The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1884-10-09

.OUR WOMEN IN THEiVAR.
HOSPITAL : | SCENES.
Ms. Emily 2. Mason, Of Lexington, Va., in
=. Charleston Weekly Nevs.
One day there was brought into the
hospital fine looking young lrishman
covered with blood and appearing to be
in q diving condition. he was of Sa-
.yanpah regiment, aud the comrades who
were detailed to bring him to US stated
that in passing Lynchburg they had
descended at the station and hurrying to
regain the train this man had jumped
from the ground to the platform. Almost
.instantly he was seized with vomiting
blood. It was plain he had ruptured a
blood vessel, and they had feared he
would not live to get to hospital. len.
'derly he was lifted from the litter and
every effort madet staunch the bleeding.
We we're not allowed to wash or dress
him, speak, or make the slightest noise
to agitate him. As I pressed a handker.
chief upon his lips he opened his eyes
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 q Catholic,
and wanted a priest to prepare him Tor
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 whec
the priest should appear. With childiike
submission he closed his eyes and lay 80
still that We had to touch his pulse from
time to time to be assured that he lived.
With the morning the bleeding ceased,
and he was able to swallow medicine and
nourishment, and in another day he was
allowed to say few words. Soon he
asked for the ragged jacket, which, ac-
cording to rule, had. been placed under
his pillow, and took from the lining 3
a silver watch, and then 500 United
States banknote greeted our wondering
eyes. Itlnust have been worth 81, ,O0OIn
Confederate money, and that a poor
soldier should own so much at this crisis
of our fate was indeed marvel. 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-
lieyed from fear of immediate death, it
was evident that he had fallen into 9
rapid decline. Fever and cough and
those terrible "night sweats" soon reduc-
ed this stalwart form to emaciation.
Patient and accomplishing 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 bivouac,
in hunger and thirst and nakedness.
A STORY FOE BANK CASHIERS.
ST He was with his regiment at Bull Run,
and after the battle, seeing a wounded
Federal leaning against tree and appa.
rently dying, he went to him and found
he belonged to a New York regiment and
that he was sn 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.
lyspromised she should have this inheri.
tance, "when the war ended," and at the
earliest opportunity sewed 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
s,ssome day. get to New York and be able
to restore these things to the rightful
owner. Even at this late day he held
the same belief and could not be persua.
ded that the money was fortunate of
wsr )" that he had a right to spend it for
his own comfort, or to will it to whom he
would ;-that even were tho war over and
he in New York it would be impossible
to find the owner with so vague clew as
he possessed. ;,
ssAud did you go barefoot and ragged
and hungry all these three years." asked
the surgeon, with this money in your
pocket? Why, you might have sold it
and been a rich man and have done o
world of good" :,
"Sure, Doctor, it was not mine to give,"
was the simple answer of the dying man.
"If it please Almighty God when the war
is done thought to 60 to New York and
advertise in the papers for Mrs. Bridget
O'Reilly and give it to her own hand"
"But," I urged, "there must be hun.
dreds Of that name in the great City of
New York how would you decide should
dishonest ones come to claim this mon.
'ey?" ;,
'Sure Iw6uld have it called by the
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 functionary prevailed, and the
dying man was induced to believe he had
a right to dispose of this little fortune.
The watch be wished to send to an Irish.
man of Savannah who had been friend,
a brother to him, for he had come with
him from the "old country" And for
the money! he had heard that the little
orphans of Savannah had had no milk
for two long years. BE would like "all
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.