San Francisco vindicator., 1888-11-17
Sheridan at Deep Be9tEteem B9Eemn.

Sheridan at Deep BB9ttam BB0#emEL
Corporal, take Fairly aud McCue
-FOUR two drummer boys), and see that
Sergeant Kelly is properly buried;
mark his grave with name, company
and regiment, and then report to your
Such were the orders received from
our captain about sundoWn on the
evening of Aug. IA, 1864, in front OF
the enemy at Deep Bottom, Va.
Poor Sergeant Kelly! the very per-
soniffcation of the volunteer soldier
loved by every man in the company Tor
exemplary habits, kindness OF heart
manly bearing and Interpolation in ac-
tion. Brought up in the city OF Dub
lin, carefully educated, with more
brains than many who strutted around
with the insignia of high rank on
their shoulders.
He came to this country atthe break
inc out of the war. and entered our
service solely for the purpose OF ac-
nuiring as far as it was possible the
arts of war, to the end that the long
hoped for day might find him able to
lead his countrvmen in battle against
the cruel tvrants that were ruthlessly
devastating his loved native land.
We rolled him in his shelter tent
and buried him beneath a spreading
oak on the banks of the James.
It was almost midnight before the
finishing touch was put on to th'
little mound that marked the spo
where the soldier halted for the las
lime on earth. After the work OF MI
no the grave had been completed, IN
comrades left me alone with the dead
and in the dark hours of the midnigh
7 found ample time to comtemplat
nnon the life and character OF
soldier to whom | was most dt
yotedly attached. ! thought OF tn
sweet little girl in the convent in Dut
lin whose picture | so often admire
(her mother died when she was but a
infant), and the newly-made grave b
fore ME, at the head OF which, on u
cover of ''hardtack" box had rud
, iy inscribed:
Sergt, W. E. Kelly,
This plain, simple inscription DO
evidence that she was now berett
e father and mother. He was my bei
! ideal of a soldier. From his eloque
and able recitals of the cruel oppre
!. sions of Ireland | learned to hate n
enemies and love such brave men WI
a were anxious to make such Sacrln
y for their native land and the land
n my forcfathers.
It might have been considered
:, Iieiouslv consistent with the every-d
! life of the soldier of my campalgnS't
= soldier from whom poultry, pigs a
unguarded cOmmissary was never sa
q to kneel down and drop tear, ana
NJ fer up fervent prayer for deparI
10 comrade, yet in the stiffness OF u
"A night. with no sound save the Oc'
~ sional cry, HALT, who comes there
: that which was SO often heard durl
"A the quiet hours of the night watch
- the picket line; nothing to break
a. awful stiffness that seemed TO re-
over the camp of the two armies.
., 1t was the calm that followed
~ storm of the preceding day, and t
No which preceded the storm that
- morrow would bring forth in all
ed fury.
Nd The time and place was very hit
indeed; the boys could not laugh
no me. Why should not | beseeeh
n1 prayer the Great Commander TO
! +" good to poor Sergeant KellyP
.be AS turned from the grave
nd stinctivelv said: Goodbye. serge
nd [ NAV be with YOU tomorrow, w
10 Twas perfectly oblivious Of the VIC
70 | uttered, yet spoke with as much
yencv as though his hand was In
Cd and the light of life was in his eye.
80 AS our division was maneuyerlng
art position at the time l was dlrecte
s5o bury the sergeant, knew it woui
~, " futile to attempt to find my rcgln
lot before morning. and | therefore
cluded to find ''soft spot as we
:. - 10 saw in war times, and having 1c
80 :oss such a place, there wrapped 10
~ blanket in sweet repose, | bid adle
r war and its attendant horrors.
The early song of the army n
with a confusion Of bugleVTils, bro
n me to nv feet when the gray d
'mht was breaking away to the eastN
80 Coffee now or never thought L
y ~ " surely the rising sun will cast its
III III ravs on surging masses of armed
hu, 49, in deadly conflict, for even at
80 80 early hour could see away to the
- in the shadow of the timber II
nan forming into line.
nII .,a | had scarcely warmed my
"a "a over the diving embers OF one Q
An campfires before the ball opened
'"na the picket line. Away OF to the
re e''N on our right a far as could Dee
H. troops began TO move up toWaE
lne left of the rebel line, artillery.
.on' we're moving out rather rapidly thr
/ atIIl- . he omen fields toward the redou
l!ll ,antured the day previous The
no" boat living at the bend in the
above the pontoon bridge, eomm'
throwing its compliments int
rebel lines, and the oerasionai
Frleo !, Of musketry on the picket hne
nov yerv plainly of the impending co
aWal The sun had scarcely aseended In
ai'e5 of the trees, before it was eFideh
FiSiu another day of intense heat was
com, experienced. The clouds OF aus
sAiu engeloped the columns along the
mar az on the march followed them th
y the fields, and into the timber, III
il almost impossible u disuh2'