The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1890-04-17
ssWounded Unto Death."

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the right leg by a bullet which scraped
the bone. Had 1 been in health and
yigor could have crawled away off the
field of battle, but I had been out of the
hospital only few days, and really had
no business in the ranks. 1 got out a
bandage aud checked the flow Of blood as
we'll as I could, and then got into the
most comfortable position to wait the
turn Of events. The knowledge that my
wound was not fatal one, and the belief
that I would no. even lose my leg, kept
me in pretty good spirits, and I SAW
and heard all that went on around
me.
Near by were three men who were
mortally wounded. The one at my feet
was strong and robust man, and had
his left hip shattered by piece of shell.
He had been unconscious from the shock
for long time, but when he came to he
began to swear in the most vigorous
manner. He had wife and children Mt
home, but he did not seem to give them
thought. BE swote at bis wound, at
the enemy, at the battery behind us, at
himself for enlisting, and at me when I
asked if I could help him. he died
while indulging in strain of profanity,
aud he had scarcely fallen back when
one of the others reused up, and went
through the same proceedings, and died
exactly the same way.
When Joe Hooker flung at the terrible
stone wall at the foot of Msyre's Hill, in
the streets of Fredericksburg, I had my
cap knocked off by bullet. Ther 8
second struck my musket, and third
tore the cloth on my left shoulder. I
knew 1 should be hit, but l did not feel
the bullet which plowed into my right
shoulder. The first I knew began to
grow dizzy, and all at once sank
down ina heap. I am sure I tainted
away, for things had changed when I
once more opened my eyes. Our lines
had been driven back, and the Confeder.
ates we're cheering. The first thing was
to reoch for my canteen, which was
fortunately full of water. The next was
to feel for baudage, and stuff the soft
cloth into the wound as well as I could.
Dead and dying men we're lying all about
me, and here 1 saw two different phases
ofhuman nature under the suffering. a
young man, who lay on the broad of his
back close to me, and who had been shot
in the stomach, swore like pirate for
about FIVE minutes before he died.
Another soldier, who was older and far
heavier man, sat up at my right hand.
A piece of shell had struck him in the
side. Instead Of swearing he fell to
weeping. he hadn't word about home
or friends, but muttered that it wasn't
fair to shoot him down that way, aud
that he was always iu bad luck, and there
were tears ot his cheeks when he breath.
ed his last.
1t touches the heart to read ofa burial
party finding dead soldier with his
Bible or some loved ones photograph in
his hand, but I never came across any
thing of the sort. I helped bury the
dead on thirteen different fields of battle,
but never found anything of the sort. A
man wounded unto death will either
swear or cry. Where he does neither, be
will crawl away by himself to Gle and
hold his peace. What he thinks of no
one can tell, but I have found plenty OF
them who evidently lived for an hour
after being hit, and who had Bibles or
photographs with them and could have
got them out, but did not.
have always believed that the man
who was mortally wounded and had only
short time to live fully realizes the
situation. Their actions always proved
it in pitiful way. l knew three broth.
era to be mortally wounded by the same
shell at Antietam. They were very
afectionate towards each other, so much
SO that it vas subject of remark. The
sensimentsliat would picture them dying
in each others arms and bidding each
other good-by: but this was far fron the
case. One of them, as a wounded man
told me, swore in an awful way, q second
wept, while the third kept hispeace. Each
crept away in different direction to die
aud there was distance of a hundred
feet between their dead bodies when
we found them.
In assioting to bury the dead at Gettys'
burg, our party came across soldier
from New York regiment whose dead
face was almost laughing. He had beer
wounded in the breast, and could moi
have lived over fifteen minutes. HI
must have suffered terribly while dying
but at the lact moment the pain left him
and he was free. This was no doub
what brought the smile to his face:
smile of rejoicing and relief. After thf
fight at Williamsburg we found soldlel
who had died from shot in the groin
He had taken thirty dollars from hi
pocket and placed thunder his body, torr
up two letters, and had spread a hand
kerchief over his face and passed away
SO quietly that his countenance betrayed
none of the pain which must have beer
his.
Here is pointer for farmers who us'
high price guano. A citizen Of Newton
district says that while he was putting II
guano last spring preparing to plant cot
ton, he killed black snake six feet long
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