The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1891-07-02
A WAiF OF THE WAR.
Fragment OF History Chronicfed by .
Soldier Who Wore the Grey.

/ enlisted rs private in the Second
Louisiana Volunteers in 1861. My first
real soldering was on the Yorktown
Peninsula. While there or At Suffolk
(I forget whicl) there strolled into
camp young boy, not over 10 or II
years of age, who attached himself to
one of the neighboring regiments.
Who he was. his name. or where he
came from l can not now recall. He
was looked upon as No Mans child.
and as such found genial fellowship
among the soldiers.
| soon realized that he was Il cosmo-
politan, and at home anywhere, for |
next saw him the pet of the First South
Carolina Volunteers. How long he
staid with them can not say. 1t was
nearly rear before | saw him again.
His small form and boyish face were a
great contrast 10 the men among
whom he mingled. | remember then
how odd it seemed to see that child in
Il camp. but lie was truly the child of
the regiment.
After we had fallen back to Rich
mond, and after those terrible seven
days of battle, the army was reorgan-
lied, and the troops brigaded by
States. so lost sight of our Carolina
ncighbors and also the boy.
At the second Manassas, on the 29th
OF August. 1862. our brigade (Stark's
poor fellow. he fell at Sharpsburg)
was lying in the woods nearly oppo-
site that terrible deep cut" When
the dripping, scattering fire of the
Yankee skirmishers drove in our out
lockers (as odd Jack" didn't have Il
counter skirmish line) the cry For
ward Yang along our lines, and we
advanced and almost ran into the
Yankees who, giving us Il deadly vol
ley. fell back rapidly across the field
and into the woods beyond where
battery. supported bv swarm of
troops. was posted. Nothing checked
us. Under whitening fire of minnies
and canister we pressed on. Bushrod
johnson riding ahead with his sword
run through his hat, waving US on
until we waved him out of our line
of fire Jy yelling to him to clear the
way.
When we arrived within about a
hundred yards of the battery the line
was halted, and under this raking fire
the alignment was corrected and the
men right dressed" to be shot down.
! have thought often that that con-
mand of halt; might have been
'heroic, but it certainly was not war;
however. not man faltered. Again
forward, and we drove straight for the
guns.
Just then felt thud, sting,
twist around and fell A mimic had
struck my pocket Bible edgewise, and,
passing nearly through the New
Testament part. dug trench across
my left side into the flesh. With the
blood squirting from my side. | start
ed rrarward, while our boys, brave
fellows, went up and over the battery,
scattering its supports like chatf
As struggled back over the field
the dead and wounded. blue and grey
alike, lying all around, heard great
rumbling on my left and noticed that
our guns were plunging 10 the front
under lash and shout to seize the hills
whence TO pour shot into the now re-
treating foe. | can see them now
tumbling bouncing, surging to gain
the front.
What else did see?
So close | could almost reach him,
the little boy sitting on the Timber of
one of the pieces, his eyes aAimc, his
hat waving his treble voice shouting
excitedly, and his whole being lit up
and aglow with the terrible magnetism
Of battle-checring on the line.
L have never seen him since. He
passed on and was lost in the cloud
and smoke of the lie d, but the MEM
ory of that inspiring scene will never
fadc.-1. l.. S. III Detroit Free Press.