The Sully County watchman. (Clifton, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1894, 1888-09-22
Sheridan at Deep Bottom

Corporal, take Fairly and McCue
(our two drummer boys), and see that
Sergeant Kelly is properly buried;
mark his grave with name, company
and regiment, and then report to your
company"
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 for
exemplary habits, kindness of heart,
manly bearing and Interpolation in ac-
ton. 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 at the break
ing out of the war. and entered our
service solely for the purpose of ac-
quiring 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 countrymen in battle against
the cruel tyrants that were ruthlessly
devastating his loved native land.
We rolled him in his shelter tent.
and buried him beneath spreading
oak on the banks of the James.
1t was almost midnight before the
finishing touch was put on 10 tao
little mound that marked the spot
where the soldier halted for the last
time on earth. After the work of fill
ing the grave had been completed, my
comrades left me alone with the dead,
and in the dark hours of the midnight
/ found ample time To contemplate
upon the life and character of 4
soldier to whom / was most de-
votedly attached. | thought of the
sweet little girl in the convent in Dub
lin whose picture / so often admired
Cher mother died when she was but an
infant), and the newly made grave be-
fore me, ut the head of which, on the
cover of .'hardtackn box had rude
ly inscribed:
Sergt, w. E. Kelly,
Co. H., LEA Regt. n. Y. V.
This plain, simple inscription bore
evidence that she was now bereft of
father and mother. He was my beau
ideal of soldier. From his eloquent
and able recitals of the cruel oppres-
sions Of Ireland | learned 10 hate her
enemies and love such brave men who
were anxious To make such sacrifice
for their native land and the land of
my forrfathcrs.
1t might have been considered re-
ligiously consistent with the everyday
life of the soldier of my campaigns, the
soldier from whom poultry, pigs and
unguarded commissary was never safe,
to kneel down aud drop a tear, and of
fer up afervent prayer for departed
comrade, yet in the stiffness of that
night. with no sound save the occa-
sional cry, Halt, who comes there?n
that which was so often heard during
the quiet hours of the night watch on
the picket line; nothing 10 break the
awful stiffness that seemed 10 reign
over the camp of the two armies.
1t was the calm that followed the
storm of the preceding day, and that
which preceded the storm that the
morrow would bring forth in all its
fury.
The time and place was very lifting
indeed; the boys could not laugh at
me. Why should not / beseech by
prayer the Great Commander TO be
good to poor Sergeant Kelly?
As | turned from the grave | in
stinctively said: Goodbye, sergeant
may be with you tomorrow" while
was perfectly oblivious of tho words
] uttered. yet spoke with as much fer
yency as though his hand was in mine
and the light of life was in his eye.
AS our division was maneuvcring for
position at the time / was directed to
bury the sergeant, knew it would be
futile to attempt TO find my regiment
before morning, and | therefore con-
cluded TO find soft spou as we used
to say in war times, and having found
such place, there wrapped in my
blanket in sweet repose, / bid adieu To
war and its attendant horrors.
The early song of the army mule,
with confusion of bugle calls. brought
ME to my feet when the gray dawn
was breaking away to the eastward.
Coffee now or never thought for
surely the rising sun will cast its first
rays on surging masses of armed hosts
in deadly conflict, for even at that
early hour | could see away To the left,
in the shadow of the timber, troops
forming into line.
/ had scarcely warmed my coffee
over the dying embers of one of the
campfires before the "ball opened" on
the picket line. Away off To the east
On our right as far rs could be seen,
troops began to move up toward the
left Of the rebel line, artillery trains
were moving out rather rapidly through
the open fields toward the redoubt we
~aptured the day previous. The gun