The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1888-12-20
Written for the Journal
Killed at Antietam.

I-ii III tHc VI lNhl lhtTt eUilSIeu Ill
the 9th Maine Regiment (caed the rifle regi-
ment) a >taIwart young lad of 10 years. A few
weeks later he with two or three others of his
company, who also stood the test of expert
craftsmanship with the rifle, We're selected for
the picked company from Maine to be meni-
bcrs of Berdan's >harp-hooters Accordingly
he became q member Of 90. u. 2nd Regiment
Berdan> Sharpshooters. and was made hugler
tor the company. The year Of his army life
was spent chiefly in Washington and Falmouth,
Va. The first regular engagement in which he
participated was the Inflated battle of Antie.
tam From that dread day no word or mes
sage ever came back from him. The 1st Lieut..
OF the company. in writing to his friends said.
About m hour after we entered the engage
ment, and during the hottest of the fight, he
remarked very cooly to me- Cummings, I'm
wounded Being in command of the company
could not see TO him then, but in few mo-
menlS looked for him but could not find him.
The chief hugler said he saw him carried to the
rear, but. a> he has toli conflicting stories in
regard to the matter. we have come to the
unanimous conclusion that he was mistaken.
have visited no less than twelve hospitals and
can find no record or trace Of him. and We are
forced 10 believe that Nc Ael then and there.
soon after he spoke to me-
The same kind friend, writing few ,la, :
LATER, said; We have given up all hope of ever
hearing from YOUR brother again. Two DAYS
after the battle, while burying the unrc"ogniz-
abl" dead this letter, blood->taned and soilei,
,,,.,1 IL.
moves all doubt from our minds As to his fate.
He undoubtedly died shortly after he last spoke
TO me.
The letter which he sent was the last one the
writer of this article had sent to her soldier
brother and bore the date of Sept. 2nd, lSi2.
Beyond this Slight and tragic record nothing
else was ever known
More than ten Years after the war closed |
Went with lady who wished to consult a
spiritual medium in regard to some business
matters. Nothing was farther from my
thoughts than that She should have anything
to say to ME. What my surprise was YOU can
judge, when the medium, without paying the
least attention to the lady who wished to CON
suit her and who bad paid her, began without
the least preamble: II see Il terrible battle,
with men and horses falling beneath a horrible
lraden shower see a tail young man ci>p
his hani to his breast and Sta@ger. Then | see
him walk away and lie down under Il Virgins.
fence. where in few minutes he seems to
sleep, bu; st. no blood. lie is connected with
ycu lady. am sure, for he comes now in his
blue suit and stands hy your shoulder In
vain / pressed her to tell me more. The
vision or inspiration. or flash Of intelligence
from hidden world was gone. Like the
lightning'S flash thai sends a dazzling ray
athWart our path, and then leaves the darkness
more dense than ever came that sudden breath
from a hidden past. ! am a >keptic by nature,
and 10 not pretend to anaIyZe the source of
that strange message. Whether ii originated in
the fertile brain Of that stranger who knew
nothing of me. who bad never laid eyes on me
until that moment: neither my own PERSONAL
ity suddenly and instantly photographed itself
in such measure on her sensitive and recep-
tive brain a, to produce that strange effect, ur
whet her hidden. occult force did speak
truly Of that mystery | know not. There will
come time to me, as WE'LL a> to all others, when
the mysteries shall hc revealed. and am con
tent to wait III patience. But | would like to
state here that have since told the whole af-
fair to All eminent army surgeon. and he en-
pressed the opinion that my brother was I'M
douhtediy shot through the lungs and bled to
death inwardly in very short time. He re-
lated to me insance>~which had come under
his personal observation where the wounded
man did not seem to be much hurt and could
walk for some distance without assistance,
only to die almost instantly and without warn
ing. This little story which | have related
solely from memory (for all his letters and
even the hood>taned one of my own. from
the battlefield Of Antictam were sent to WASH
ington in a vain attempt to secure a pension
for his mother after She became a widow is
only one in Il long list of tragedies. Thank
GoI that time. the blessed healer. smootheS
with his soft touch these heart wounds and
draws the tender veil of a peaceful memory
around the sears. Not the least pathetic of the
message, that came from the front were these
"wouncd and missing" In recent wears
skeletons have been found we,lged IL between
rocks on some of The large battlt-tield>
Nothin" ,'ame back to the loved ones at home
except the word ''ni>>ng." But after all,
what matter it whether they sleep on grassy
knoll in the little cemetery at home: in nation
al cemeteries al the south: or in some lonely
forgotten glade, where they crawlc,l to breathe
out their last sigh, on the bosom of their moth
er eartl-that which they died for lives. Nv hat
matter it whether the blossom be rudely pluck
ed from the stem. or be left to wither and die .
the fruit foowcth in due season.
HELEN \. PACKARD.