Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1891-04-21
A PRssENTlMENr.

Army OF the Potomac and ~, tie
SIDE assumed command Tbi.
was very unpopular with the bows VIZ
loved Little Mac and who felt a Great d ~
gree OF uncertainty in the abilitv ~ ~
new commander There was wide snraaS
dlscontent in the ranks in conseo,,a,s1
OF this change. Added to this tha =,
snicip'e strategists at home were still
ciamorlng for forward movement ra
gardless OF time or favorable opport,,nitv
III we" OIL these facts, it was deene1
absolutely necessary that a battla sho,,Id
De fought under the new leadar a, ~
earliest possible moment Tho a..
oattie OF Fredericksburg was the result
On the day of that battle our brigade
cimned the heights on the southeastern
bank OF the Rappahannock onnosite
fredericksburg, and halted upon tho
summit near some heavy batteries Az
we looked down upon the river With ;.o
slender pontoon bridge, with the citv
upon Its opposite margin, and as we
raised our eyes to corresponding haigbto
just back of the city, frowning with can
non and breastworks and swarmino viii
Confederate soldiery, painful and over.
powering sense Of the impossible tasI,
before us and the deadliness of the I'M.
dertaking in all its horrible mapnituda
forced itself upon the minds of ali
present. "i'
a sense OF duty, the imminence of the
great dangers before us, and the near
ness OF the conflict, served to close nm
the ranks and to keep nearly every man
in his place. man
mad been detailed with small SQUAD
10 act as provost general to prevent fall
ing out and struggling to the rear. Dur
ing the short halt on the brow Of the
heights, before the march across tbe
river, several Of the boys came to the
rear OF the column to leave with the
chaplain valuables and messages to their
friends in case anything should happen
Among the number came Mike. LARGE
powerful and courageous Irishman n
great favorite in the regiment, and a
man who had always laughed at danger
and had rejoiced at the opportunity of
having 'scrimmage" with the enemy.
On this occasion he appeared to be an
entirely different man. He approached
the chaplain with tears in his ewes. He
gave him picture of sister living in
Portland, his Catholic catechism and
other relics, and in choked voice gave
the address of his friends and what he
then declared to be his dying message to
them.
The chaplain endeavored to cheer and
encourage him, but in vain.
chaplain" said he, I'm not afraid
to fight; I'm not afraid to die; am not
coward, but there is something here
(slapping his breast) which tells me nv
time has come Chaplain, will you please
write my sister kind letter? She is a
Christian Catholic and l love her dearly. -
Soon the word forward" rang along
the line, and Mike, with the tears cours-
ing down his checks, grasped the hand
of the chaplain and requested the good
man to pray for him. He then took his
place in the ranks. The long column
began to move slowly down to the river,
soon increasing its speed to the double
quick, over the pontoon bridges across
the river into the streets of the city, out
on the plains and hillside beyond it amid
smoke, shot and shell and death wounds.
up to the very frowning jaws of death
on the heights beyond. The terrible
charge, the murderous repulse, repeated
again and again that afternoon; the night
cannonade, the long day following OF
skirmish and movement, the succeeding
night and the early morning abandon
ment and retreat across the river have
been many times told. As soon as posi-
BILE after the battle the chaplain made
earnest inquiries for Mike; but no Mike
was there to answer him.
In the terrible charge he was seen
to fall in the forefront of battle, and was
borne from the field fatally wounded
His boisterous, cheerful voice, good ma
tured countenance, rich brogue and burly
form, were never again with us. His
was the most marked and startling case
of presentiment of coming death or dis
aster that came under my observation in
the army.
Army life and its dangers made many
of us believe in fate-that the decree OF
the Great Author had fixed the span OF
life for each one. We are sometimes con
strained to believe that a very thin cur
tain was stretched between the seen and
the unseen, and that few mortals were
permitted to look beyond the visible and
to receive the absolute assurance Of the
future fate in store for them and near at
hand.-L. d. Carver in Lewiston Jour
nal