Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1891-07-09
THANK YOU, JOHNNY


How n Confederate Saved Union Soldiers
Life.
Our brigade was changing positions
at Stone river so as to cover the exposed
flank of another brigade, when | sud-
denly sank down in heap. can re-
member of falling, and it seemed to me
as if l fell distance of fifty feet.
also heard far-away voice saying:
Forward, men-forward Steady on
the right
If the missiles which struck me had
reached vital spot death would have
come without pain or consciousness. l
sank away like one going to sleep, and
the roar of battle lulled rather than dis
iturbed me- ! think it was as much as
twenty minutes before l came to, and
the fight had then gone down the line
to the left, and it was comparatively
quiet where l lay. l had been hitl
The thought gave me a sudden shock
and cleared my mind. Where had the
bullet struck me? l felt no pain, aud
for few seconds hoped that had only
been stunned. Then l located the
wounds. One of Bragg's shells had ex-
ploded near by. 1t must have been
charged with special reference to my
case, for three of the bullets it con-
tanned struck me in the right leg, the
left shoulder and the right hand re-
spectively.
BY and by l sat up. / was weak and
thirsty, but felt no pain. There were
four dead men in front of me and two
on the left and one on the right. Of the
"a
my regiment, who had been killed by
the same shell which had wounded me-
l could not see behind me, of course,
but heard two or three wounded men
grooming. Fortunately, | had a can
teen of water, and my wounded hand
rave me no pain as | lifted it up and
drank my fill. had just worked along
into hollow spot, where l had rest
for my back, when ferce-loolxing fell
low, whose dress showed him to be a
: teamster or a camp-follower of some
sort, came out of a clump of bushes
about ten rods away. His object, as |
suspected at first glance, was to rob the
dead.
1t was very seldom that even the
worst of the army bummers had the
cheek to play the ghoul in broad day.
light, and that with fighting still going
on, but this fellow went about it as
coolly as you please. He went through
the pockets of every dead man in front
of me, getting considerable plumber
from each, and when he had finished
with the last he came over to me, re-
garded me with evil eyes moment, and
then asked:
What have you got?"
about ten dollars in money!" re-
piled.
shell out and be mighty quick about
it, toor'
81 can't I'm hit in three Places and
the money is in pocket under me-
Hand it over, say"
my friend, don't be rough on a
wounded man. If you'll raise me up
I'll try to get it for you"
Raise blazesr he growled II know
of a way to get it without so much
trouble.'
He hadn't far to look to find loaded
musket, and he picked it up, raised it
to his shoulder, and stepped forward to
put the muzzle to my head before he
PuA4Su VIC LIiSB6t he luIeTudl RnOu1
meant to blow my head off and then
rob me at his leisure. l saw it in his
eyes as plain as day, l believe his
finger was on the trigger when he sud-
: denly staggered back and fell to the
earth, the musket being discharged in
the air as he fell also saw the bullet
as it struck him. II hit him in the CEN
ter of the forehead, and seemed to be
enveloped in smoke as it struck.
That's Y at think of him, no mat
ter what e he belongs to-" called
voice be / me.
KIN y that voice that he was a
COME e, and l called
- eyou, Johnny,
that's me Yank"
d you shoot that fellow?"
Thar amt nobody else around re
could have done it"
Thank you, Johnny! What regi-
ment do YOU
But l couldn't finish tainted dead
away, and when | came to l. 5 being
picked up by the ambulance corps and
was suffering such pain that forgot