The National tribune., 1884-04-10
AN ARMY EXPERIENCE
How Old Veteran Escaped Annihila-
tioa and Lived to imparf
Warning 70 Ofherx


A pleasing occurrence which has just come TO
our notice in connection with the New York
State meeting of the Grand Army of the Re-
public is so unusual in many respects thai
we venture to reproduce it for the benefit Of
our readers.
Captain Alfred Rensom, of New York, while
pacing IN the lobby Of the armory, previous to
one of the meetings, suddenly stopped and
scanned the face of gentleman who was in
earnest conversation with one Of the Grand
Army officers. It seemed 10 him that he had
seen that face before partially obscnred by the
smoke OF battle, and yet this bright and pleas
ant countenanee could not be the same pals
and death-lke visage which be 80 dimly re-
membered- But the recollection, like Banquo's
ghost, would not down at command and
haunted him the entire day. ON the day
following he again saw the same countenance,
and ventuTed to speak to its owner The
instant the TWO veterans heard each others
voices, that instant they recognized and called
each other by name. Their faces and forms
had changed, but their voices we're the same.
The man whom Captain Rensom had recog-
nized was MIR. w. K. Sage, of st. Johns, Mich,
q veteran Of the 23d n. Y Light Artillery and
both members of Bgrnsides famous expedition
| TO North Carolina After the first greetings
were over, Captain Rensom said:
I" It hardly seems possible, Sage, TO see you in
| this condition, for | thought yOa must have
/ been dead long ago."
@Yes, do not doubtit. for, if I am not mis-
taken. when we last met / was occupying
couch in the hospital, a victim of Yellow Jack
| 10 its worst form"
/ I remember. The war seems to have caused
more misery since its close than when it was
| in progress" replied the Captain. . I meet
/ old comrades frequently who are suffering
terribly. not 50 much from old wounds as from
/ the uaiarial r.OiSonS W hiQh rnfued THAR ror-
4 stitutions"
/ al think so myself When the war closed 7
returned home and at times / would feel well,
/ but every few weeks that eonfoanded all
/ gone feeling would come upon me again Ny
/ nervous system, which was shattered IN the
service, failed me entirely and produced one Of
/ the worst possible cases of nervous dyspepsia.
/ Most of the time / had no appetite; then
/ again would become rslvenOuslv hungry, but
the minute / sat down to eat / loathed food.
| My skin was dry and parched my flesh loose
and aabby. / could hold nothing on my st0m-
| aeh for days at time, and what little did
eat failed TO assimiiate- was easily fatigued;
my mind was depressed; I was cross and
irritable, and many a night my heart wOuId
pain me so / could not sleep, aud when / did
! had horrid dreams and frightful Nightmares
OF course, these things came on one By one,
each worse than the other. My breath was
foul, my tongue was coated, my teeth decayed-
| 4 Adl IeFElHc hc1ti&c0eS WHICH WOul0 leave nly
nervous system completely shattered. In fact,
my existence, since the war, has been living
death, from which l have often prayed for
release"
Couldn't the old sargeon DO you any good %
" wrote him and he treated me, but ike
every other doctor, failed. They all said ny
nerve was gone, and without that to build upon
/ could not get WELL When was at my worst,
piles of the severest nature came upon me-
Then my liver gave out, and without the use
of cathartics | could not move my bowels as
all. My blood got like q stream Of fire and
seemed literally to burn me alive"
Well, you might better have died IN battle,
quick and without ceremony"
" How many times ! have wished had died
the day we captured Newberne."
"And yet yOu are now the picture of health"
"And the picture is taken from life. l am
in perfect condition. Sly nerve tone is re-
stored; my stomach reinvigorated; my flesh
is hard and healthy; in fact, have new blood
new energy and new lease Of life wholly as
the result of using Warmers Tippecanoe. This
remarkable preparation, which I consider the
finest tonic and stomach restorer IN the world,
has overcome all the evil Influences Of malaria,
all the poison OF the army, all traces Of dys-
pepsia, all mal-assimilati0n of food, and indeed
made new man Of me-"
, The Captain remained silent for a while
evidently musing over his reeollections Of the
past. When he again raised MS head he said
1T would be g0dsend if all the veterans
who have suffered 50 intensely and also al
others IN the land who are enduring 50 much
misery could know Of your experience, Sage
and the way by which you have been restored
And that IS why the above conversation i
recounted