The southern sentinel. (Winnfield, La.) 1883-1910, 1885-03-27


In tho edge Of the evening . guard
of Confederstes was formed about the
field, and I was borne back hundred
yards or 80 beyond the railroad cut, on
the edge of which our line OF battle
had stood. and there, until the after
noon of September Sd. four days and
nights, lay in the midst Of some l 800
dead and wounded men. Until about
two o'clock p. m. of the I'd of Septem-
Der not drop of water touched my
lips except as the rain fell. and then
each drop that struck my parched and
swollen tongue, which protruded from
my mouth, felt like molten lead.
had eaten my last food prior to the
battle-three small army crackers-on
the morning of August SOth, so that in
my weak condition hunger as well as
thirst came to increase my sufieriugs.
DEATH OF A CoMRADE.
The night of the S0th it rained quite
hard and chilled the badly wounded
to the marrow. On that night. also
Sergeant Jerrolds, of Company E, of
my regiment, died. He was wounded
in the abdomen and hand by g. shell.
and it CHANGED that I had been laid
down close by him. He could not rest.
complained of the position of his head,
and, as we were alongside of each other
on the sloping ground. l managed to
..spoon up near enough to slip my
right and only useful arm beneath his
neck, forming pillow. ''God bless
you. that feels better" he murmured.
and those<kere the last words he ever
uttered. During the darkness I felt
him shudder and heard him give two
or three short. :auick:.gasps- Sergeant,
are you cold?" / inquired. There
came no response. and, supposing he
might be sleeping. said nothing more.
In the morning / found him dead.
A PILLORIED ARM.
attempted to withdraw my arm
from under him, but failed. 1t was
not until the afternoon of September
I'd that any one came to lift away his
body, then very much swollen. the
flesh discolored, and after being re-
lieved from its burden it was some
time before the arm recovered from the
deadening effects of the weight that
had for 50 long rested upon It disap-
peared.
The day and night of the S1st of
August were passed in about the man.
ner that the preceding day and night
had been. / was much weaker, in
greater misery. owing to my con-
strained position, and during the day.
time had been greatly pestered with
flies, such as lust after flesh. My
clothing, which had been partially
dried by the sun, was saturated
again at evening by another shower.
Meanwhile the sullen thunder of the
guns, the occasional volleys and scat
tering fire of musketry. with the groan-
ings Of the wounded. had been almost
continually ringing in my ears, to-
gether with now and then the despairing
death cry rs some poor anguished soul
yielded up his life to Him who gave it
THREATS OF DELIRIUM.
September LIST and the night of that
day q very rainy night, too) seemed
to have reached the crisis of my fate.
I had grown somewhat used to the
pains. continually felt. but the want Of
sleep added = new horror for me to
contemplate. Maggots began to bur-
row into my wounds and / was
wholly helpless and unable to
prevent their desecrating touch. Be
sides, mentally, / was approaching
delirium. My ears were harassed BY
musical sounds of purling streams ]
could not look upon; my eyes were
toasted upon delicious springs Of
water ~ clear, shaded pools, wherein
fair natures drapery Of moss and
brakes and feathery ferns were
pictured. but beyond my reach; my
palate was tantalized by visions Of
tables spread with richest viands set
Just beyond my grasp. Language is
inadequate to describe even family the
suffcrings Of those far-of, awful days.
The morning Of the I'd of September
my thoughts were turned homeward.
Step by step memory led me back over
lies track 10 my earliest childhood,
and there my mind dwelt at intervals
for hours. But not 20 much upon the
scenes and associations Of my later
youth - l had previously remembered.
seen and known them. Blessed visions
of childhood's early dawn rose up be.
fore me; dearly loved. smiling faces Of
my early boyhood's friends thronged
| into view; tender mother came t.
soothe III pain. I was ler boy
again, sitting upon her knee. then-s
twinge Of pain-a feeling Is il the fin.
gers Of death were cropping for my
heart and was returned to tho reali.
ties that enveloped me.
MENTAL PHENOMENA.