The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-05-01
A WAR REMINIsOEN0E.
First Meeting at Gettysburg Second at
the Dardanelle Rock

/ met him at s'the rock just above
town. He was punching two yoke OF
bulls and whistled merfily as he punch
ed. Such wondrous happiness struck
me as strange for this serious and bust
ness like community, and | accordingly
sought its cause.
Beautiful weather.
Yes, sir, allns have fine weather in
this yer country. Pears to me you
mought be stranger hyar. Whaul
may ye como from now?' and yelling to
the cattle. lac turned around disclosing
the loss 81 arm. Being Interested ~
to the cause of his loss | questioned hii.I.
and fo,Ild had been within two hun
dred yards of him when-he lost it,
Lei hiTa Tell The story .Whaur did I
lose II? Wen, stranger, it's right
smart o tine since this yer happened,
but don / mind telling. Ye see twas
At the Gettysburg light in Pennsylvania.
We was ttaur under LonEStreet, an he
sort O thought as how nc d git mp on
tie ridge Cemetery ridge), ani drive
every last one o the Yanks oil Il thaul
ef it took all night. Wall, yer see the
Tanks in tibet part NV the field was pur-
~ plenty. 50 10 speak. an We stood Il
right smart chance of getting the wust
| NV it, but we wasn't a scarin them very
bad, so we lit up on to EN-, an | never
seed sech work fore nor sence. They
was game. them Yanks Wos, an fit like
he lions | tell We; but Lord o massy We
had EN- whaur the ha'r were short and
driy en- down OF n Their nil an through
the graveyard for all tibet were ont -
The speaker s eyes lighted up with the
enthusiasm born OF genuine experience
in the field under fire, and placing his
hand upon the stump he continued:
WALL stranger, a piece OF shell tux
this yer away, an left me on the ground
in toll able bad fix. but | could see lots
o. the 1anks all around me an | felt
sort o satisfied at tibet thaur. 1t was
pow full hot thet day, an | was awful
thirsty, but We see | waur So weak from
blood runnin' thet | couldn't stand up,
SO | cooncd over 10 a dead Yank, es i
thought. and cut his canteen off n him,
but / cut into his flesh, an he warn't
dead, he jes' raised upan' seq he: What
regiment do YOU belong TOP | b'long to
the Tennessee rangers, SEE |. Are you
a rebel, seq he Thet's Just whaur We
hit it, sez [. You're bleeding to death,
SEE he. let me bind up your arm. An
curse if tibet thaur little chap Che WauT
only IA boy) didn' fin me up slick an he
couldn't get off n the ground, either.
Wall, | was pow'ful mixed like, an |
asked him waur he ever hit, an he said
his left ankle waur broke. an soft waur,
an | ups an fixed him all | could, an
so we wus friends. Inever believed tibet
| could be friendly 70 a Yank, but that
Their boy he won me sure, an he laid
thaur with me all thet day in the glarin9
sun. an All tibet night in the cold dews,
an neither of us could stan up. So he
told me all bout his friends, and how
his mother would pray fer him, an | Jest
thought pow ful like o my boy Jim ct
home waur just about his size, an ]
warmed 10 this yer little Gank main;
an when the boys come for US, next
mornin'. asked EN- to put the little
Yank along with me, an they did, and
| sorter thought Sd never be alive no
how for his help"
Here the speakers voice faltered and
he looked mcditatively at the river.
" hat became of the little Yank? Easked.
wall, str:sn ger. donno, fur they sent
him to Richmond, an / never herd o
him again,
Well, my friend. said |, YOU are now
talking to the indeDtical little yank in
pr0pr{a persona. He was staggered. he
looked saarchingly into my face, but
failed 10 find any resemblance 10 the
fair-halred boy who bound up his bleed
ing stump; but, upon an exchange OF
notes, proved to him that l was the
person, and he was delighted.
My side of the story is soon told
was in the second brigade. second div
ision of Doubledavs first army corps.
and in the carnage at the cemetery was
cut in the head and had my LEG broken
by n shell. On returning IA conscious
ness / found a Rebel near me. as
thought, about TO dispatch me- We be.
came friends in eur misfortune And
through the endless day of roasting ana
night OF chills, while the horrors of bat
tie were. ever ana anon. around, befor,
and behind us. nv Johnny Reb friend
actually made me laugh in my pain and
suffering by his droll anecdotes Of South
ern life, and but for his assistance, a.
must needs be minus a leg by amputa.
ton.
Fortune has not smiled on either since
those memorable days-he going with
his belongings in a bull cart 10 Kansas.
there to spend the remainder of his days,
while drudge and fret out my days Try.
ing to fill the capacious NAV Of the
foreman with copy. - Harry ashton, |
+7a the Darddnelie -1'kanssan.