The National tribune., 1883-06-21
ONE TOUGH OF NATURE
How a Wounded Yank and Johnny
Fraternized at Shiloh.
To the Editor NATIONAL TRrEUvr:

ours TO me that my experiences Of that terrible
ARRAY might not be void OF interest. / was a
private of company ID, Fourteenth Illinois in
iantTy, and, about twenty minutes after ten on
that fatal Sunday morning, was the recipient
OF bail, which entered under the left shoulder
and brought me to the earth. Our position.
when fell, was from sixty to eighty rods
north OF Shiloh church on the old gorinth
road When / was struck I was lust conscious
of 3 severe shock. and though / fels no main
knew was wounded. and, as / thoughe. IA
tally. As | fell, and before l reached the
ground, consciousness departed. I think /
must have staggered back step OF two before
falling, rs | remember clearly to this dav that
two Of my comrades started towards me- as IL
to support me- Ben Johnson, the nearest one.
think, reached me and placed his hand on
my right shoulder. As to what happened then,
my memory is q perfect blank. The next
thing realized was that / was half or three
quarters OF a mile from where fell, but how
came there | never could find out Whether
had been carried, or been assisted to walk
will never know. However, / am inclined to
the latter theory, as the first object that at
tracted my attention when became conscious,
was Ben Johnson lying across my feet and legs
with the top OF his head cut completely off.
STONE DEAD
He was, of course. stone dead. Fturned par
tally on my right side to work myself clear Of
his body, and when l had assumed as easy a
position as was possible underline circumstances,
l gan 10 think over the situation and ealcu-
late my chances OF recovery. By this time
you may be sure the pain from my wound had
become severe enough. 1t must have been
an hour or, perhaps two after was first shot
that the experience / am about to relate oe-
Cured. As say, had gotten into as comfort
able position as possible, when / heard a
groan and l0ng-drawn sigh 10 the left and back
OF me. L could not see exactly where it cane
from, though / waited until I heard it re-
peated. l then called as loudly as I could,
which was just above whisper, "helioI" I
waleed short time and. as there was no re-
Spouse, called out again, who is thcre?v The
answer came, "a friend" Said l. "are YOU
wOunded?" " Both my legs are broken was
the answer. I asked him what was his COM
mand, and he said, the Twentieth Missis-
sippi," and added, but for the love OF God,
Yank, fer / know you are Yank, as | saw
you just before you fell, have you any waterT'
Il think so" | replied, and if / can only ges
my canteen around, will take a Pull at it
myself for / think it viii do me good" In
fact Ely canteen was full, for / had returned
from filing it not ten minutes before was
struck. The first thing / thought of when
came to was my canteen, but / did not feel
strong enough then to carry it to nv mouth.
However, when the Johnny called for water
SO pitifully, l did make the effort and sue
eeetled. / must have drunk with a hearty
good will and made some noise, for after a
while heard him call cut, "Oh Lord, pard,
leaveme little" Don't be uneasy, Johnny,,'
| rejoined, it is more than half full vet, hut
cannot see what good il VIII do you, as / GER
tainly cannot walk, and you say both YOUR
legs are broken" Well said be, let US
try to get together some way. You crawl al
well as you can, and I viii DO the same and
maybe l may yet get drink before die"
A NEPHEW OF JEFF DAvTs
We were about five rods apart and separated
by sharp ridge, but we went TO work and at
the end OF i've minutes saw gray-5ack with
the collar bearing the insignia of G. s.
A captain, on the top of the ridge. There he
stopped and l thought him dead, but as I was
then quite near to him, eTawled on, and when
had reached him found that he had only
tainted. A little water, which / managed to
pour down his balEopeR mouth, sOon enabled
him to speak again; and, finally, good draught
entirely revived him. He was quite = young
man-not over twenty years, think. I did
not ask him his age, bat did ask mis- name,
and learned that it was Davis. He was SON
of old Joe Davis, of Yieksburg, Miss and a
nephew of the notorious Jefferson Davis Presi-
dent of the Southern Coniederacy. His first
name, TOO, was Jefferson. he had been a medi-
cal student when the war broke out, and in the
first months of the war had been connected
with the medical department; now, however,
he was on the staff Of Gen. Albert Sidney john
stOn- He had been sent with an order bv that
general to Bragg, and had just reached the
spot where poor Ben. johnson was shot. when
his horse fell with bullet through his head.
he had then proceeded on foot and had lust
gotten over the ridge when a heavy missile
shattered both his legs. He was also severely
hurt across the abdomen. but whether this was
done by piece OF shell OF by the fall from his
horse, neither he nor I could tell After wa
ka6 wa sleaI p ,vr-r,o
could for each other, and also began to discuss
politics and the war, with its causes and prOba-
bic consequences. After awhile he said COM
rade, your wound is by 20 means necessarily
fatal, but unless we can stop the hemorrhage,
and that, too, very soon, it is all day with you-
THE FRIENDLY ACT OF FALLEN FOE
As for myself think. I am q goner. If I could
have these maagled limbs skillfully amputated
at once, / might pull through: but, then,
would rather die right here than TO i've and
be such cripple. Then, again, don't also-
gether understand that numbuess in the lower
part of my body. think the hurt across my
bowels Is, perhaps, worse than the other. But
the flow OF blood from your wound must be-
stopped" By this time be had me pretty
well undresSed, and, looking wistfaIly at my
shirt, said Now. If this shirt was Ike most OK
those your contractors palm of on the Govern
ment Tor the best of flannel, when, IN fact,
there is only little wool on the outside of the
body OF the cloth, would be glad as then
could mako compress ana bandage Of it. and,
perhaps, save your life; but, unfortunately in
this case, your shirt is all WOOL" I was by
this time getting angry, and told him TO stop
his remarks about my shirt and my Govern
meat,-which was bound TO be his Governments,
roO,-and If he thought he could do anything
for me to do it without further words or let
me alone and roll over TO the west and die. and
would turn over to the east and try to DO the
,ame. At this he smiled-that ghaStly smile I
shall never forget,-and calmly tore OF his own
shirt, which was not cotton, but good linen,
made compress and bandSge, and. with \ little
water from my eaHteen. gave my wound a fair
dressing. de then told me to drink what
wanted of the water and give the rest TO him.
tasted sparingly, for by this time it was quite
ow, and handed him the canteen, which ha
trained, and then let it drop on the ground.
Now" said he, " let me rest, and you do the
anne" In two minutes I heard him snoring,
md he continued to sleep for nearly or quite
w hour, after which / no longer heard hia
lard breathing. Just as the sun was setting
me OF our ambulances came along and picked
ne up. / told them for Gods sake to assist tha
,oor Johnny who lay Just beyond, when one
Il the boys said: bat assistance can We give
lim; be is dead and has been so for a GOOD
ghile?" Yes poor Davis had gone. His last
ct, ii not labor of love. was, at least labor
# humanity. Comrades, drop a tear to his
memory. But for his disinteresSed kindness,
his would never have been written
JOHN TUCKER.
LFu-rr