Arizona weekly enterprise., 1890-03-08

war rom the 1rOnJ lI WAS source OI great comfort, for it is not always pos sible during fighting times, to provide large army scattered over many miles of wet Virginia clay with all the necessaries of life, so that our soldiers clothing was quite frequently in sad plight, both as to cleanliness and ser viceableness and visit to City Point was therefore considered great boon, inasmuch as the mentioned commits sions and reliefs would supply any petitioner most literally with the creature comforts asked for, from good suit of underwear to a pipe and tobacco, a good book to a so-called housewife, manufactured by some body's "girl I left behind me-" and containing needles, thread, buttons, etc., of every size and suited to every want, There were not less than forty places where the boy in blue could sit himself comfortably down and pen a few lines to his anxious parents, brothers, sisters, to the weeping sweet heart and let them know, that once more he has escaped unscathed from that last terrific battle. Kind hands would furnish him gladly with the necessary materials and postage stamps and even attend kindly to the safe mailing of his loving missive to the dear ones at home.
 In no other place has one the same opportunity of observing how men pass from this life into the unknown be- yond, like in a hospital. Upon the battle field there is no time for obser- vation, much less for reflection here your friend is struck down, but you cannot stop he falls, your comrade of many battles, of many faithful watch es on the lonely picket-line in the si- lent darkness of the night; perhaps you have just time to grasp his hand in last farewell, to say to him one last sad word, look once more into his beloved features-aild on, on you go to victory, to your own death per haps.
 The Norwegians have a poetic le- gend, in their country called "saga, that the swan feels the coming disso- lution few moments before it's death and although during its whole life time it is never heard to utter one note of song, it will, when it feels that warning of approaching death, soar high into the blue ether above and pour forth a strain of sweetest melody with the last note of which it expires The death scene which I shall here at tempt to describe, I will not ever endeavor to explain, for it cannot bt done; Bulwer Lytton says somewhere "A mystery is not necessarily Q miracle" The surgeon who had the case under treatment said: "If thii is not a miracle, it certainly is z mystery"
 Towards the end of the great strug gle, late in March and the beginning of April 1865, the hospital at Cit. Point became very much crowded | every uay tH1 UIaiUo rI0Tn tuczTTUn brought large numbers of wounded victims of the severe fighting at Fiy' Forks, Southside railroad and nearl. all along the line invading Peters burg. On the 2nd of April l was alsC wounded and on the 4th arrived a City Point where I was placed in , hospital tent containing twelve beds all occupied by wounded men. Or one bed lay large man about 40 year of age with silky beard and beauti ful large blue eyes. Who he was ant whence he came, no one could tell least of all himself, for he was sho just below his nose, the ball havin, penetrated through his mustache anC lodged somewhere inside. Being als' wounded in the right hand he was in capable of writing; his mouth wa very much swollen and his lips wer' firmly shut; he was fed through tn hole made by the bullet by means o tube, of course with liquid food on ly. As he had lost his cap we coulC not even locate him as to his company regiment or state; speech was to hIn an utter impossibility and the attend ing surgeon had no doubt that h' would die before long of lock-jaw. Bu if he was denied the privilege of utter ance, he was unquestionably close ob server and eager listener to what wen on around him; you could tell tha by his eyes, which were such mirrors of his intellect as to be almost speak ing eyes and he was certainly very fond of music. This we found ou very soon. There was in the same tent young soldier, almost a boy yet of a Massachusetts regiment; he haC a comparatively light wound in ont ankle and he had certainly the gift O song in an extraordinary degree; sing he would, as long as he saw that ht was not disturbing the rest of any O us (and he was very considerate } hi. voice was so sweet and soft and gen tie, that we would rather have hin sing than not. It was furthermore evident by the eager looks of our un known patient that he greatly enjoyed the youngsters free vocal concerts which latter had quite an extensive repertoire ot love and patriotic songs his favorite apparently being the mar tial tone of eve are coming, father Abraham, three hundred thousand strong" Whenever he would sing this, our silent comrade would fully beat the measure with his uniniured hand upon the counterpane and hi; eyes would-oh! how they would speak! But he was visibly becoming weaker from day to day.
 On the occasion of President Lin. coln's visit to Richmond just after its surrender he came to see us also; think it was on Aptil 9th. He shook hands with us all and addressed to us a few friendly words, reminding us to bear patiently our sufferings, that now the beginning of the end had come. When he touched our unknown's hand and said few kindly words to him especially Che must have noticed his intense pain and pitiable condi- tion,) two great crystal drops started from the sufferers eyes and fell slowly over his poor mutilated face.
 Shall I describe to you the terrible anguish, the deep sorrow, the wailings and lamentations that were felt and uttered in the great canyas-camp of City Point on the morning of the 18th of April 1S65?As if great catastrophe had come upon each roof, each tent; as if death blow had been dealt to each particular heart, thus did we feel, we boys in blue. Old veterans would