Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1880-05-21
the DEAR DEAD FACE.

to serve on the medical staff with a
be- portion of the Northern army during
81 most of that terrible struggle; and it is
E needless to say that many personal in
cidents came under my notice, which
q will never leave my memory. Not one
= of them, however, made so painful an
=, impression upon me rs that which l am
about to describe.
Toward noon on the day after one of
the fiercest fights of all the war, ayoung
soldier was brought in from the battle-
field, where by some mischancc he had
- been overlooked and abandoned, while
= comrades of his, far less grievously
~ wounded than he, had been sheltered
and tended before nightfall. The poor
fellow had lain all night and during the
long scorching hours of the morning,
nmid heaps of dead, both men and
horses, suffering fromthe loss of an arm,
= and other wounds. An army surgeon is
y not as a rule man r-One to undue sem
q timent or to feminine softness at the
sight of physical suffering; and am
d not conscious of any weakness that
e. makes me an exception in this particu-
lar. There was, however, in this
youths expression of countenance some
thing which struck me irresistibly,
and with the strong glare of
y his large, bright eye, fixed my
Z attention and awakened my eager in
terest. He was a slender youth, tall,
/ yet gracefully made, with head which,
as the novelists phrase it, would bring
f ecstacy to the soul of sculptor; and
. every feature nodded to the true type of
q manly beauty. A single glance gave
me this summary outline of my patient
~ before had time to ascertain the ma
s2ture or extent of his injuries. A very
brief examination soon told me that the
life which for hours had been ebbing so
painfully away was well nigh spent, and
he must have read the awful truth in
my face, for he whispered to me family
= and sadly, as | rose:
lis there, then, no hopo?" @
g. Alas! there was no hope; but had
not speech to tell him SO for something
was rising in my throat and choking
me, and moisture in my eyes was
80 binding me; and the only reply could
give him was shake of my head. The
brave spirit which had nerved him
through the fight had kept him up till
. now; but now, when the dismal truth
had broken upon him, there passed over
his pallid face look of mingled disap-
:. pointment and resignation which it was
painful beyond expression to witness. L
~ lost no time in giving him such surgical
aid as his desperate condition called for
and his waning strength could bear. l
had hardly done so when an unexpected
q, voice addressed him:
4 e. "My own dear boy my brave, heroic
9 boy!"
The tone was of CHEEKY encourage
,,,ont not fao,lrr IL, n 1.yoo of
q. breaking heart; for it was his mothers
that spoke, and her lips that kissed
his fevered brow. Gently she turned
back his disordered and blood-stained
q. locks, assembling with evident effort
the mothers anguish, lest she should
add another sorrow TO the pangs of his
dying hour. ...-.---..
, go My motherln he cried with almost
! frantic delight. "Is it you, my notherP
How came you herep Is it yon, or am l
dreamingP" and as he spoke he threw
:, his only remaining arm around her neck
= !, and kissed her with all the rapture of
child. "Thank God!'' he continued,
in snatches, as his failing strength al
lowed him-'' ''thank God for this blessed
Joy, that l see your face once more, my
. mother. All last night, as l lay amid
the dreadful sights around me, prayed
the prayer in all my pain, and only one
prayed that l might look once more
iTuponl your face, my sweetest mother,
Sepce more hear your voice. Iseemed to
Isapray in vain, yet still prayed.prsg d,
-na"M My poor, poor boy, !" she said ga
curse upon the hand that has brought
- you to thisl" and her tears at length
broke from her control s4
Vs-sH To the amazement of all, there ap-
peared TO be something in this exclama-
,r tion of his mother that stimulated the
r-.,dying youth to final effort of speech
a. and motion. He half raised himself
from his bed, and with that unaccount-
able energy which sometimes marks the
closing moments of life, he said:
"No, no! don't say that. Don't say
accurst. You know not the words you
~ arc speaking. Ohln he cried after a
moments pause, :" how shall tell her
the horrible taleP How can smite her
down with such blow, at .snch an
hourpn and he fell back exhausted upon
his pillow. The effort has been TOO
y much for him, and for some moments
= we doubted if the spirit had not fled. 1t
. was only a passing weakness, however,
and before long he rallied again. Again
he spoke, but with kind of dreamy
'n half consciousness, at one moment gaz-
ing into his mothers eyes, at another
seemingly forgetful of her presence.
.ll.r q Truly it was bloody field, - he said.
.'!a"I had been in several hard-fought
fights before, but they were all chill
dren's pastime compared with that of
II yesterday, No sooner had we come in
r sight of the enemy than the ringing
T. voice of the General was heard
i,,.. go AT them, my boys, and do your
dutyii 5c.s,sD' --.1,,,..ae
.sj GNyhat happened after that, know
- not. Know not, do | say9 Oh, would
9 II were true that knew notl Begrimed
with dust, each man was confronted
1, with his own individual foe, and if there
Il be fighting among 1iends, then surely
q did our fighting resemble theirs. | was
sre myself wounded when fair-haired man
bore down upon me from the opposing
line, if line it could then be Called, and
bs1l received his headlong onset with ter
- rifle bayonet thrust, and as he fell
,ls thought of Cain, and of that deed which
has made the name of Cain a name OF
- malediction forever, i know not why,
fas but I felt myself compelled TO halt in
ffsl the midst Of the melee TO kHeel beside
p that fair-haired man and look at him.
~ turned him over, and looked upon his
/ sifaceThis dear, dead face. All! neither,
tas il was at was---it was my brother'sface,
= and my own arm had slain himln
sas The scene at that moment it would
- T. not be easy 10 describe. In an instant
~ the weeping mothers tears were dry
sqand her face became passionless as
"a marble. My own einotion, which
have already acknowledged, took nc
. pains 70 conceal, Rough, hard favored
Soldiers standing by listened with bated
breath 10 this more than tragic nara,
tive, while big tear-drops welled
from their eyes unchecked and uRdis'
gg.sea'