Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1890-03-27
A WAR "REMINISCENCES.
A Veteran. Memory Reyerts 10 the Close
ot An EVentfni Day.

bHOSt OF oEhsf dE3lN'-e RliuutE anu
gloom come close together and empha-
size each other
In the storm Of the years that are fad
ing, memory rcveris to the close Of a
battle-day when an orderly galloped up
and said: ii Is the order OF the General
commanding tile brigade that your bat
terry advance 10 the front" and he was
away amid the dust and smoke which
hung heavy. making men and horses
look like spectre> moving in the neither
gloom.
Bugles blared horses plunged and
reared. the six pieces Win caissons
but what is this" Ny horse wavers, and
the agony Of death comes. Hit. sir2'
said a grim sergeant, AZ h. caught my
horse struggling 10 the carth with one
fore and one hind leg smashed by the
binding explosion which covered US
with dirt aud each other, blood And
then. what pain The bursting shells,
tho sharp reports and rattle of mus8otry.
fell upon the ear ID painful periods and
the throbbiug life seemed 10 80 out with
the reeoding sounds Then came
cessation Of all darkness 81 night as
well as that Of mental vision, elosing
the scene
The ambulance, Well what Of
that said pcesishly IL the men with
the Geneva cross 0pon thcir sleeves Is
they Laid me Upon the straw. While two
smoke cgrlmed aud blood stained NOR
tails groaned ou earb side rs We loltcd
away 10 the field hospital IN the rear.
Dead men with dpturned white faces.
rendered whittier still by The moonlight.
strewed che way. Gone Was Tie glamor
OF military glory succeeded ~ burning
thirst and agony.
Lay him 70 one side " said the sur
geou, as his assistant tightened blood
stained bandage; and with hali-closed
eyes ! saw dim figures move about the
miserable building mprov sed As a nos
pital few candles the glare 81 pine
torches ~mel OF WHISKY tobacco and
an@sthetIcs the fecbie resistance to the
surgeon knife, the sound Of the dread
full little saw. the deft finger. and the
last groans OF those whom surgery could
not save, passed before my dim sight
and benumbed senses Hike phantoms;
then my turn came
The first glimpse of ,treteher bear
ing motionlcss form il starting: the
return Of m ctnetized patient is more
trying The same is true OF death
scene. IL Is terrible 70 see The enemy
clutch man NV the throat ana shake
him, Yet il rather nerves tue witness 10
more desperate struggle lost lie HIM
Sc be brought into such straits.
AT last and i seemed an age some
one said tome and was lifted upon
the rude operating table. .Chloroform
or ether said a toIee Ia he rear.
Both and wet cloth with the
sickening sweet auid uas placed over
my face Long brcath~ said the SUR
geon, and tried to answer assent but
MY voice seemed to step high Gke the
legs Of driuken man Then came the
battle DER again NJ battery dashed
past: horses. bagles and men mingled
in a mad whirl stream, 81 white light
shot from the guns. aud then blank!
1T seemed hour- taen tie night air
came damp and.ehin tas sitting IN
the old chHrrh1a yard which I knew when
a boy. sitting Isl mv bod There An
other blank, I ,a~a sunny summer
afternoon The birds we're singing. and
the odor Of the pines came on he breeze
Was this death2 II seemed Z pleasant
experience after alI EHt what is this
nausea the eXcruciatng pain Take
him away Ne is playing postum and
! resented The irreyereuee Of the re-
mark was too fresh from the grave
yard So tolerate such familiarity. and
then, might la dead alieF Al
The pain again and tbe blank not SO
hlauS az before There Were scattering
thoughts striving IL assert themselves.
Yes is all right. IL is an right"
said 70 myself. and then appeared in
capital letters confronting me. This
must be- coming 90. How painful life is.
and yet to be alive, tuai brougdt a
thrill Ct JOY.
The first etreakS 81 the gray dawn
were streaming in: tired surgeons were
wiping heir instruments. bu4les at the
front we're sounding reteillo a fair
hair young officer lay Tx nay side. we
had been boys together be lad che
smile Of conqueror upon his face and
as touched his cold band with mine
mine, SO hot and fevrrish knew he
was dead. and 4 feeling d sadness came
as the thought developed that Was
alive. Cor United Service
Relics at Mount Mactsregor.
Among the historic re,a.s preserved at
Mount MacGregor are thr Sod 81 which
General Grant died the TWO chairs
where BE passed 81 many weary hours,
the pen with which he las wrote the
pencils and pads he used Whom eommu-
nicating with others, two Of His last
messages to friends a portion IF his
wardrobe, and perhaps, the most sug-
gestive Of all on tho stand by he side
Of the leather-covered chairs that served
as his couch until few hours before
his death. candle burned 10 the socket
burned out. These are but few o.
the interesting reminders this cottage
contains 81 the Generals last days a
Mount MacGrrgor Troy !. l9Times