The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1878-03-28
How Soldiers Fear Death at sea.

Soldiers die bravely on the battle
field and resignedly in the military hos
pital on shore, but there is something
very sad in the soldiers death at sea.
The surroundings of the ship hospital
are unfamiliar to his eye: the roll of
the vessel is painful to him., and the
thought is ever present to his mind that
if he was on shore, if he could see the
green fields or even the snow-clad
earth, his recovery might be possible.
Although nothing could he more COM
Portable than the couch on which he
lies, and scarcely anything more sooth-
ing than the gentle roll of the vessel to
one in his condition, he longs to stretch
his limbs on the barrack hospital bed
and to feel that he is on the firm ground.
Then the thought of the lonely burial
in the wide waste of waters obtrudes
itself on his mind. To be launched
over the vessels side into the lonely
ocean, committed to the deep and left
without stone or a wooden cross to
mark the, spot where his mortal re-
mains were consigned to their ever-l
lasting rest-all this is inexpressibIy
saddening to the dying soldier. On
shore his comrades would have followed
his remains to their resting place IN the
churchyard and fired a farewell shot
o-or- l.is s,~~~s., a..d with reluctant stems
would have left him to sleep the sleep
that knows no waking till the trump of
the archangel summons the dead to
Judgment.
How different at.sea! Sewed mp in
a hammock, the corps to which he be-
longs summoned to the gangway-slip,
few short but solemn PRAYERS said
over the dead, sand then the awful
words:
I'VE commit this body to the deepr'
A plunge, and the corpse sinks into
the sea; the flag is lowered; the vessel
sails on, and the dead is left alone to
the tossing of the angry waves, or to
sink deep into the coral caves of the
ocean. No. comrade may come in
after days and drop tear on that
grave; no loving hand may plant a
flower there; it is lost: swallowed up in
the immensely of the great graveyard
of the deep.
The writer has stood by the side of a
dying comrade in the hospital of a
troop-ship, and heard the dying utter.
ance TO such thoughts as the above. :
"What does the surgeon sayP'' he
asked. "Tell me the truth, comrade,
l am not afraid of death
1T is better that you should know
the truth. He has no hope.''
''Ithought SO. Well, Gods will be
done; but it is hard to die in the middle
of the ocean. If 1 had been on Shore
even in foreign country, it would
have been easier. It is hard to be
buried at sea-"
"The sea will give up its dead" m
cay, that is right, comrade. i ought
to think of that. Seamen, they say,
like 70 cherish the thought that they
will be buried at sea; but am SOL
der. ! would die happier If r knew
that / would be buried on shore and be
followed to the grave by my comrades.
There is something beautiful in SOL
diers' funeral on shore. The solemn
music that Dead March in Saul-how
used to love it! My poor mother! 1t
will grieve her to think that l was
buried at sea. Read me that, comrade,
about the sea giving up its dead" -.
THE Chaplain at this moment lap.
preached, having been sent by the sur
yeon. He read the passage of Scripture
asked for, and many other beautiful
passages. I
The dying soldier closed his eyes
Turing the reading. He lay silent for
! long time after the Chaplain had
,eased. Then he opened his eyes and
nuttered, feebly:
No funeral parade; no music; no
arewell shot over my grave-commit-
ed to the deep. The-sea-will-give
sophisticated. Comrade-my moth
II -farewell!''
And he ceased to live.
Nexg day the vessel came to a stop
or few Minutes. The ships bell wast
oiled, the flag floated athalf-mast, antls|
he soldiers Of the corps to which the |
lecexsed belonged were paraaed at the
,angMAy.s The prayers were said. the
'ody Ilnched over the side, and the 1
vessel resumed her course. Some of
he members of other corps on board
we're surprised on learning, late that
'vening, that'a soldier had been buried |
Turing the day. "A
II Is better that such things should b |
o. Nothing can be gained BIZ sa1deresl
ng men unnecessarily. Chcerf1lne& I
8 one of the most potent of sanitary
gents. Every care SHOULD be taken to /
maintain il among large bodies Of men.
Ans{n.. f,-1Y ~. -