Morning journal and courier., 1884-08-16
A WAR REm1N1soENCE.
How the Presidents Brother. was
 Wounded at Cold Harhor.

How the Presidents Brother. was
 Wounded at Cold HarbOr.
 [From the Philadelphia Press.l
 ffTheres all the difference in the world be- tween Chester A. Arthur and his brother William" said veteran officer of the Fourth New York Artillery. ''Did you ever see Ma jor Arthur? No? We'll, if you ever do see him take notice of the terrible scar that he car ries on his cheek. When the Fourth Heavies, as our regiment was called, was organized, in 1862, William Arthur obtained the eaptaincy of company H through the influence of his brother, who was then quarter -master-gener- al on the staff of Gov. Morgan. Even before we went to the front of the army of the Pc tomac his overbearing disposition had made him the reverse of 8 favorite among the men. In one of the little skirmishes in the autumn of 1863 there came into our lines young lieutenant of the Tenth Tennessee regiment ot the Confederate army. He frankly avowed himself deserter from the rebels and asked to be permitted to enlist with us. His name was Low William Roscoe as brave as lion and as gentle as woman. Like good many other young fellows in the border States, he had sided with the Confectionery in a moment of impulse, and had become disgusted with 1t when the old Union sentiment was tugging at his heart. He was mustered into Captain Arthur's company, and it numbered no more gallant man or better soldier His family was prominent and wealthy one living near Memphis, and as soon as they learned of his whereabouts they moved to New York and took up their residence there:
 Everybody in the regiment liked Roscoe for his sunny temper and gallantry except his own captain, who seemed never to tire of worrying him with all those indignities which an officer can put upon a man in the ranks The Tennesseean's folks were well off; he was an only son, and his mother and sisters were continually sending him little delicaeies and comforts. In this Capt. Arthur found a fresh cause of grievance, and Roscoe's boxes were often confscated or kept from him upon some pretext invented by the captain. Under such treatment he grew gloomy and morose His lively spirit was broken, and he ceased to be the life of the circle gathered around the camp fire of an evening. We had fought o1lr way down from the Rapidan to the James, and, acting as infantry, were in the Gh1ck Of the disastrous battle of Cold Harbor In the middle of the fight rife ball struck Capt Arthur in the right cheek and passed out the left. The wound never threatened his life except when there were symptoms of blood poisoning, but it was about as ugly a disagreement as any man ever received. Many unpopular officers in our war as well as in other wars have been shot by their own men, In GIo AestG du1 COul DaCGle It IS l1npOSS1- bIe to tell where any particular bullet comes from. The men ot Company H, however, had more than 8 suspicion that Capt Arthur was the victim of his own harshness toward Roscoe, but the captain hadno friend in the ranks who cared to expose the culprit The suspicion became certainty not very long afterward. Roscoe himself was terribly wounded in front of Petersburg and taken to the hospital at Harrison's Landing. He knew as well as the surgeons could tell him that his days were numbered, and as he grew weaker some distressing secret appeared to rest upon his mind. In the same ward of the hospital were several other boys of the company who had been wounded in the same engagement. They noticed his uneasiness and endeavored to soothe his pathway to death in every way possible. Then he let out the trouble that was darkening his last days. He told the man in the next bed to him that, while the bullets were raining fast est at Cold Harbor, he had been prompted by an irresistible impulse to avenge his wrongs by shooting at the officer who had inflicted them. He had sooner fired the shot and seen the captain fall than he deeply regretted his rash act his violation of his loyalty as a soldier. Since he had lain in the hospital it's enormity had cast him into the deepest de- spair, although it was consolation to him to know that the captains wound was not fatal. He died the happier for having confessed the deed, and almost his last words were a hope that the captain would forgive him. Some of the boys of the regiment were talking about the affair when I last saw them at Hampstead, Long Island, and at Canandai- gua."