The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1890-10-17
MAI. DLIJAH WALES.
Continued from 1st page.


= he regained strength after this terrible strain
Z and suffering, be was eager to get back to The
.. front, and In less than two months time. he
= was there. Col. Austine tried to get him to
= 20 into the hospital In Brattlcboro, but
In vain. AS he reached Washington on
!. allow him to proceed. Hearing that they
! proposed to send him to another hospital, he
cleared out In the night, and reported the
next morning to his regiment for DUTY.
. though he was able at the time to put but
| one arm into his coat. In the grand review
at Washington the surgeon general recog.
: nized him and came and tapped him on the
shoulder. "Not to order you under arrest, .
be sa d, II merely wanted to see how cast
, iron man looked"
He was again wounded In Sept. 1854. at a
skirmish near Fishers Hill, Va, by u mimic
ball In the head breaking the bone over
the left eye. He went to the rear got bis head
bandaged, and was back leading his troops,
making a conspicuous mark for sharpsh RS
Gen. l.. A. Grant when be saw him, ordered
him of the field but Elijah waited until the
generals back was turned and went right
on fighting. Four days later in skfrmlsh at
Stony Point be was twice wounded, once In
the wrist and again IN the right leg. A won.
dcrfully hardy constitution enabled him to
quickly get back to the front again, and few
were the battles from the first Bull Run
when Brattleboro boy, Russell H. Benia-
min. offered up the first Vermont life for his
country-clear down to the final scene at D.
pomattox, where Maj. Wales dsunrless brav-
cry was not inspiring men 10 brave deeds.
He was the hero of one of the most dashing
acts of the whole war. at Petersburg Apr. 2,
1865, when be with three men, Fay B0wker
and two from Company #. captured piece
OF artillery, picking up primer as they run,
turned 1t upon the enemy, and fred upon
them three times, the charge they had
| = ha, olxyor NJ Il, ho o., 1,
extraordinary gallantry In the wilderness and
Grants bloody battles following eliminating
here that he received 4his Drevet as major
signed by President johnson and Secretary
Stanton. Col. A. F. Walker In his book
says 1t was for gaIIantry AZ Opequan that the
brevet was given. He was also commanded
| a. Petersburg on the second of April and In
the regiments last fight at Sailors Run. He
had charge Of u large and important recon-
| nosance from Brandy Station to Orange
Court House In the wintert0f ga, with 700 or
500 men in bis charge and carried it through
very successfully. An achievement much re.
marked on at the time was at Salem Heights
when he was lieutenant Capt. Ceasman of
Co. f. being wounded, Wales had to take
| command of both companies and he handled
them with great judgment ability under hot
fire.
He was the first man that Sheridan spoke
to after his famous20 mies,ride "What troops
are lucsC!' Lu6 HhIdUt IUII IIu uJTeO, he
Vermont brigade" 'Then we are all right"
81 knew that" was Wales reply in most mat.
ter of cause way.
In battle 1t was generally his practice to
sheathe his saber, seize the musket of the
first man that was wounded and 90 to firing.
To his men he was always kind and consider
ate, jovial In a big hearted way, and many
was the time that he relieved tired privates Of
their knapsacks or guns on the march 1t
was because of this hearty feeling for the
common soldier that he would have no part
in the officers reunions where they were eX-
cluded, but was active In the reglmental as
snciatiOn. He was ALWAYS every where a
man of vigorous and straight-to-the point
ideas, modest and sensitive. but standing
plumb on his convictions.
He commanded the regiment in several Lat |
ties. One of these was Cedar Creek, October |
10, 1864 Col. Tracy being for the time in
command of the brigade-where the regiment
plucklily held the skirmish line In front OF
Getty's division of the Sixth corps, when 1t |
made Its final stand, and checked Eary's adj
vance. The regiments casualties at the VIII
derness were the heaviest In the brigade, 297 |
out of total of 800 men.
Soldiers have often said that Elijah Wales |
was the only man they ever saw whom they |
believed not to feel particeof fear Ia battle. |
What made him 80 good soldier, 50 seem |
ingly fearless, was patriotism, which became |
an absorbing passion y It'll him, making him |
th0ughtiess of self. No man could come In |
contact with Maj. Wales without seeing how
deep and alLpermeating was this sentiment of
PATRIOTISM That 1t wasn't desire for glory |
for himself that controlled him-thOugh It |
may have had some influence, as it does with
all men-was shown by the opportunities OF
sef.adyancement that he threw away when
duty called In another direction. 1t Is love
for somet thing outside of selves devotion to
great sentiment or idea that makes men great,
and Maj. Wales was certainly great In this !
sense
1t Is the really brave man who Is tender. |
As has been well said patriotism has Its
root In the enn0bling principle of self.sacriice.
This side Of MAJ. Wales character has for a
quarter of century had constant proof in
his devotion to his invalid and crippled wife,
for whom he gave up his alluring opportunity
in the regular army. and for whom his minis
trations In all these years. so kind.so thought
ful, so unremtiDg, have been absolutely beau.
Iiful. With such qualities In thu man. it Is no
wonder that his comrades ia the field loved
him,and In the great balancing of his accounts
with life, they make a credit mark almost
beyond reckoning.
Since the war Maj Wales life has been
juliet and unassuming one. He returned to
Coffin, afterwards for L. X. Allen & Co., anC
hen was In the employ of Estey s. Co., most
,f the time up to two years ago. He was
foreman of Phoenix Engine company from
.bout 1867 to 1876 and chief engineer of our
ire department with only years intermis.
ZION from 1877 to 1881.
He married Sophia Bardwel November 81,
S49. who survives him with three children,
b. Wales, Jr., Mrs. Arthur Knight and Mrs.
\. II. Holden. One other child died in infan- :
y. He leaves no other relative nearer than !.
cousin. His sister Sarah also came to Brat.
lebOro and married AIanson Stone and
whose son Chas. W. Stone survives.
The funeral was held from his late Wash.
ngtOn street home Wednesday the Odd Fell
ows, the fire department and the old soldiers
urning out in q body. Among the latter
we're Is of his old company. including Job
1ong the honory member rs follows: NJ. II.
'ratt, p. A. Streeter, N. ). Cole. Albert
Jason, II. l.. Franklin, Dorr Blood. Geo. b.
'routy. C. s. Gould. Il. N. HescOck, g. NJ. I
,oIt. j. p. Butterfeid. l.. F. Bowker, c. j. 9
rockwell, H. A. Richardson. Several of i
hem came up from Massachusetts and Gen. I
ecticut to NIL this last sad Office for their n
)ved commander, Rev. f. w. Sprague
reached feeIingly on the services and char.
cter of the deceased. and quartette consist. 8
ng of Markham. Walker. Brazor and Herrick Il
ave several selections, the last one Zone by V
me" with deep effect. AT rhe grave the p
i'd Fellows ritual was given except that Mr..
prague offered prayer. 7
A touching coincidence is that Mai. Wales q,
rave Is close to that of Col. Tyler, only one a.
IT removed. and fitting that two such brave
ZEN and so attached to each other as they