The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1888-07-20

htItNt thV Vthtfs
"lts remarkable thing" said one
of the company, shat you two fellows,
who say you came here for drink
that night, should meet on the came
spot twenty years afterward.'
This was intended as a cue for the
one-armed veteran of the Twelfth
Corps, and he took it up promptly:
Hundreds of the boys from both
armies stole down to this spring with
their canteens in the sultry darkness
of that night of July 2, 1868. They
were thirsty themselves and they want
ed to take a cool draught to their
wounded comrades. There were
plenty of dead bodies to stumble over,
too. Federals and rebels mixed to.
gether and pushed around the swampy
margin. / tell you, their were some
weird meetings and thrilling Incidents
around this spring and all about it on
the Spangler farm here.
"Well, it was about midnight when
stole down the hill alone. The at
mosphere was stuffy and smoky, and
had that peculiar battlefield smell.
The moon was obscured. A few big
stars looked down, dim and red, like
the camp. fire embers that smouldered
here and there on the low hills.
II filed my canteen 10 silence and
drank delicious draight. As | did
50 | noticed somebody moving on the
other side of the pool.
ali, there, Yankl' he sung out in a
of shrill whisper, have you got any
chewingF
an tell you what I'll do with you,
Johnny l answered; I've got some
fne.cut smoking tobacco here that's
good for chew. Give me light for
my pipe and I'll set you up in tobacco
if you'll come around here to my side.
Honor bright.
eHe was at my side in q jiffy---a
tall angular fellow-snd he held out a
hand as a horn 10 take the tobacco.
Then he struck a match and held II
for me to light my pipe, and as 1 did
30 caught look of his face. 1t
was pretty hard-looking one and as
brown as a butternut.
Goodnight, Yank, he said, as he
buried off in the darkness with a
quid of tobacco in one cheek. Meet
you tomorrow.
Goodnight, Johnny Reb. We're
goingto try and lick you out OF your
boots
with that l left and got back to
quarters all right.
"Well, there was real lighting
around here the next day-seven
hours of it-charge after charge, in a
perfect tornado Of shot and shell, until
we drove the enemy out of all the en-
trenchments they had seized on Culp's
yonder. But before that was accom-.
plishad l fell with my forearm shatter-
ed by mimic ball just in time to be
run over by an artillery ammunition
wagon that was rushing down the
slope.
"a little before l was struck, had
taken the bugle from the hand OF a
bugler whom l had known and who
now lay on the field dead.
ut seemed that my fate was to be
the same as his. As l lay there help
less, but not unconscious, in the burn
ing MONDAY sun of July, terrible
thirst consumed me.
"'If could only quenoh my thirst,
l thought, 4 might die easier
Suddenly figure in gray bent over
me. It was rebel captain whom the
glitter of the bugle at my belt had at
tracted.
"'You won't want this any MORE he
said, reaching for it.
No. l gasped in angony. But
for heavens sake, give me a drink.
That's all l ask
Haven't drop, he replied, turn
ing up his canteen to show me. but
I'll send you some if it's possible
thing
"Alasl how could he send me a
drink of water through that storm of
battle, even supposing he had meant
to keep his promises
"Tbe rebel captain disappe ared, tax
ing the bugle with him.
"Not more than mi mute later,
though, as | cast half-fainting glance
along the smoky ridge, l saw tall,
gauut figure coming from the Confed.
crate lines right through the thickest
of the fight. He was making for the
spot where l lay, looking over the
ground carefully and carrying can
teen in his hand.
1T was the rebel captains messen-
gerl
"As he came nearer, | recognized
the butternut skin and hard features of
my friend at Spangler's Spring on the
night before!
"He saw me at the same instant and
with one great stride was beside me.
"But there was another who had
seen the whole thing and that was
Well, l won't mention him by name,
for he's dead; but he was minor ofiio
er of our regiment and petty tyrant
whom all the boys detested-
when he saw that Conf, derate sol.
dier coming to give me drink he also
came running up. There was an evil
look in his eye. Whether he meant to
snatch away the canteen or to do harm
to my Confederate friend who held it
nobody can say.
"At any rate, the latter dropped on
one knee and bent down to give me a
drink and at that very instant bullet
from the Confederate lines grased the
top of his hat without touching him.
Il struck the Union officer instead and
he fell shot through the hear, and with
a kind of ghasily smile on his face"
"And then7" asked one of those who
had listened to the one-arm.d veteran
story, and evidently exp, cted more.
That's all. didGt die, and hope
my friend, the reb, didn't get killed
| never saw him agaia, though I'd
give a good deal to clasp that loving
hand of his now, herr by the SPRING
He shock hards with the Other
Sontherners instead, and the blue ant
the gray sauntered off arm-in-srm.
DIR. ks boys departed ss IL from ,
dream. 1t seemed so m.rvelnus tha
the men Sho had fought that grea
battle of G tlysbnrg were To day tn,
actors IN this sublime scene ofreconcil
iation.
On the way home the pext ds,