The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1890-10-17

MAI. ELIJAH WALLIS.
Some Facts About one of verm0nt's Bravest
| sOldiers-:'rOmOti0ns that He Refused
The Tender and Chivalric Side Of his Char
acter. tE
Another reminder that the hereN- age OF
American history is fast receding, comes In
the death of one of Vermonts veritable
heroes, lher beau Ideal of soldier as
he was universally recognized at the time.
In the war for the Union. Major Elijah Wales
died about o'clock Monday morning, after
| four days' illness. He went home about i've
O'Clock last Wednesday evening, saving that
he was tired and would 60 to bed. At ten
O'Clock he was In the clutch OF high fever,
delerious and very sick. Although ne had
been mau of extraordinary vig0r and endur-
ance, DR.. Bowen. who was at once called,
decided that because of his age, the wounds
and hardshps be had undergone, this being
his third attack OF typhoid fever, his chance
of recovery was very slight. LII was really
his wound in the battle of the wilderness
that carried him off. That he should ever
have survived this wound was one OF the
maxwell of the war. lie was hit while he
was standing up, while his command lay fiat,
giving orders with motioning of his sword.
The ball struck under his left arm, passing
thrOuyh the narrow space between Tue neart
and the spine, through his right lung and out
the other shoulder. He had suffered acutely
from it. with a feeling as he described II, IKE
a constant dripping there, and was Obliged to
give up his work at the Estey shops TWO years
ago on this account. The pleura surrounding
the lung and the sack of the heart had be-
come adherent aud the fever caused an Intense
congestion there which resulted IN his death.
Elijah Wales life In the most Intimate
view Of 1t is an Inspiration. BrattleDoro peo-
pie, especially the younger generation, who
only saw him IN the commonplace round OF
daily labor, did not realize it. But among the
Vermont soldiers there was not one who
would not doff the hat at the mention OF the
name, and whose eye would not kindle and
cheek suffuse with pride and admiration ut
the recOunting of his deeds. Meeting vete-
rams In other parts of the state and country,
one of the names sure to be inquired about
was that Of Elijah Wales. He was the first
man to enlist from BrattlebOro at bis cOun-
try's call. He went into the service private,
and came out Major by breyet. AID he
only failed to 10 higher In rank becaNse be
refused other prpInOtions. He VIZ Iseral
uImes vfrrrcd the coloneiny or ne Elh feg-
iment, but he declined 1t because he wtuid
not go away from his old comrades. Even
before that when second lieutenant, he was
several times offered the captaincy Of other
companies In his own regiment, but re.
fused them to stick to his company. When
he was mustered out, he might have gone in
to the regular army, with rank and pay
equivalent TO that OF a brigader-general of
Volunteers, but refused 1t to stay and care
for his wife who had become q cripple from
rheumatism while he was at the trout. Just
think what this meant for him! Without
wealth, or influential friends, or any advan.
tages Of any kind, it meant labor for his
daily bread, AS against q good salary. an
easy birth on the retired list in a few years.
comfort and position. And yet he deliberate
day duty. Grandly heroic as he had been on
the battle field, here was truer and greater
heroism still.
Elijah Wales was native of Dorchester, |
Mass, the son of Elijah and Sarah Clifton
Wales. born May q, 1929, SO that be was a
little over 61 years old at the time ofhis death
His father was killed by a blasting accident
just before Elijah was born. From early youth
The latter's lot was therefore one of hard work.
He was brought up by an uncle, had very
little schooling and got what education he
had nights 10y the iightD OF seaweed fire !
while tending 1t to keep greenhouse warm.
He came to Brattleboto " hen 20, worked for |
a time on the new railroad, then In Capt. |
Wallens' planning mill, and In the VintOn
paper mil. where he was at the outbreak of
The war. He was leader In the organization
Of Co. e Capt. Todd, second Vermont re-
,iments, enlisted IN April 1861, the next night
liter President Lincoln's call, and was MUS
cred into the service June 81. TIE company
vas first enlisted as three mohth's men, but
is the regiment was filed without 1t, 1t was
nlisted for two years, and then over again for
n 90 battles, dead-fn-earnest en- every one, re.
nllsted when his term was out, staid to the
'ery end and was one of the 6O OF The origi.
al members mustered out at Burlington.
The only two OF his company that went
through II all and came back with him
we're Fay Bowker and Chas. y. Stockwell.
ust before the mastering In, June 70, 1861,
% was annoipted first sergeant 1 I the COM
any. and in the fall was raised to orderly
erceant. He was promoted second lieuten-
nt- January %, 1862: first lieutenant, Octob-
r 20, 1862: captain, March !. 1868; and brev-
/ major. August 1. 1864. He was the only I
fiicer who had all his books and reports
rom the beginning when muslereu 1s; ouii III ,.,.
There was hardly battle during all this '
ime where he was not conspicuous for head !
mo bravery. Mai. o. +. r. Waite's book
Vermont in the Rebellion" published in -,
500. says:
But few men who went to the war from Yer ,
eceiyed greater number of wounds, lnd had ,
,ore hair breadth escapes, than BfeVel Major /,
njah Wales of Brattle boro, and he sun lives
tell his own story his ,,nS rscoau nDs
10 retnrned 10 f,rattleboTo after the cruel war G
as over" still. resides there, and may he long u
~ IN aniOy the blessings VI tut eooa GOVERN Al
ent for which he most nobly fought.
He was four TIM wOundec in the Wilder
ess fight. at Opequan. Va. aud at the skir. =
,isbes In the SHENANDOAH. The wound by a v
inie ball at the wilderness fight, is de- q
.rIsed above. He saw the man who was u
,oori, at him, and shortly before he was o
n the aim was accurate enough TO tear off a D
,oulGer strap for him; but he kept on In
epedly doing his duty. He had few mo- a
ents before been out some distance in u
ont of his lines to make sure II was the c
,emy opposite. When be was ht be
nj al, around him supposed II was death u
ouud. aud he gave his watch and money +
nj messages for home to Sergeant Miller v,
ut as the expected end did not cone, Mel. bl
m Cole and George Prouty carried him back bi
the field hospital, where the gallant John cl
TYLER was also. and there waitet many b,
,urs for the surge eons 10 attend e his case re
,til be was satisfied that The reason OF
ey let him alone was thu they St
.lieyed II useless to waste time On him, r.
hen there were 80 many other hsts that OF
'uId be saved. But as be wasn't Dad vet. af
didn't propose to give up and eotcluded af
20 where the surgeons had more tue. So Sc
got up and walked back toward Aancel- an
rsyiile seven or eight miles. splitting blood. OF
a driving rain with nothing but lair Of in
lnts and n blouse for covering, 1ltil be th
ached the ''old mine,- so-called. lhe BOYS tn
E.x~ksf A.