The Portland daily press., 1885-07-06

In the vast crowd gathered there to see
the Yankee prisoners there was a rebel ma
jor of commanding presence, that knew in
tuitively must be Richards brother Call
ing small boy and pointing the major out l
asked to have him come to the car.
As ne came toward the car, unconscious of
whom he was to meet, 1 could not but adj
mlre his handsome and dashing appearance.
He came close up without recognizing Rich
ard, who, pale as DEATH seemed unable to
speak, but reaching forth his hand seemed
the signal of recognition, and the major
stopped short as though bullet had entsred
his heart
NO." he said, you are no longer a broth
er of mine. do not know you."
Poor Richard could not speak for tears and
choking sobs.
''Major," l said, you will break the boys
heart by your cruelty. It would be the part
of humanity, at least, to take his hand"
What Yankee hireling are you who pre-
sumo to dictate to me? tell you. No! l
would not pollute myself by the touch of
hand, though it be a brothers, that brings
devastation and death to a land where our
dead father and mother lie buried"
What more he said was lost amid the noise
of the moving train.
| sought our corner of the car and tried to
soothe the poor boy by telling him it would
all be right, our war would soon be over,
and then all differences could be righted.
But my task my task was no easy one, and it
was late at night before he fell asleep in my
arms.
Our prison life, fortunately was of short
duration. We were exchanged that same
summer, and gladly bid adieu to Belle Isle
and its horrors.
We were sent to the front that samesfall,
and in the winter of 1864 found the remnant
Of our regiment collected in Nashville where
Gen. Thomas was organizing an army to OPP
pose Hoods advancing forces.
The battle OF Nashville and the grand and
glorious victory Pap" Thomas achieved
over Hood is matter of history. The brig
AIDE to which we had been assigned fought
upon the left the first day, and night found
us in terribly decimated ranks. / had been
disabled in the afternoon and taken from the
field, but my wounds proved to be of no seri-
Gus nature, and | rejoined the regiment just
at dark, and learned with grief that Richard,
who had fought like hero all day, was miss
ing.
The following day witnessed the utter rout
and defeat of the rebel army, and our next
duty was to care for our suffering wounded
and the dead
1t was up over the hill, on the site of the
old cemetery, where the dead of both armies
lay in the thicket, that we found poor Rich
ard, his bridle-arm shot off at the shoulder
He lay beside horse with a rebel soldier
beneath, or partly under it, and not until we
raised him up did we notice that their hands
were clasped and stiffened in death, and not
until then did recognize in the pallid fea-
lures of the dead rebel the brother of Rich
ard.
Nearly twenty years have passed since
then, and the then grizzled hair has grown
whittier than snow, but that hour comes back
to me tonight with reality that humans
me- There are bright pictures upon my
walls, of landscape, history and flowers, but
there is picture ever present with me upon
the walls of memory. The dead boy-my
boy for l loved him as my own-and his reb-
ell brother, with the dead horse and broken
ammunition wagon as background, upon
the field of death and carnage.
We buried them in one grave where they
fell; and upon the little slab we put at the
grave is inscribed, George and Richard
Moss, united in death, 1864"