The National tribune., 1882-02-04
For THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE.
SIT HELD THE FLAG

LIT HELD THE FLAG"
We had lain for four days and nights upon the
battle field, almost side by side. He was a
stranger to me although, from the letters upon
his cap, learned that he belonged to a regiment
from my own State-New York We were both
badly wounded; his I'M uries consisting of
terribly mangled arm and bullet in the chest
while mine resulted from MIME ball through
the neck and the effects of fragment of shell
which had struck me on the hip. We were
inside the enemy's lines where our comrades had
left us when forced to retreat and upon every
side lay others, scores upon scores of them, yes,
hundreds dead, and more than thousand wound
ed, who, like ourselves, had fallen in the mad
attempt to achieve an impossibilty capture
of an impregnable position from the foe.
We were weak, and faint, and sore. To the
intense physical pain, caused by our cruel hurts,
were added the tOrments of hunger and thirst.
For more than seventy-two hours we had been
without food and water; and all the while by
day, the hot August sun had been glaring down
upon us, and at night occasional showers had
drenched and cooled us outwardly, bat failed to
quench the inward fever, which was consuming
our vitals. There were nearly eighteen hundred
dead and wounded men lying within the space
of half a dozen acres surrounded by Gordon of
guards. We were prisoners of war.
On the fourth day we were taken a mile or so
to where in large orchard, our surgeons, under
flag of truce, had established a field hospital
There two or three small crackers, of about the
circumference of silver quarter, and teaspoon
full of brandy apiece Supplies were scanty and
we could get no more were given u.s. 1 sat
upon the ground with my back against an apple
tree, waiting for the end to come while my
friend lay in the shade, few feet distant his
eyes closed and so motionless that almost feared
the removal had resulted in releasing him from
all further suffering
But my fears were groundless. In the course
of an hour surgeon bent over him. examined
his injuries, and had him conveyed to the operat-
ing table, which had been imprOvised from a
door torn from mansion close by. AS they
began cutting away the sleeve of his blouse he
aroused and, looking in the surgeons face,
asked, Doctor, must | lose my arm?"
On being answered in the affirmative he MUIR
INJURED "Oh my poor arm." and from my posi-
ton could see his jaws clench as he braced him
self for what he knew was coming. I have seen
many surgical operations performed, but never
in all my life witnessed one borne with more
fortitude than was that which followed It was
soon over. The stump was bandaged, little
stimulant was administered to the hero-for he
was hero of which the whole country might
be proud-and then skillful hands began to lay
bare the breast where an ugly wound appeared.
Doctor" said he, let me see my hand, will
you, please? 1t held the flag when 1 was shot,
One of the assistants reached under the table
and brought it out from among the fragments
of limbs which had accumulated there The
poor fellow took it in his remaining palm and
held it where he could it. For several seconds
his eyes were riveted upon it, and the mournful
earnestness of his gaze / can never forget 1t
was like that we see fixed upon the faces of men
or women bidding farewell forever to the object
of their dearest love. Presently he spoke:
"Good- bye, old fellow" he said, as if address
ing the shattered member, a CLEAN of honest
pride lighting up his pale features Goodbye
you've been a faithful friend to me-and to the
Flag. My good right hand God knows you
never did wrong to any man! Good-bye!n And
he placed the mangled, swollen, powder-stained
and discolored part of himself to his lips and
kissed it, and gave it back to the surgeon whose
eyes showed a strange moisture, for them, as he
replaced it upon the earth.
Before l was removed from the field this an
named martyr to the cause of right entered into
his eternal rest, and with his life went out
brave, true spirit worthy of Him who gave it,
and of Nations remembrance and yeneration
He was only common soldier but none the
less nobleman of earth.
Judged from my brief acquaintance, he was
one of those of whom it might be truthfully
said over his remains:
His life gentle; and the elements
So mixed in him that Nature might stand up
And say to all the world, This a mani"