who were watching
him. AT on" O'Clock there WAS luil in
| the battle. and he lay down upon the yra..
| Ia rest. On looking about h. was startled
| ny seeing "A hand lying on the ground that
| had becn torn from the body by so,u,. ter
| rIolc missile: but the body whose puIsa-
| tlons had warmed 1t was nowhere TO be
| seen.
| hen the battle was renewed he went
earnestly 10 work. The enemy s'ronu and
We'll supported, pushed forward frarIrs>ly,
| "htIc ,he uioa furcc had but one Tim
| mn, and that now fraIiully dvcimlted
! burns took ittle care Of hi> person. aud he
| "a> inally struck in the side by two musk :
ct shot, that eventually produced a rIlp-
| turr; but still he would not Weld Arm,
| he was struck, now oa the buckle OF h.,
| belt. the shock b.udins htni nrAr.y double.
| and Tor lew motnrHt- he could not speak .
| but III recovered himself. and miyht then
| have retired with honor and safety the
| J'l2id" with which he had been ii Lhiius
| hLhln. already gone. But now the enemy
| we're coming carer, and hi chances fui
shooting were rapidly improving. aud ..r
! Stood AT his post hriug away uutIl th,. r., d
| tl Iine Ma close upon him. when he re-
| ceivcd severe wound in hi, arm. an art
Try being -cysred from which th,. h-mnr-
| image came near proving fatai aud anotil-
! tI IA ms ir-, the limb becoming complete
| ~ paTaiykr,l. and he could do no more
| ueither rctirc nor even stand His nr>t
! Thought va, to divc>t himself of every an
| pe.iIance oi comhitaut. well KNOWN.
| that lie cuu.d not nope Tor Hny mercy with
| the evidences oi having participated IA the.
/ hSht iouHd upon hin.-ile aCru. diugIy
| mrs" away his gun. aud the fohr cart
| fldSe which stu remained la his pocket lie
! buried, digging tor the purpose with HI,
| potArt-A"iie. Weakened by the loss OF
| blood. he soon h-c..n. CO.., ,ou,, aud when
/ .i'e hnai charge Ut The enemy Wa made h..
was in-cnsiDIe. ana was passed for dead
| Al about six O'Clock ia the evening a
| sergeant aud men, engaged in gather
| ins the wounded, attracted by the strange
-iGht of an old gray haired man in his or
dinary dress bleeding from numerous
KhasI!y wounds. approached and stood
| TPNb-''dllb uitu. Alter u moment )
silence they turned him upon his side and
seeing that lie was still alive. Inquired
How came you hrrey' '.My wife" ans
"ered Burns, wa, taken suddenly sick
| I'M, morning, and started of from the
town To cross this neld in search OF girl
VINO lives out beyond here 10 come aud
lake care OF her. and was caught between
the Two lines, and, a, you see. am badly
wounded, Il believe he is an old liar,
said the sergeant. but will never harm u
any more. and passed on, leaving him in
his misery. lie then dragged hims-lf
sIo = on the grass to where two dead Re
bc!s anu "A Union man with thigh all cru-i :
ed by cannon shot were lying - Not
Ion. after burying parties came ana cover
ell las companions with earth where they
lay. To whom he repeated the story Of
hlntlng girl, but they were alike ucred-
u.ou,. lie finally tell asleep and rested
tI!i eleven, when he was awakened by the
tramping OF sergeant posting his guards.
IL had been naming. and he was chilled -
lie called To the guard tor a drink of wa
ter. which was given him. aud blanket Ii.
which he wrapped himself.
AT dawn he heard the cocks Growing. and
saw guard not lar OIL, toward whom hr
began To roll and pull himself along. An
officer approached aud told him To get 10
hospital. BY great exertious and with
eXcruatlng piin-for the clothing was sill
and rasped the lips of the uudtes sed
w"unds-he reached a little log house aud
pulled himself upon the cellar door. when
his strength failed him and he tainted. and
II was sornetime before he recovered. He
VAS taken up and carried into the loft OF
the house, which was full of wounded
Seeing his exhausted condition, he was Of
tt.rs4 h..- 1, L.
woman. but he stubbornly refu-,d it from
a iigii sense OF his duty in view of hi,
[ pledge to total abstinence. lie sent mes
sage to an Old friend who lived near to
| come and take him back to town, but be-
fore he arrived n ei.hbor, Anthony Sull-
van was returning with his family, and
laying Burns gently IN his wagon. carried
i'iin To his own home, arriving about two
| O'Clock on :iie afternoon of the 2d oi July
The repor: had spread tiat he was khled.
| he having been last seen badly wouudrd,
and ii was with thrill Of joy and relief To
heart burdened with an Iiety and yTici
| that lie " as met at the cottage door by his
| wife. But his home wa> now Il he pit al
crowded with mutiliated soldiers. A place
was made for him 10 AL upper room, and
his wounds were dressed by the surgeon
in charge. Major Of the Confederate army
| from North Carolina.
AS Gen. Ewell was passing his window
| the doctor asked Burns if he had ever seen
the General, aud kindly raised him up to
look out. Burns gazed an instant, and
then. as though not impressed with The old
Generals appearance, exclaimed: Humph
the Old beggar has only one leg. and has
to be strapped TO his horse" On Friday a
Captain aud a Lieutenat visited the house
| and approaching him. inQuir, d, We |, o,d
man, how did you come wouuded?' Agail
he had recourse to the story OF his sick
wife. But who shot you. your own men
or ours 2" II can't tell that" said Burns
81 could get no further than the Union
liue, and when was wounded l sat down
and could not get back untu brought in by
my neighbOr. But this did not sitisfy his
questioner. who, as appears, had been en-
lishtened respecting Burns's case by some
of the town people, and gruffly responded
Look here. old man, didn't you take 4
gun from a soldier out on the street her,
last Wednesday morning"' "Yes. did.
"Well, what did you say when you tool