The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1884-10-09
Our WOMBN IN THE WAR.
HOSPITAL. SCENES.
0i's' Emily Y. Mason, Of Lexington, Va. IN
Charteston Weekly News.

one day there was brought into the
hospital fine looking young Jrishman
covered with blood aud appealing to he
In dying condition. He was of ga.
vanDah regiment, aud the comrades who
were detailed to bring him to us stateS
that in passing Lynchburg thew had
descended at the station and hurrying To
regain the train this man had iumned
from the ground to tho platform. Almost
instantly he was seized with VOMITING
blood. 1t was plain he had ruptured q q
blood vessel, and they had feared he
would not live to get to o hospital. Ten.
derly he was lifted from the litter and
every effort made to staunch the BLEEDING.
We were not allowed to wash or dress
him, speak, or make the slightest noise
TO agitate him. AS I pressed q handker.
chief upon his lips he opened his ewes
and fixed them upon me with an eager.
ness which showed me he wished to say
something. BY this time we had become
quick to interpret the looks and motions
OF the poor fellows committed to our
hands: Dropping upon my KEGS, made
the sign of the Cross. We saw the
answer in his eyes. He was Catholic.
and wanted priest to prepare him for
death. Softly and distinctly promised
to send for priest, should death be
imminent, and reminded him that upon
his obedience to the orders to be quiet.
and not agitate mind or body, depended
his life and his hope of speaking when
the priest should appear. with c6ildlike
submission he closed his ewes and law 30
still that we had to touch his pulse from
Time Time to hcaa 70 be assured that he !:gea.
VIE She aaorniag tbs bleeding eoasesss,
anu ne was able to swallow medicine and
nourlshment, and in another day he was
allowed to say few words. Soon he
asked TOR the. ragged jacket, which, ac.
cording. to rule, had been placed under
his pillow, and took from the lining q
9 silver watch, and then $l00 United
States banknote greeted our wondering
eyes: 1t must have been worth 81, 900 in
confederate money, and that poor
soldier should own so much at this crisis
OF our fate was indeed marvel. I took
charge of his treasures till he could tell
US his history and say what should be
done with them when death, which was
inevitable, came to him. Though re-
lieved from fear of immediate death, it
was evident that he had fallen into q
rapid decline. Fever and cough and
those terrible might sweats" soon reduc.
ed this stalwart form to emaciation.
Patient and uncomplaining he had but
one anxiety, and this was for the fate of
the treasures he had guarded through
three long years in battle and in biyouac,
in hunger and thirst and nakedness.
A STORY FOR BANK CASHIERS.
He was with his regiment at Bull Run,
and after the battle, seeing wounded
Federal leaning against tree and appa.
rently dying, he went to him and found
he belonged to New York regiment and
that he was an Irishman. Supporting
the dying man and praying beside him,
he received his last words, and with them
| his watch and one hundred dollar
banknote which he desired should be
| given to his sister. Our Irishman readi.
ly promised she should have this inheri.
tance "when the war ended" and at the
! earliest opportunity sewea the money in
the lining of his jacket and hid away the
watch, keeping them safely through
| every change and amidst every tempta.
tion which beset the poor soldier in those
| trying days. He was sure that he would
''some day" get to New York and be able
to restore these things to the rightful
oRneT. Even at shis late day he held
the same belief and could not be persua-
ded that the money was fortunate of
war; )" that he had right to spend it for
his own comfort, or to will it to whom he
would that even were tho war over and
to find the owner with 80 vague clew as
he possessed.
"And did you go barefoot and ragged
nrI l,,.,-r,, Ill tbo.a throo raoro ooEoI
the surgeon. with this money In your
pocket7 Why, you might have sold it
| and been a rich man and have done q
world of good"
."Sure, Doctor, 1t was not mine to give"
was the simple ans ver of the dying man.
"If i. please Almighty God when the war
is done I thought to 60 to New York and
advertise in the papers for Mrs. Bridget
O'Reilly and give it to her own hand"
"But," urged, "there must be hun.
dreda Of that name in the great City of
New York now w0uiG go. yeoide should
| dishonest ones come to claim this mon
ey?"
priest out from Gods holy Altar" he
replied, after moments thought.
It was hard to destroy in the honest
fellow the faith that was in him. With
the priest who came to see him he argued
after the same fashion, and as his death
approached we had to get the good
Bishop to settle this matter Of "con-
science money" The authority of 30
high a functionary prevailed, and the
diving man was induced to believe he had
a right to dispose of this little fortune.
The watch he wished to send to an Irish
man of Sa annah who had been o friend,
brother to him, for he bad come with
him from the "old country" And for
the money! Re had heard that the little
orphans Of Savannah had had no milk
for two long wears. He would like "ail
that money to be spent in milk for them"
A lady, who went South the day after
we buried him, took the watch and the
money and promised to see carried out
the last will and testament OF this honest
heart.
A TEMPEST IN THE PEApoT. s.
AS the war went on, and provisions
be came scarcer, and our appetites more
voracious, only peas, dried peas, seemed
plenty, and these were old, often mus.y, si
and generally filled wish worms: We
made them up In every variety OF form
Of which dried peas are capable, only
they were not canned. In sonp they
appeared one day, cold peas the second,
then they were fried, {when we had
grease y baked peas calre on the fourth
3avI and then began again the soup:
conSd ,bus sympathizs with the convales-
| centss who clamored loudly for change,
| hnt chat amid ye do when thora were