Connecticut western news., 1881-01-05
BROTHER JOHNNY" :"

It was the third day of the battle of the Wilderness. Down to the south east of our brigade, the thick pine woods inclosed the little opening in | front of us, and there were the "John- nies :" in force under A. F. Hill. It was one of the few opportunities where artillery could be used in that strange battle, and our five batteries swept and | raked that belt of woods with shell, grape and shrapnel. Down went whole trees, toppling one across another, their trunks cut sheer off, Still the Confed- crates stuck there, half buried in branches and boughs.
 Then the command "Charge!" was given, and we went for that woody belt what was left of it-across the open stretch, at headlong run, and rushed into the thick brush.
 There we drew the eneny's fire. In our very faces came the smoke, so hot that it fairly scorched.
 We had no time to see who fell, but of the forty-seven men in my company, only twenty-one reported that night. There were the boys in gray right under our noses, crouched on the ground, with rifles aimed at us from over logs and from beside trees, and not an inch would they budge. Our line went over l them like an ocean breaker l saw but two men run back from US. On we went with loud hurrah, to carry and clear the woods. After passing 8 hundred yards through the densest of the pines, we came to much thinner growth, with clumps of old dead grass. Here the reserve of the Confederates and two or three batteries caught us on the fy-shells,' rockets and grape, 8 terrific outburst from the left and front, almost in our very faces!
 With the first explosion I was struck by fragment of shell on the right leg above the knee, which whirled me round so violently that fell. For a minute my limb was numb. l sat up, and put my hands on it. The bone was broken, and there was white, gaping wound where the blood gathered rapidly With the first throbs of pain, the crim- son life-tide gushed out.
 | Such pain It is an agony which none can know but the poor fellow who sees his good leg or arm lying, a piece of shattered flesh, before his eyes, and feels the awful hurt of we'll nigh mor- tai wound, while the blood gushes as if in moment or two it would drain his heart. To save my life, bound my handkerchief quickly and tightly around the leg above the wound
 For an instant I writhed, then turned faint; so faint that but dimly remem- Der the counter charge of the Confed- ) crates, and the wild yell with which they chased back our broken and routed line, leaping over me where I lay, like eager bloodhounds.
 Following this I may, indeed, have lain unconscious for some minutes, fol the next thing that I recall was the cracking and smoke of the burning pine brush and grass close by. Raising [ myself a little, saw that all out to the right 1t was blazing like furnace, anG the men were running back through the smoke. The shells had set the woods on fire.
 The roar and cracking grew louder 8 and then the horror of my situation burst upon me. Summoning all my strength, tried, forgetful of my broker
 leg, to get up; but I fell back, too veal T to even creep.
 Nearer still roared and famed tn, frightful fire. I shouted, and prayed h Heaven. I envied even the poor fellow
 about me who laid so still and did no is stir.
 At last I got upon my hands and on knee and tried to crawl, but soon pitche, 2 forward on my face. Just then thre "Johnnies,'' came hurriedly througl Ie the brush, stopping for an instant, her
 and there, to go through the pockets c ], oar dead--as the custom was.
 "Hallo here !" I heard. "Dead '0 ou?" and one of them gave me pok ,d with his rife-butt.
 tried to raise my head. y, "Yes, that's hard but got any green
 backs ?"
 d. | shook my head; then, gatherin .r strength, I partly turned. Two of tn
 men had started on the third stood i ly the smoke, regarding me for moment
 Fresh from the charge, his face an er hands were smeared with powder-stainl
 and his clothes were torn. III "For mercy's sake," cried, "dra T me out of the brush, or kill me Don
 let me roast Put ball through ID ne first p
 The fellow uttered an impatient oatl I'd But saw real pity in his face.
 "Curse this hloody warp he e ct claimed, and taking step towards m
 he cooked his rife.
 :" shut my eyes, thinking that in al to other moment 1 should be out of pain
 in eternity-for those boys in buttern
 didn't often miss their man. a' But instead, heard, after momen e- his gun flung down. Then his arm l elutched under me, and he took me u
 clear of the ground. screamed wit ." pain.
 ,a, "WaI, I don't blame yer for yellin' 1