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

rifiee that would scarcely entitle us to
the name Of victory. With the going
out of the old year, amidst the smoke
and fire of battle, came sorrow n
bitter d~esolation to many hearth.
stones, to many households, whose
loved ones had laid down their lives IN
defense of the old flag.
Company III numbered more dead
than living that night. Less than q
score Of us gathered around our little
fire with sad hearts and subdued
voices, for out upon the field IN our
front lay our comrades who had an
swered to their last roll-cal upon
earth, and while the pitiless rain Tell
tirelesslv upon the upturned face OF
the tenantless clay, their souls had
gone to await the final roll-call before
the great white throne in Heaven.
Our regiment was assigned here to the
Independent Provisional Brigade, and
early in the spring of that year we left
the army still quartered at Murfree-
borosand started upon arald through
the interior of Alabama and Georgia
to the rear of the rebel army.
We were captured near Rome, Ca,
upon the Sd Of May, by Brigadier Gen
eral Forests cavalry, and were soon
upon u way to Richmond and Belle
Isle. We were taken by way OF East
Tennessee, and as we approached
Strawberry Plains, Richard told me
he had reason to believe he might hear
something of his brother, as he lived
in that vicinity before the breaking
out of the war.
Tt was a beautiful morning, and we
stood in the door of the box car as
the train stopped at a small station
called Mossyside. Richard clutched
nv arm convulsively, and / can never
forget the look of Joy, mingled with
sorrow, ais he cried in a broken voice,
oMy brotherl Obi my brother!l"
Insthe vast crowd gathered there to
see the Yankee prisoners there was q
rebel major of commanding presence,
hat / knew intuitively must be Rich
ards brother. Calling q small boy
and pointingthe major out | asked TO
have him come to the car.
AS he came toward the car, uncon-
scious of whom he was to meet, | could
not but admire his handsome and
dashing He came close
mn without recognizing Richard, who,
pale as death, seemed unable to speak,
but reaching forth his hand seemed
the signal OF recognition, and the ma
ior stopped short as though a bullet
had entered his heart.
mo- he said, "you are nc longer q
brother of mine. / donot know YOU"
Poor Richard could not speak for
tears and choking sobs.
! major" / said, "you will break the
: boys heart by your cruelty. !t would
J be the part of humanity, at least, TO
take his hand"
"What Yankee hireling are you who
! presume to dictate to me? tell you.
: MOI / would not pollute myself by
) the touch OF q hand, though it be q
( brothers that brings devastation and
death to q land where our dead father
and mother lie buried"
: What more he said was lost amid
: the noise of the moving train.
sought cur cornerof the car and
: tried to soothe the poor boy by tell
: inc him it would all be right, our war
: would soon be over, and then all
!. differences could be righted. But
nv task was no easy one, and it
J 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 itshorrors.
: We were sent to the front that same
] fall. and In the winter of 1864 found
? the remnant of our regiment collected
in Nashville, where Gen. Thomas was
: organizing an army to oppose Hoods
advancing forces.
+, The battle ofNashville and thegrand
and glorious victory "Pap" Thomas
: achieved over Hoods a matter of his
tory. The brigade. to which we had
1 been assigned fought upon the left the
9 first day, and night found US IN terri
bly decimated ranks. had been dis
/, abled in the afternoon andtakenfrom
3 the field, but my wounds proved to
be of no serious nature, and ~Irejolned
the regiment just at dark; and learned
with griefthat Richard. who hadfought
+ like a hero all day, was missing.
: The following day witnessed the ut
ter rout and defeat of the rebel army,
Q and our next duty was to care for our
suffering wounded and the dead.
1T was up over the hill, on the site oi
! the old cemetery, where the dead 81
, both armies lay in the thicket, that
1 we found poor Richard, his bridle-arm
t shot off at the shoulder. He lay be-
!, side q horse with a rebel soldier be-
meath, or partly under it, and not un-
) til we raised him up did we notice that
e their hands were clasped and stifened
r in death, and not until then did /
t recognize in the pallid features of the
dead rebel the brother of Richard.
| Nearly twenty years have passed
9 since then, and the then grizzled
| hair has grown whittier than snow,
|, but that hour IN back to me