The Republican journal., 1882-02-02
NUMBER 5.
Sketches OF Army Life.
NUMBER FIVE.
PERSONAL INCInENTS-SIl

L
vance; we had marched through the little village
| OF Harpers Ferry had tarred for time at War
renton junction, where General Mcclellan had
been relieved of his command by General Burn
| side, and we were now marching towards the city
| OF Fredericksburg. 1t had been a long, weary
march. The mud was thick and deep. We halted
III large field and spread out over hillside lust
| as the sun sinking from view at the close of a
| November day. The little shelter tent was soon
spread its frame work OF small poles and the
| work for the night was quickly divided among our
tents company of three William was to get the
water, Charley was to act as cook and was to Sc
| cure rails for fire wood 1t was not an extensive
bill of fare in those days-cotfee hard tack, and
salt pork. The supper eaten with keen
| relish. | arose to my feet, but to my surprise
| everything around me seemed to be changing its
! position. My head whirled and | fell upon the
| ground. Then all was Indistinet The surgeons
| reported my sickness to be severe attack of ty-
! phoid fever. In the evening the fever bega1. to
rlse, and for thirty six hours the army d;l not
| move. | can indistinctly remember the rem pour
| ing upon the thin cotton above my face, and the
| tiny streams of water pouring upon the ground on
which | was lying. William and Charley exposed
themselves to the fearful storm to protect me
| With their bayonets they dug trenches around the
| tent to prevent the water from pouring in They
piled their blankets AMI overcoats upon me to
keep me dry and warm They carried wood for a
great distance Though he darkness and kept a
hre burning at the tent door Kind noble com
| rades. | look back over the nineteen wears that
have intervened and find that time and changing
circumstances have not changed or chilled my
| gratitude to them for their kindness in that sea
son of suffering
MY FIRST BULANCE RIDE
1t was early hour III the morning | was
awakened from troubled sleep The rain had
ceased to fall but the air was chilly and damp.
| Great masses of black clouds obscured the skies
The ground soaked with the vast quantities
of water that had fallen. Charley was speaking to
me- Come, old boy-we are to march in a few
minutes The surgeon says there is no room in the
ambulance for you but if William and | can get
| you down there will find place. or know the
reason why Sick weak and half delirious they
| bore me to where the ambuances were standing
near The regmental headquarters The ambu-
lances were all loaded with one exception. and in
| TINS they quickly placed me with my blankets and
baggage Just at that moment a s0rseon emerged
from one OF the tents aDd approached the amin
! lance. and something like the following diaIogno
eusued Charley with a military salnte and rnncb
poteness remarked: ..SurgeoD that sick man in
Company II is unable to march If we leave hlm
ne will die, and have put him in that ambulance "
With a a fearful oath the surgeon answered: Ser
geant. that ambulance is reserved for the ase of
the officers if they should need it. 50 Dull your
man out and if he is too cowardly to march to the
| 'front.' let him die like id dog on the ground y
| With voice perfectly cool and vet as keen as a
cimeter Charley rephed-"You are mistaken in
| the man, sir; he has always done his duty he is
| now very sick. If he is taken from that ambu-
lance you will do t. and if il il done, will report
1t to every officer III the regiment, and will pub
llsh the facts IN every paper il the State of
| Maine" | trembed as thought what the results
Of the controversy might be to Charley | knew
! him we'll he had seen much Of the world As a
sailor he had frequently weathered Cape Horn. and
four years Of his lie had been passed in whaling
| VOYAGE amid the icebergs of the northern seas q
kind hearted Christian gentleman a. brara "a q