The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1888-12-07
WOUNDED UNTO DEATH.
An Incident at tho Battle OF Fair Oaks.
Horrible war;

An Incident at tho Battle OF Fair Oaks.
"Horribie WAR"
A battle Is not always q whirl of con-
fusion and uproar, with men firing at will
or at random. At Fair Oaks when we
swept down in the gray Of morning on
Casey's division we found two-thirds Of
it unprepared for our receptions. Twas
a sergeant In my company, and as we
began firing noticed federal sergeant
of my own rank displaying the utmost
energy in rallying tho men around him
to check us. Some Of our men noticed
him as well and two or three called out
that he looked near enough like me to be
a brother. BY his own individual efforts
he rallied enough men to check us tenn
porarily, but after few minutes we
drove them again and were in the Federal
camps. Then our lines broke and each man
fought for himself. 1 had singled out the
sergeant and fired twice at him, and it was
q fact that he had also singled mo out
and fired at me alone. We kept ad.
vancing slowly, and by and by, as we
crowded them from their shelters, got
fair view of the sergeant. For a mo-
ment I forgot that there was any one
else in all that battle. had raised NV
gun when he wheeled and raised his, and
we both fired together. 1 went down
like log, having received his bullet in
the>riSht shoulder, and for two hours I
hugged the eartn beside log to escape
being hit again by the missiles of friend
or foe.
When the fury Of battle had passed on
was lame and stiff, and as the location
was strange to me, and did not know
whQthar ySra OF oil,
retreat, could not make my way off the
field. 1 could not tell front from rear.
nor was there one chance in ten OF find
ing field hospital. After pulling my
self up, and holding to q tree Tor q few
minutes, felt better and advanced to
the spot where had last seen the Federal
sergeant. found him lying on his back.
My bullet had struck him in tho side and
he was fatally hit. AS knelt down be-
side him he recognized mo and said:
"4ou have given me my death
wound.''
But you sought to kill me,"I pro-
tested, in extenuation.
eyes, fired at you. Some of the
men said you looked like me, and I felt
desire to kill you.'
LET us be friends, said, as I knelt
beside him. 81 can use ono hand and
arm, and perhaps can stop the bleed
ing"
ut is too late!" he whispered.
So it was. He had lost great. GUAM
tity of blood, and it was still pouring out
and sinking away into the black coil of
the forest. AS my hand touched his he
grasped it and said:
"We were enemies. Let us be friesslnG
Give me water"
H.! held my canteen to his lips mn
thirst was satisfied, and thaxes. M must
him and held his hand .I1y the sincere,
shadow of death G1eptible and beneyoler
with his eyes clubably there are very man
at last whisSof this kind, were the secrt
Iell.fthat have actuated the victim
c9rought to light. Yet wherever huma
# law Is founded ON tho divine law. se
destruction must necessarily be regarde
as crime. A mans buildings are nc
his own in the sense that he can set ther
on fire and burn them down with impr
nifty; much less is his life-a possessio
which cannot be restored-so exclusiyel
personal that he has the right 20 end
by violence in an hour Of discourage
ment OF disgust.
The yearly list of suicides in some q
the countries of Europe is appalling t
contemplate. The waters of the Sein
give up their dead daily, and drownin
Is but one among the common method
- fGg Ssl <.fr Alt.