The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1889-03-22
UzTO Death.

a battle is not always a whirl of c%onfus-
ion 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, aud as VIC began
firing | 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 well and
two or three called out that he looked neal
enough like me to be a brother. By his
own Individual efforts he rallied enough
men to check us temporarily, but after a few
minutes we drove them again aud were in
the Federal camp. Then our lines broke
and each man fought for himself. | 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 advancing slowly, and by and by, as
we crowded them from their shelter, | got
a fair view of the sergeant. For a moment
| forgot that there was any one else in all
that battle. | had raised my gun when he
wheeled and he raised his, and we both
fired together. ! went down Ike a log.
having received his bullet in the right
shoulder, and for two hours l Rugged the
earth beside a log to escape being hit again
by the missiles of friend or toe.
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, |
could not make my way off the field. l
could not tell front from rear, nor was there
one chance in ten of FINDING a field hospital.
After pulling myself up, and holding to a
tree for a few minutes, / felt better and
advanced to the spot where | had last seen
on his back. My bullet had struck him
in the side aud he was fatally hit. AS
knelt down beside him he recognized me
and said:
'Yoa have given me my death wound"
'But yen sought to kill me-" I protest
ed, in extenuation.
Eyes, I fred at you. Some of the men
said you looked like me, and I felt a desire
to kill you"
LET Us be friends" l said, as / kneIt
beside him. 81 eau use one hand and arm,
aud perhaps | can stop the bleeding"
st is too late!' he whispered.
So it was. Tfe had lost a great quantity
Of blood, and it was still pouring out and
sinking away into the black soil of the
forest. As my hand touched his he grasp
ed it and said:
"We were enemies. Let US be friends.
Give me water"
l held my canteen to his lips until his
thirst was satisfied, and then I sat beside
him and held his hand. and watched the
shadow of death coming nearer. He lay
with his eyes closed for a long time, and
at last whispered:
''Tell Mary and the children l I'M ON
ing!'7
My heart smote me as | thought of the
wife and children who would never see him
again-of the black pail of sorrow which
would settle down over happy household.
"And tell father and mother.' he gasp
ed. s'Have them all come to the old home
to meet me-"
And there was a father-and a mother
and brothers and %sistersl And my bullet
would bring tears and sobs md walls aud
mourning. And the sunshine fife would
go out of many hearts for months and
years-perhaps forever. I prayed him over
and over to forgive ME, and as death came
nearer l dared not look away from his pale
face for fear that | should meet the accus-
ing glances of widow and orphans through
the drifting smoke OF battle. As death
finally came he clutched my hand with
firmer grip, looked into my eyes with a
last effort and family whispered:
SIT is war, horrible war! Let us be
friends, God bIessMary andt the children!'
-"EgR Rebel in Detroit Free Press.