The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1885-10-09
UNITED.


Grand Army Gazette.
I enlisted in the year 1862, in a
small western town, under the lamented
Gilbert Hathaway, who later in the
war, while we served in the famous.
provisional Brigade" sealed his de-
votion to the Union and the old flag
with his LIES blood. While the subse-
quent years brought us new and meri-
torious commanders, and the years
themselves were so pregnant with
events, with battles lost and won,
with capture and prisonlife upon Belle
Isle, his memory was ever held sacred
by the men, who served under him, for
they knew and loved him as a brave
Christian soldier.
1t was in the yerd surrounding the
county court house, where the muster
ingoficer had his quarters, and where
men were eagerly enlisting to serve
their country. Crowds OF people were
thronging that day to listen to the
speaking from the steps OF the build
ing.
I had concluded the oath my adj
vanced years entitled me to take, and
as | stepped back my place was filled
by a slight, boyish form with smooth
face that did not seem nearly sc good
a passport to the oath without ques-
ton. / was struck by the clear-cut
features, and the honest, vigorous ex-
preston of the boys eyes; eyes that
were of a calm, determined blue. He
was expostulated with by the officers,
and told that he was too young, to
stand back, &c. The boy insisted that
Notwithstanding his youth there was
no one to dispute his right to serveh his
country in her hour of need.
After some questioning and ascer-
tanning that the boy was an orphan,
with no one to interpose objections,
he was duly sworn in as Richard
Moss" and assignedto Co. "H."
walked beside him to the rendez-
vous, and laying my hand upon his
shoulder said to him, Richard, we are
| destined to be comrades-in-arms, and
/ trust you fully understand the step
YOU have taken" He expressed graf
itude that we were to be comrades,
said he only understoodthat his coun-
try needed his services, and that he
was willing to accord them, and that
there never could be a moments re
gret for the course he had taken.
Although the disparity in our ages
would imply that we were illy-mated.
we thus became mess-mates, and al
affection sprang up between us that
only ended with the going out OF that
young, devoted life upon the field Of
carnage.
We were ordered 'front.' ard in thu
Buell. Bragg campaign we were duly I'M
tiatedinto the details of a soldier
life, and into the terrible sequence o
an internecine war.
Around the bivouac, and upon lone
ly watches | learned the history of my
boys early life. He vas born In Ten
nessee, and at IL years old his parent:
had died and were buried near Nash
vile, leaving only himself and ain old
er brother, who still lived, at the be
ginning of the wal in east Tennessee
At the death of his parents he ha6
been confided to the care of a nader
aunt who lived in New Hampshire, anC
with her he had lived and been educa
ted up to her death, which occurred
simultaneously with the breaking ouf
of the a
Our campaign lay inthe once beauti
full Tennessee Valley, so familiar witt
his early life, before the devastatin,
hand of war, that subsequently lait
waste this fair land, before the dread
full civil strife with its hot breath
swept over it like the blighting SIMEON
leaving this beautiful valley a dreary
wilderness with great blackened chin
neys standing out here and ther'
against the war bronzed sky, like grin
sentinels guarding the ashes of once
happy homes.
The army had camped for the night
and as we stood in the fast recedinl
sunlight, and looked out over the val
ley, athwart which the shadows wer,
deepening, he pointed away to wher,
two large chimneys were visible against
the twilight sky, and while the shad
W that had crept up over the valley
seemed to have entered his soul, h,
said, ssThat was once our home" ant
the look OF ~unutterable anguish thaf
came oyer the sweet, blue eyes, / can
not forget. / said, "Come away
Richard, you see the hour o
regret you onceso confidently though
should never come, isnow here" mo
no." he said, lido not mean that, yol
wrong me, but, oh, tits so desolate, 81
desolate." 1 said no more, but as VI
still sat therein the deeper and darke
shadows OF night, / remembered tina
"a sorrows crown Of sorrows remem
bering happier things" and as
watched the stars, one by one, assum
their sphere allotted them in space,
found myself questioning the wisdom