Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1882-05-05
wounded man.


Here is letter that was told to give
to you," said the wounded Confederate.
General Averill to ok the letter from the
hands of the man and found that it was
addressed to General Vaughn's wife in
Kentucky. 1t was open to show that it
was nothing moro than a loving epistle
from husband to wife, and was accompa-
MED by request from the writer that
General Averill should forward it as soon
as possible. Though the action had been
so short, and the Confederates compelled
to retire so quickly, General Vaughn had
found time to place this letter of comfort
and cheer, which was to be welcomed with
so much joy at home, in such place that
Averill would be sure to get it. 1t was
safely delivered and forwarded.
Near to the old mansion on Carter's
farm the hospital was soon established
The dead had been buried and the hospit-
al surgeons and stewards were giving the
wounded Federals and Confederafes Ell
the attention possible.
As Averill had but a very small force.
too small to stay in that section of the
country swarming with Early s troops with
any safety, he made arrangements to re-
tire to Martinsburg.
That evening was nest beautiful one.
Tha sky was lit up with myriads Of bright
stars, and the moon, which was at it's full
cast siIvery sheen on the trees and TO-
liage On the field where the short, but
decisive, action had taken place, there
was plenty of evidence to tell of the fear
full struggle and the slaughter that had
been wrought. 1t was extremely warm;
the air was sultry, and there was not a
breath of wind. The leaves On the trees
near the mansion on Carter's farm were
silent and still, and the Union forces,
weary with the short conflict of the day.
and oppressed by the intense heat, were
lying in the open air, vainly endeavoring
sleep.
In the yard of the farm there was a
small locust tree. When I saw it years
after the battle it bad grown much larger,
with wide spreading branches. Beneath
this little locust tree General Lilley had
been placed, at his own request. The OPP
pressiye heat had made the farm house.
and even tents, uncomfortable, and, if
there was any cool wind stirring, beneath
this low tree was the place to catch it,
General Lilley was suffering intensely
from the wounds he had received and the
heat made them worse. DR.. VIM, a
Pennsylvania surgeon, attached to Gener-
al Averill's command, was attending to
General Lilley's wants.
Near to the tree there were many other
wounded men lying, both Federals and
Cnnfedera!es. The surgeons aud stewards
were busy attending to their wounds by
the pale light of the moon. DR.. VIM had
asked General Lilley question and that
officer had replied, when some one in a
distant part of the yard called out:
"Is that you, General Lilley?"
eyes, responded the wounded officer.
SIS that you, Captain Ridgeley?"
Eyes, sir" responded Ridgeley. "Irec-
ognized your voice, General. am lying
here suffering from severe wound. Are
you, too, hurt?"
eyes, said Lilley, 81 am shot in the
thigh and arm. The surgeon says the arm
will have to be amputated."
Here the two friends and comrades, TO-
gether, yet apart, talked of the combat, Of
their wounds, and personal matters, while
the busy surgeons and nurses moved about
looking after the suffering men in differ
emit parts of the yard.
The next day found Averill going to-
ward Martinsburg, and the ladies of Win
chester came dswn to Carter's farm to
take care of the wounded Confederates.
Gen. Lilly's right arm had been auputa-
by DR.. VIM early in the morning at the
shoulder joint, and his friends from Win
chester had it buried in the prettiest por-
tion of the garden near the house, and
marked the spot where it lay with pile
of stones. A few years after the war he
visited the spot where the battle was
fought and his arm buried, and was ena-
bled to secure the remains.
When the Confederate ladies came down
from Winchester they found the spurs
usually worn by General Lilley in pos
session Of a Mr.. Heisel, Union hospital
steward.
They were very Indignant that Yankee
should have Confederate's spurs.
Seen. Lilley presented them to me-"
said Mr. Heise1 tn them
The ladies at once sought Gen. Lilley.
General" said one of the ladies to the
wounded officer, "did you give your spurs
to Union soldier 2"
Eyes" responded Lilley, che was very
kind to me last night. and gave them to
him as token of my appreciation of his
kind attentions.
This modified the Indignation of the Ia
dies toward the hospital steward, but they
could not understand how a Confederate
General could so acknowledge the kind
ness Of Union soldier.
How many Thousand such incidents of
the late war might be recalled and record
ed. They were everyday occurrences, for
The clouds of war were often illumined on
both sides by the soft rays of human kind
ness.
1t was many years after the action of
Carter's Farm when Averin and Lilley
met. Neither were soldiers then, but they
fought that fight over again in their minds
and talk, and as each retold the story OF
the contest as they saw it, picked up the
threads OF the story both spun, and joined
them in the above lines.
F. A. B.
He who is always inauiring what peo-
pie will say will never give them an oppor
tunity of saying anything great about
him.