The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1886-03-04
A DstsrnissA CsrYerai.


long legged chap named Aaren Smith,
His face wore constant look Of second
mourning, aud bis voice Was enough 10 re.
mind the'most careless bearer OF grave
stones and weeping Willows More - .
joke than for any good reason, the boys
elected Aaron = corporal, and ever afte,,
that he went by the name Of Corpora
Solemncholy,
Bull Run was our first fisht We were
In The neighborhood oi the Henry house,
advancing upon section Of artillery
when saw Corporal Solemncholy take a
tumble to the ground, roll over and kick,
and had no doubt that he was done for
We we're driven back, and by the panic
followed, and away we went for Washing
ton. About week after this, while the
company was encampcd at Arlington
the corporal walked in on us one day and
drawled;
You are purity lot Of dod -gasted pump
kin seeds TO leave me dead on battle
field, and shan't forget it'll
He had been struck in the stomach bv q
spent bullet and after being captured, had
made his escape. He was mad at the
whole company. and wouldn't give any Of
us civil answer for weeks.
Our next brush was at Williamsburg,
| The regiment was ordered into some fallen
timber, and the position was soon red hot.
The corporal was sighting his musket
across a limb, when he suddenly rolled
over, and saw blood on his face as We
crowded further to the left for better
cover. One fifth Of our company was
wiped out there, and we hadn't got over
mourning for them when Corporal Solmn.
choly appeared in our midst This was
| two weeks after the fight. md his face was
tied up with bandages. We rushed to
greet him, but he waved us off and said.
Don't nobody come near mel You
wretches went and left me there in the
woods, and that night burial party flung
me into trench and was covering me up
when come 10, and told EN- what thot
of EN- and walked of. kin lick any man
in this company
He had been shot in the mouth, and the
bullet tore out three teeth, and left hole
in his cheek as big as walnut.
On the morning Of the battle Of Fair
Oaks we were just crawling out Of our
tents when the rebel wave rolled down on
Casey and drove him back. Our company
was badly demoralized, and Corporal Sol
emcholy was trying to rally Three or four
OF us behind fallen tree when a shell
exploded near us. saw two Of the three
men go down and among them was the
corporal. Id have taken my affidavit that
one side OF his face was torn away. We
rallied after time and regained our
ground, but when night came we aban
doned the field and fell back 10 make a
new stand. Five Of my company we're
reported on the rolls as killed in action,
and among them was the corporal. 4
week after the battle OF Malvern Hill he
walked into camp after the old fashion
and began:
Durn the hull lot OF ye for a pack Of
towards You went right off that day
without stopping to see whether l was
killed or not, and I'll dare any two Of you
to knock chip off my shoulder!
The shell have mentioned did not hurt
him, but he was splashed by the blood Of
an unfortunate, and received whsck over
the head from club or limb. During
the night he exchanged clothing with
Confederate, and after many adyenturers
cams back to report for duty.
After that Corporal Soemncholy was a
marked man. We looked on him with such
awe aud superstition that nobody would
be friendly. He became sort OF ontcast;
indeed, we all argued that man who
wouldn't stay dead when fairly killed had
q very mean streak in his composition.
In due time came Pope's fights around
Manassas We were fighting at Groveton,
and as the regiment was ordered to head
it's brigade in q charge. dozen Of us had
our eyes on the carporal. He realized it,
and there was look OF determination on
his face. We interpreted it to moan thai
Il he was killed again he would stay killed
The brigade was in . hot box. The enemy
gave us every sort Of missile known to war
and We couldn't close up the lanes plowcd
through our ranks. ! had my cap knocked
of and my canteen cut away, and was
making grab to recover the latter when
Corporal SCHENECTADY got his dose again
saw him leap two feet high and fall in
heap, and knew by the way be struck
.he ground that be was goner.
There we're only twenty eight men 10
,he company after that fight. They had
given me the corporal's place. and we had /
got around to the opening Of the fight at /,
Antietam without losing another man. We
,ad several times talked over the fate OF
Corporal Solemncholy, aud expressed re-
yret at the way we had used him. My .
brigade was under Hooker then. and on
,1e evening previous to the fight wo had
,.en pushed across the Antietam on the .
light, to be ready to advance on jackson
Il daylight. About eight O'Clock, as we
.esied On the lines 10 the darkness. heard =
voice saying. ! tell you it's dog.gone }
mean 10 90 and report q fellow dead and
yiye his place away until you are sure Q
lbout il. Z,
II was Corporal SCHENECTADY come back 4
o Us. A bullet had rsked bis bead at
jroveton, and be bad crswled 70 the rear 2
Ifter dark and bad been sent TO the bospi
al ID Washington. He was hopping mad
It every man OF US, and We gave him as
,e sent. We told him that any msnIwho