New-York tribune., 1886-03-21


line must be broken by assault lhe Oncers III
charge said it was impossible. Lee repeated
the order and said the fate OF the COnfederacy
hung on that point. He dsmOunted and SAID 10
the soldiers: "Mleh Of Virginia nothing is I'M
possible to you! Follow me! and started on iooi
TO force our lines. lie was forcibly detained ana
led away by bis officers. He excl aimed. with tears
IN his eyes, - We must carry that point or an Is
lost - How true this i ! cannot tell, nut Know
that a tremendous rush. accompanied Dy roar TO oI
voices and awful yells, came surgIng agaInsl ouI
lines Just before sunset, and all the afternoon
struggle seemed concentrated In the WORK ol u lew
terrible minutes. Had tins desperate charge lVIlu
us yvithout ammunition we should have been
crushed and the Union cenTe broken. In the
agony Of desperation we held our ground and Just
as this last great wave of the ConiederaCy was
about 70 oycryhem us the Iron Brigade came
rushing down to our relief. Tom was at the lett ~
the remnants Of poor regiment and seeing signs
Of wavering among our exhausted meu' ne spraug
"a ms feet TO steady the line and encourage his
comrades The charge was beaten back but rom
went down with the setting sun. aud for more than
twenty wears he has been sleeping where he Tell at
that Deaths Angle IN the Wilderness
When we escaped from that slaughter pen
that night there were bnt two OF our our
noblesf had fallen, hut | afterward learned that
the truest hero of our little band was still with me-
Our hearts were too heavy 70 talk much OF our
great sorrow. but never again saw the shadow
lift from Frank face. He was a little more quiet,
little more klnd-haarted. but just "a true 10 his
Stern duties ~ ever. But with HIM hope was dead.
For the next twenty days We were constantly
within the roar of battle or under the deadly ire OF
skirmishing: but through it AL we were side by
side as Lee was. beaten back. and together we
crossed the James River. ready to strike the
final blow at Richmond. now thought
we woald both soon go home together
but Franks work was not done. lie was To Jay
aside his rifle and close his quiet, noble llie with
an act OF heTJlSm so grand. and vet 80 awful tGat
all his brave comrade, shruuk before that tas k.
We were camred near CIty Point. on the James
River On the barren clay hills above rs was
cluster of hospital tents, and over them hOa'ed the
yellow hag-the horrible ensign of smallpox II
had broken out among our men without warning
ana with great violence Us existence was kept ~
secret posi- bc but the utmost vigilance was OBJ
served in regard To It; rs soon a q man was at
tackled he was at once c0nve cd to the pcst-hOusc
on the hill; and during all that time / never
knew one OF them 10 return alive. We could daily
see the fresh yellow mounds on the hillside whcTe
new victims had been buried during the night / he
veterans of a hundred battles qImiled before such
foe and the spot was stunned by all who could
avoid II. he hospital attendants, VINO had euJoNtd
special favoIS and immunity from danger, wull"
we were exposed at the front, now deserted their
post, and gladly returned to duty IN the ranks;
Even some Of the surgeons teiEncd sickness ana
place. One OF these VINO was true
to his post. reported that the suf-
ering there was appalling and men were
diving for want OF care. lie appealed for help. But
no officer would detail and force of his veterans
to 20 on such duty chat. 80 a call was made
for volunteers TO 20 10 the help OF the poor ieo
diving IN the smallpox hospital. Men who
never hinched at Gettysburg or the Wilderness
were willing to undertake all that again. They
would cheerfully face the rebel nag. but not that
horrible yellow tag up there above the pines
There was no honor. no glory there, nothing but
loathsOmc death. and grave q be forever
summed. So he poor wretcheS d'nd without care,
and the yellow graves increased every nlEht.
| was on duty AZ the COlpucls once dt thdt tme,
and one evening Frank .me ~ amt quietly SAID he
had volunteered to q as aL attendant ~ IHe 9'.I
p0X hospital. There was no excitement, no pro-
tentiOu 10 herOIsm, nothing hut the same common
place simple hearted old Frank. All ! could say
was answered by he remark that some one Ought
Tn, M md a q lIa nyE fnnuElf
sure Of gong home no one would volunteer. ana De
thOuCht he could do Il1ti" good mp there. At any
rate he couldnt sleep Of nights while he knew those
poor fellows might be suffering for wafer Every
argument aud cu'IeatyO OF mine was met D} the same
quiet determination. At last spohe OF
his Old mother who was =, Eaiimg
YES sa,d Frank. " she /, the only woman IN the
world who would ever miss me; bat k4o" sac
would say 10 Wl~ all right, and guess II 90
ookcdac our colonel, hoping he would help me 10
save nv last cOmraLe. But he sat smoking IN
silence, although he was deeply moved By FRANK 5
Won 60 / lose the best man in my
regiment There was little conversation
between those two men. and could not help re-
another youug man stood before PIlate. willing 10
suffer and de tor others. A. the end oil II tue COO
pel tod me to -., write 5 an o5aGT fsad4S fI d54S
40 the smallpox hospital, ~ his own request,
could not write the death warrant of this my lIst
and brayest comrade; 80 left the tent. Presently
,I.ned bv the colonel He lett hi, few effects with
me- gave ne directions about hl, mail, If any came
for him. and with quiet Cood-by te iitci his
kuap,ack and slowly climbing the hill hc d"iibsr-
atcly walked into the hospital
Every day | went 20 the quarantine lAc 10 see
EIm, carrying a newspaper, letter. II there
was any for him. or some little del
icacy After had gone back a
lirtc way hc would come and get them taking
checrfully and hopefully, and saving tha, mG,t
write to the folk, At hom" that he wa, aI u5ht
one day when | carried him a letter he dld
not come down to meet me. Another attendant
told me that Frank not feeling very well ne
had Lccu working pretty hard lately, but he would
be al right in day or So.
Bat that day never came. In Il little whlle he
too l..v uudcr one Of those yellow mounds when
every morning extended further over the hll. side.
maftoy sat with -trau ger, around last bivouac
fire and had nothing but the memories or my lost
comTade. 10 join me ID the ,ad TRIUMPH ol tAlJ
hour. for one was cripple Tor life another lay IL
the Wilderness. aud thIrd was IN an unknown
grave on that dreary bill beside the James hlver'
and was LETT alone TO tell the story of mess.
l.. ". GURLEY.