News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1883-09-20
ANECDOTES OF SOLDIERS.
A TOUCHING SKETCH OF BRAVE
SOLDIER.
How 'sIittIe Potter Convinced His Com
rades That He Was No SkulkSr-Why
He Lost six Months Pay.

|
He Lost six Months Pay.
A short, little, square-built, dark
skinned, twinkle-eved young fellow
was known the regiment over rs "Little
Potter" The name came from his trade
before war times. and from the fact that
he was always talking shop and examin-
ing CLAWS with the enthusiasm of a geOlo-
gist. He had the faculty of becoming
interested in ANYTHING that any other
man was doing. Standing near the
picket fire. though uncomfortable him
self he could always suggest way in
which to make the coffee boil, and
would gather up splieters and chips, and
pile under or about the little kettle with
the keenest enjoyment, although the
coffee belonged to the most taciturn man
in the company. He showed this kindly
interest in every mans affairs, and, of
course, was universally liked At Shiloh,
IN the midst of the second days battle,
Little Potter left the company to get
water for himself and several e0mpau-
ions. A quick change of position. 4 rex
! line-Of-battle formation, took place after
his departure, and Little Potter was seen
no more for several days. After the
covered acting as nu Sc at the brigade
hospital. He couldn't find the regiment
on his return, but found the hospital and
the Division Surgeon ordered him on
duty, and, discovering his excellence as
a nurse, would not let him return to the
company. There was a Qurrel between
the Captain and the Surgeon, the former
seeing Little Potter as q skulker, and
| 10 lott l FL
who had made a mistake through no
fault of his own. The Captain reported
| Potter absent without leave, and he was
court martialed. The sentence was that
he should forfeit six months pay, The
men Of the company were indignant,
but Potter said nothing. The stoppage
of SIX months pay told soreIy on him,
| but ne weathered the storm and came
ont as serene as though he had never
been cOurt-martialed.
Much clothing was lost at Shiloh, and
list was made out of clothing lost in
battle. The Sergeant would ask: s'Wen.
Blame, what did you lose at Shiloh ?"
Answer-''An OvercOat and knapsack,"
what did you lose at Shiloh, Potter"
With indescribable drollery Potter said,
with sort of lisp that was characteris-
tic: 81 Iotht theventy-eight dolIarth."
This was the only reference he made to
the court-martial and six months pay
until the morning of the terrible Dec.
81, at Stone River In the hurry of the
company formation for battle Little
Potter was the first man in place after
the orderly, and, though the shortest
man III the company, he held his place
there i'll face OF the rule to the contrary.
There was a sweeping charge That
company left their dead further to the
front than any other regiment in action
that day. They were cruelty crushed,
relentlessly driven. Little Potter was
giant i'll doing. He kept his place next
to the orderly when the company was
broken and scattered With a precision
that would under other circumstances
have been drolI he formed on the or.
DERBY whenever 4 charge was made, and
while it was every man for himself As
he was ramming home a load a ball
struck him in the fleshy part of the leg,
cutting a great cash and tearing lis
clothes. He was advised to go to the
rear. The reply was, 81 will show them
who Is a coward" A shot struck him
in the shoulder and he became deadly
pale. Still, with teeth and right hand,
he managed to load his gun and fire.
Another shot struck him III the thigh,
and he fell.
He was dragged to a stump and placed
so that the raking fire would not touch
him. He deliberately crawled round
and placed himself so as to lace the en-
envy, and as the company gave back in
one of those almost hand to-hand fights
Little Potter kissed his hand to the men
nearest him and nestled down with a
sigh of relief
Days afterward the Sergeant found a
F,spfr of bright eyes ElittorinE5 from fcs-
ICONS Of white sheets in Il hospital at
Murfreesboro. They belonged to Little |
Potter, hrOken-legged, broken-armed, |
and bandagcd. He could not move and |
could hardly speak. But as the fearful
men bent over him he hsped eve |
wakthd them, didn't we?" The Con |
federates found him braced against the |
stump, punching at them with his gun
held in one hand as they ran by. He
was taken to the hospital, and here, day
after day. went his old comrades to see
him. They did more they wrote to
Gen. Rosecrans, telling the simple story.
They carried the letter along the red
tape line, from brigade headquarters to
division, from division to corps, from
corps to army headquarters. and re-
turned with an order from Rosecraus
himself directing that the six months
pay be restored to Little Potter, that all
charges on the record he erased, and
that an order complimenting his gallan-
try be read on dress parade, and that
copy be sent to the man who had be-
haved so nobly. The order was read on
dress parade, and the document, with
all its array of Endorsements, and Old
Rosas letter, were carried to Little
Potter by men who could scarcely speak. |
He seemed like one TRANSPORTED us one
of his old-time friends read and reread
the order and letter. He had it held
down to his ewes so he could see the red
lines and official SIGNATURES Then came
his first tears. "Now, boys, don t care
to get well. It's all wiped out, amt it
| was determined to get well to wipe it
out, you know. Butnow, torn up as am,
it is better to die" And the next morn
ing, with the order and Old Rosa letter
on his breast, Little Potter died And
still can We hear the grizzly old Sur
geon's words, as he came to the cot,
Dead? Why-God bless the boy !"