Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1888-12-08

WOUNDED UNTO DEATH.
An Incident at the Battle of Fair Oaks.
Horrible War;"

An Incident at the Battle OF Fair Oaks.
Horrible War"
A battle is not always a 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 reception. was
a sergeant in my company, and as we
began firing I noticed a federal sergeant
of my own rank displaying the utmost
energy in rallying the men around him
to check us. Some Of our men noticed
him as we'll and two or three called out
that he looked near enough like me to be
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
a fact that he had also singled me out
and fired at me alone. We kept ad-
vancing slowly, and by and by, as we
crowded them from their shelters, | got
q fair view of the sergeant. For a mo-
ment I forgot that there was any one
else in all that battle. had raised my
gun when he wheeled and raised his, and
we both fired together. went down
like log, having received his bullet in
the right shoulder, and for two hours
Rugged the earth 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
whether we were still advancing or in
retreat, l could not make my way off the
field. 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 tree for few
minutes, felt better and advanced TO
the spot where had last seen the Federal
sergeant. found him lying on his back.
Ny bullet had struck him in the side and
he was fatally hit AS knelt down be-
side him he recognized me and said:
You have given me my death
wound
But you sought to kill me, pro-
tested, in extenuation.
''Yes, fired at you. Some of the
men said you looked like me. and | felt
a desire to kill YOU
LET us be friends, said, as l knelt
beside him. 81 can use one hand and
arm, and perhaps can stop the bleed
ing"
1T is too later he whispered.
So it was. He had lost a great guam
TRY of blood, and it was still pouring out
and sinking away into the black soil of
the forest. As my hand touched his he
grasped it and said:
1--WE were enemies. Letus be friends.
Give me water
held my canteen to his lips until his
thirst was satisfied, and then sat beside
him and held his hand, and watched the
shadow of death coming nearer. He lay
with his eyes closed for long time, and
at last whispered:
Tell Mary and tie children l am
coming.n
y Ny heart smote me as thought Of
the wife and children who would never
see him again-of the black pail of sor-
row which would settle down over a
happy household.
And tell father and mothert' he
gasped. Have them all come to the
/ old home to meet me-
And there was father-and a motheg
and brothers and sisters. And my
bullet would bring tears and sobs and
walls and mourning. And the sunshine
of life would go out of many hearts for
months and ears-perhaps forever. l
prayed him over and over to forgive me,
. and as death came nearer i dared not
look away from his pale face for fear
that should meet the accusing glances
of widow and orphans through the drift
ing smoke of battle As death finally