The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1891-11-27
HIT AT ANTlErAM.
Who Was the Wounded soldiers Bene.
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Who Was the Wounded soldiers Bene.
factor.
Hooker was trying to drive jackson
at Antietam. It Is one of the myster.
les of war that no did not annihilate
him and then take Lee in flank. wa
outnumbered him. and we extended
our lines until only skirmish line Of
gray opposed US but on no field Of
battle in the whole war did the Con,
federates fight so fercely. 1t seemed
as if every single company had been
told to hold its ground until the last
man was wiped out We breasted u6
to the gray lines time after time, but
they would not give back. They faced
US and died. If they lost rod Of
ground they charged back and recov.
cred two.
l remember how the corn waved
and rustled as we pushed through il
that day-how the silken tassels be.
came detached and floated into our
faces like spider-webs on dewy sum.
mers morning. They were waiting
for us-the men who had come ut
from Harper's Ferry without a halt
foot sore. hungry, thirsty, but ready
to die to save Lees left wing. They
made never halt to moisten their
parched Threats at the wells OF Sharps.
burg-never halt for the laggards to
come up. Lee was in danger, and old
Stonewall rode at their head. The
politicians simply slur them. Those
who breasted up against them on the
battlefield remember only how GAL
lantly they died.
At first scattering fre-a man fall
ing out here and there. The pop! popt
pop! increases in rapiditY-now it be-
comes continual roar-here comes
the command to charge. There is
cheer-a rush, and we are checked.
Men cannot dodge bullets, but we
dodge as they zip and spit and whistle
by our ears. A storm of bullets can
not be breasted like a gale of wind
laden with snowfakes. but we bend
our heads and advance.
What is it? Why am lying on the
ground? Is the fight over that the
din of battle has so nearly died awayp
l wonder and wonder. 1t is like wax.
ing out of a sound slumber. Now
know what it is-Tm hit A bullet
has crashed into my shoulder, spun me
around like top and then dashed me
to the earth in heap. Men struck
that way lose consciousness for a min
ute or two. The roar swells out
again-I hear men cursing and cheer
ing, and finally understand that our
lines have been driven back. lift
my head for hasty look around, and
I find that I have lots Of company.
The dead and wounded are as numer.
GUS as the corn hills.
A bullet in the shoulder is nothing.
A pint or two of blood lost from the
body is of no account. I turn over,
seize dead man by the arm and pull
myself up, but everything dances be-
fore my eyes, and sink down in o
heap. It isn't the wound itself, but
the shock to the nervous system I've
seen a six-footer drop in a heap and
cry like woman because a bullet
made one of his fingers an inch short
er, and he never was charged with
being coward either.
There is no such thing as time on
a battlefield. A general may watch
its flight, but private soldier has no
thought of it. The sun may have
been at meridian when the battle
opened. All of sudden he is amazed
that the orb has gone from sight He
has fought on giving no heed to time.
Only half conscious-only half real
izing that was hit by and by felt
the cool breezes of evening and lost
the glare of the sun. Some one gave
me water. but l felt too dreamy to
open my eyes Some one pulled a
dead man over my legs-a wounded
comrade who had crept over to me in
search of water and died. But 1 did
not open my eyes; could not. 1t
seemed as if great weights had been
placed on my eyelids to keep them
shut. There was babel of sounds
around me, but I heard only one voice.
That sounded miles away as it said:
Nov. then. you all be mighty
keerful how you tote that boy, for he's
bin powfully hit. Needn't mind me so
much though reckon I'm good for q
wooden leg if you Yanks kin spar tho
timber.
1t was rebel" He had been car
ing for me for hours as tenderly as he
would for his own son, and vet they
separated us that night never to meet
again. have never had opportunity
to look into his face and thank him.
l never even saw Hmm. 7. World.