Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1889-05-23
A PresentIIncnt.

| In the autumn OF % lien. MCClelIau
was relieved from active duty in the
Army of the Potomac, and Gen. Burn
side assumed command. This change
was very unpopular with the boys, who
loved Little Mac and who felt a great
degree of uncertainty in the ability of
| the new commander. There was wide
spread discomfort in the ranks in conse-
quence of this change. Added to this,
the invincible strategists at home were
still clamoring for a forward move
ment regardless OF time or favorable OPP
portunity.
In view of these facts, il was deemed
absolutely necessary that n battle
should be fought under the new leader
at the earliest possible moment. The
first battle of fredericksburg was the
result. On the day of that battle our
brigade climbed the heights on the
southeasterly bank of the RIPARIAN
mock. opposite Fredericksburg. and halt
ed upon the summit near some heavy
batteries. AS we looked down upon the
river with its slender pontoon bridge,
with the city upon its opposite margin,
and as we raised our eyes to correspond
| ing heights just back of the city, frowE-
ing with cannon and breastworks and
swarmiug with rebel soldiery, painful
and overpowering sense of the impossi-
BILE task before us and the deddliness OF
the undertaking in all its horrible mag
nitude. forced itself upon the minds OF
all present
A sense of duty, the imminence Of
the great dangers before us, and the
nearness Of the conflict. served to close
, up the ranks and to keep nearly every
man in his place.
had been detailed with small squad
to act as provost general to prevent
falling out and struggling TO the rear.
During the short halt on the brow Of
the heights, before the march across the
river several of the boys came TO the
rear of the column to leave with the
chaplain valuableS and messages to their
friends in case anything should happen.
Among the number came Mike, a
large, powerful and courageous Irish
mama great favorite in the regiment,
and a man who had always laughed at
danger and had rejoiced at the oppor-
tunity of having ''scrimUage" with
the enemy.
On this occasion he appeared to be an
entirely different man. He approached
the chaplain with tears in his eyes. He
gave him a picture of a sister living in
Portland, his Catholic catechism and
other relics and in a choked voice gave
the address of his friends and what he
then declared TO be his dying message to
them.
The chaplain endeavored to cheer and
encourage him, but in vain.
chaplain" said he, "l'm not afraid
to fight; I'm not afraid to die: am not
q coward; but there is something here
(slapping his breast) which tells me my
time has come; Chaplain, will you
please write my sister a kind letter.
She is Christian Catholic and l love
her dearly" Soon the word forward
rang along the line and Mike, with the
tears coursing down his cheeks, grasped
the hand of the chaplain and requested
the good man to pray for him. He then
took his place in the ranks. The long
column began TO move slowly down Ia
the river, soon increasing its speed to
the double quick, over the pontoou
bridges across the river into the streets
of the city, out on the plains and hillside
beyond it amid smoke. shot and she'll
and death wounds and rebel yell, up &c
the very frowning jaws of death on the
heights beyond. The terrible charge
the murderous repulse, repeated again
and again that afternoon: the night can.
nonade, the long day following of Skin.
mish and movement, the succeeding
night and the early morning abandon
ment and retreat across the river have
been many times told. AS soon as pos
sibe after the battle the chaplain made
earnest inquiries'for Mike; but no Mike
was there to answer him.
In the terrible charge he was seen to
fall in the forefront of battle, and was
borne from the field fatally wounded
His boistercus, cheerful voice, good
natured countenance, rich brogue and
bury form, were never again with us
His was the most marked and startling
case of presentiment of coming death OF
disaster that came under my observation
in the army.
Army life and its dangers made many
of us believe in fate--that the decree OF
the Great Author had fixed the span OF
life for each one. We were sometimes
constrained to- believe that a very thr
curtain was stretched between the seer
and the unseen, and that few mortal,
were permitted TO look beyond the
visible and to receive the absolute as.
surance of the future fate in store fol
them and near at hand.
Waterville, Ne. l.. d. CARVER.
RrftIah A ru,v IN