Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1876-11-29

filed wild sand? Sargent, show me yer
flask" The Sargent handed him his
canteen. Terence took hearty pull at
it, which seemed to remove the difficult
ty complained of, then taking a seat on
log, he began:
"Will, gintlemen, what I'm goin' to
to tell yees is as true as I'm houldin'
down this log, or IS st. Pater kapes the
kays of Paradise !" Here he crossed
himself to further confirm his state
ments. ''In the very year before I
came till Amerika, me cousin Patrick
Murphy tuck sick and died I whit
round that day end tould the boys. AS
Murphy was a dacent man up to the
very hour of his death, ont of respect
to him, we should kape his house warm
that night and unbar the gates of pur
gatory for his PEACEFUL entrance; and
they all agreed to it. So whin the time
come, we all went up to the wake, and a
rafting ould wake it was too ! We stud
the candles round his coffin in illigent
style, tuck drap of thu crachur ell
round, jist to kape us from frazin, ye
see, aud thin filed our pipes for smoke
Will, the stories and songs had gone
round, and the piper was pipin his best,
whin jlst as the hands of the clock stud
forninst twelve, Murphy sat up in his
coffin, and looked at us wild his two big
eyes, and spoke right at us, Fat are
yees dom wild the bottle all till yer
yerselves, whin Tn here as dry as q
cod? The piper stopped his playin, and
his hair stud on ind, tskin' mis- hat up
wild EN-, and niver word could eny Of
us spake Be the howley Saint Pat
rick, gintlemen, the room was gettin
too small to hould all of us, if somthin
wasn't done immaj ately ! So I cross
meself twice, and says [ to him, says [.
Murphy, me boy, will ye take drap2'
Faith Twill" says he; SO [ tipped him
out drink; be tuck it in his fist, and
says he, Here's till yees = and divil a
drap did he lave in the mug Whin 1
see him drink SO natural, I tuck me
eyes from the door and felt asier. I
says to him, says I, Murphy, me boy,
is't yerself, or yer ghost, that's
spakin till us?' its me ghost says
he, for meself is dead entirely and
he laid down in his coffin, again, to
Shape. We all lit our quinched pipes
once moro, and the wake went on till
mOrnin'." -
In the retreat of the army from the
Chickahominy to the James river, seven
days of marching and fighting, their
regiment took conspicuous part, and
suffered corresponding depletion. The
whole army was soon after transferred
to Northern Virginia, and entered on
the Maryland campaign under the lead
ership of Gen. M { Clellan, who succeed.
ed in bringing his adversary to stand
on the right bank of Antietam creek.
In the attack on the enemy's left wing,
the Federal force was brought under a
concentrated fire. With determined
valor, they slowly advanced, driving the
opposing force before them. Near the
close of this action, Lieut.. Barring fell
mortally wounded, and nearly at the
same time Capt. Neville received a
painful bullet-wound which fractured
the forearm bone of his left arm.
Night coming on the combat ceased,
and time was given to care for the dead
and wounded. Melville assisted his
Lieutenant to the rear, and laid him
down to die On the historic ground of
Antietam. Terance made him pillow
of his knapsack, while Melville wet
his pallid lips from his canteen, and
bathed his pale and almost pulse
less brow. All that could be,
was done for the diving
man. After recovering from the stupifi-
cation caused by the shock to his
nervous system, he seemed to realize
his true condition. The deadly missile
had done its work well. Melville. for
getful of his own painful wound, lean
ed over his comrade to catch every syl-
liable uttered by his feeble voice. Barring
had much to say of home, and the
dear one who never more would hear
his voice again. His shortened breath
admonishsd him that there were left
for him but few moments of that Sin
evitable hour" Terance was down on
his knees, and affected to tears at hear
ing the dying mans message to his FAR
off friends.
Barring needed not the kindly words
whispered in his ear, nor the sound of
the random guns. Over his pale coun-
tenence there was an expression of
calmness, courage and contentment.
The clammy fingers of death had mois-
tened his CLASSY eyes; slight CULVER
ing of his lips, rafting in his throat,
with a convulsive twitchings Of the
muscles, and his body was straighten-
ed for a soldiers grave. Campbell has
put in song, and limners on canvass,
the "Soldier's Dream What muse
can sing, Or thinner paint, all there is of
soldiers death ON the field of battle
Terance took from his pocket quanint-
~ carved rustic cross, and placed it on
the breast of the sleeping hero.
That night those two faithful watch
ers held their vigils over the corpse
In the morning the body of Walter
Barring was buried beside his fallen
comrades, his grave being marked.
Melville, for the first time since be-
ing wounded, had an opportunity to
have his arm dressed. The surgeon
splinted the fracture, and put the
arm in sling. When the roll of the
wounded was taken, Melville Obtained
leave of absence and started for his
home up among the mountains. When