Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1891-01-30
IN THE WILDERNESS IN 1864.
A STORY OF CLOUDY DAYS IN A
SOLDIERS LIFE,

a leW OF Ine clOuuy uhys IN my sOluleT
life. You often wonder why there is such
"A strong tie of comradeship among old
soldiers 1t is these very days am about
to speak of which cemented our friendship.
During the afternoon Of May marched
into the fight with my company. There
we're 63 of us, and we we're fairly in the
storm Of battle, within about 80 yai ds Of
| our foe, before we were aware of IL. They
were ready for business and received Us
with a volley of musketry that thinned our
! ranks in fearful manner. We had been
taught the art Of fighting, but how to run
at such times was not easily learned by
Nermunters We held our ground until IS
Of our number had fallen, killed or wound
ed During this time ! had received three
wounds-a slight one in the neck, flesh
wound in the right leg aud compound
fracture of the left thigh bone. | was
compelled to cease firing aud attend to the
wound from which the blood was running
freely Had it not been for my faithful
friend, Sergeant Fred A. Fish, who placed
a strap around my leg which stopped the
flow of blood, must have died on the field
Our men soon began to fall back About
this time, as began to look about me, saw
many a fellow soldier on the ground as
helpless as myself The sergeant stopped
long enough to fix me the best he could un-
der the circumstances, speaking words of
cheer as he bade me goodby at the same
time saying, keep stiff upper lip" My
| lip quivered like an autumn leaf in the
wind, and as ] tried 10 say goodby there
was strange bunch in my throat and
could not speak. The rebels were now
within a stones throw of us, so there was
no time for him to stay. Those who have
parted with a friend at such time can
imagine my feelings | now lay between
both lines of battle, the firing on both sides
being fearful. was in more danger from
the shots Of our own men than those of the
rebels. oh the horrors Great God
cried, save me, a wounded soldier. from
| being slain by my own friends The rebels.
with a small line Of battle. had passed over
me. What prisoner Yes and on the
field Of battle among the dead and wounded
/ friends who, but an hour before stood with
me in the line Of battle in the full vigor of
manhood now lay bleeding The groans,
/ the crys for help and the prayers, may they
never pierce the ears Of any of the young
men of this fair land again Words cannot
tell the agonizing thoughts which pass
through ones mind at such IA time. 1t was
about an hour before the rebels were com
| PEELED TO retreat, passing over me the sec
ond time. They did not disturb me at all
Just before dark new line Of battle was
sent in and formed on nearly the same
place that we we're driven from During
this time | had seen both sides advance as
victors and also retreat as a beaten foe
The grandest thought to me at this time
was that victory was on our side, aud that
| was once more inside the Union lines
| was now where my friends could find
me, and it was not long before heard the
voice of Corp. f. w. Prior, who came in
with others looking after the wounded If
ever "a boy was glad to see his friends was
one. They were friends in time Of need
As soon as they could 20 back and procure
a detail they returned, and took those of
us who were unable 10 get back without
help. Corp. Prior, with his men, took me
ON half tent to carry me back To where
the block road crosses the plank road This
was the commencement of my journey to
the hospital. WAS eager to bid adieu to
the scenes of the battlefield. Think of four
men carrying a man with a broken leg for
half or three quarters of mile through
thick brush, IN the dark. The corporal had
IA short piece of candle which he lit to help
on the way, hut as soon as the rebels saw
the light they began to fire on it, The balls
whistled so near us that it made Us feel
rather uncomfortable, and he was obliged
to conceal the light under his coat They
soon had me out on the plank road, where
the ambulances were taking the wounded
back. There they laid me down and bade
me goOdby. Yes, it was the last goodby
to me from three of those noble, brave, low
ing friends, for on the l2th of May, at
Spottsylvania, in that great whirlpool of
death, Elmer G. Holmes, Geo A French
and Ira d. Clark were all killed in battle
What wonder that the shouts reach heaven.
That womans tears fell hot.
These are the men who barred their heads
To storm of shell and shot
For this good land, in the dark days.
That some have not forgot.
During the night | was taken in an ambu.
lance and carried hack to the old mining
mill. The sun was just rising when | was
being laid on the damp ground, without a
blanket over or even under me. Hundreds
of others about me were no better cared
for than myself. In the next ambulance
that was being laid down was a young
soldier. His signs and groans were dread
full. His thigh was badly shattered, and
his hair and face were all covered with dry
blood, for he had a bad wound in his head
| did not know him until heard his voice
| looked at him and exclaimed, my God
is that you, Dan Scofield - one of my own
company boys. ! tried to cheer him bv
telling him we were all right and would
soon be taken TO a hospital. "Oh my leg
is nothing he said, but my head The
next day, all battle stained and battle torn.
on southern field, that patriot died, and his
friends know not his resting place
During the forenoon | was taken into the
surgeons tent and laid on the amputating
table. | had expected to lose one of my
legs If | had ever been brave or shown
hA gitrhf Of III. q
amputated limbs, which lay Just outside
and in sight, and the thought that had to
give one of my legs TO that ghasty heap
took the courage all out of me, and begged
them to spare my leg. We will not take
hair more than we are obliged to" said
the doctor. | took chloroform and they
removed the musket ball and some pieces
of bone. | was then taken TO a large tent.
where | remained during the day That
night the tent was taken down. The next
day, the 1th, was quite hot, and as | had
nothing to shade me from the sun il was
very unpleasant During the day a soldier
from one of the other regiments brought
me a canteen of water and then sat down
beside me and told me his troubles
There were three of us, brothers, in one
company" he said, and we all went into
the battle together and were all wounded
wound, One of my brothers died last
night. went out and dug his grave and
buried him alone. Since then have been
out and buried the foot Of my other brother
in the same grave
They were hurrying the wounded back
toward fredericksburg During the after
noon it became known that all of the wound
ed could not he moved, so that those who
could stand the journey best would be
moved first | was very anxious to under
take the journey, for there was a report
that those left behind would be taken pris-
oners. 1t was just before dark that an off
Ger rode up to the surgeon in charge and
said, Here are IL amhulauces do the
best you can with them there is not an
other empty wagon in the whole army To be /
had Ii was not until the 18th one drove
in that NV long watched for chance came.
rode all that night over a very rough
road and did not get any sleep or rest. The .
Sth was Sunday | find this entry in my
diary This morning in the ambulance
near Piny Greek church we drive out To-
ward Charlottesville, then on toward Fred .
eTicksburg.n The 9th brought us into Fred
erickshurg about = NJ | had seen the
city several times but never did il look
so good 10 me as at this time Like most
boys, | was now ready for another change, 4
for had been nearly two DAYS and nights .
in AN ambulance, over a road almost i'm
passable, through fields and over bitches. |
Several times when the train stopped they /
took men out who had not the strength 10 ]
endure this dreadful journey, They had