The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1891-06-12
WHO COMES HERE.
Wilderness. The Experience of
the guard on Post No. Z.

Pathetic story of the battle of the
Wilderness. The Experience of
the guard on Post No. ..
"Halt Who comes here?" :
Friends, with the countersign."
Advance one and give me the coun-
tersign."
It was the relief going the rounds to
change the pickets, and was dropped
out at Post No. 7. We had fought LIE
all day long on the strangest battle
field of the whole warm the wilder
ness. From right to left fank-from
front To rear-we were hemmed in by
forest and thicket. There were swamps
in which lizards and serpents lurked,
thickets in which the coy whippoorwil
built its nest, dense spots of forest
which seemed never to have echoed the
ring of the woodman's axe.
We had fought from tree to tree,
from thicket to thicket, from glade to
glade, pushing back the gray lines
here, baffled and compelled to give
ground at other points. Lees lines
barred the way. Never man in this
whole army whose musket-barrel was
not hot that day. Never a man who
did not feel that he was fighting for the
life of the confederaey.
How the forest shook and trembled
as the great guns sent their deadly mis-
siles crashing through the foliage.
How the thickets blazed up in flames
the severed limbs crashed down-the
sunny glades turned dark as night with
the powder smoke settling down. The
dead outnumbered the bushes; the
wounded walled and cried as 1 never
heard them before or after. There was
something so sOmber-so gruesome-
so unearthly in fighting foe unseen in
the semi-darkness, that the shouting
and eursing usually heard in the lines
gave place to silence and pale faces.
Darkness had come at last and the
roar of battle had died away to low
growl Grant had failed to drive Lee.
We knew that from flank to flank. IL
he could not force a passage through
those gray lines he could flank them.
Before the sun went down we knew that
he would do it. 1t was not yet night
when the movement begun, but my
division would be one of the last to
move, and we must hold our ground
and prevent the confederates from dis
covering what was taking place. 1t
was q curious coincidence of war that
Lee was also moving by the flank, both
armies marching in parallel lines from
a battle field which had yielded neither
victory nor defeat to either side.
Post No. was under large tree on
the edge of thicket. To the south
there was strip of open ground, then
a thicket, then an old field, in which
stood log cabin. II was a lonely
place, well away from the camps, the
dead and the dying. but | was glad to
be alone. All along the lines there was
a growing OF musketry, but this was
but a bluff-a bit of acting to cover the
real design. had been nearly an hour
on the post without anything happen
ing to alarm me, when | heard a person
moving in the thicket across the open
strip.
Was it a person ? Riderless horses
had galloped about that day almost
without number; this might be one
which had found shelter in that
thicket.
Rustic Rustic Step Step!
II was a cautious movement. Who
ever it was hoped to reach me without
discovery, but there were dead leaves
underfoOt and thicket was dense. A
hare could not have moved without be-
traying it's presence.
Rustic Rustic
Kneeling down so as to see under the
darkness, as it were, | suddenly made
out black object against the dark back
ground. II is neither horse nor mule;
it is human being. A scout from the
enemy's picket post, only quarter of
mile away? A wounded man hObbling
about to find succor? One of our own
scouts returning?
who comes here?"
There is a silence for fifteen seconds,
and then woman voice answers:
Il can't find the place! 1t is so dark
| can't find the place !"
Ave! it was wOman's voice, and it
had sob in it, too. A woman there in |
the darkness between the hostile lines |
with powder smoke still in the air, |
with stray bullets darling through the
thickets with whizz, as of some great |
insect stirred to anger!
Who comes here"
tiFed-so tired ~
And then she came across the open |
strip towards me, making no stop, never |
besitating, walking straight up to me, |
as if she could see as well by night as |
in the sunshine of day.
Il can't find the place." she sobbeG, |
IT, -, - yr-tA h %
length.
Good God, woman! what are you
doing her??" l gasped, almost terrified |
at here presence.
See. see." she replied, holding a |
bundle out towards me. 'One time |
saw beautiful spot in the woods, and |
said to myself that if he died l would |
bury him there, but l can't find i'll
can't find it"
What is it, woman? What have |
you got there? ?"
See, see. Don't be afraid. He's |
dead. He can't speak or move. Take |
him.
She put bundle into my arms, and l |
cried out and let fall my musket. 1t |
was the body of baby about year and |
a half old. Dead Yes. Dead from a
cruel bullet which had pierced its little
body and left a great wound which |
looked horrible to me in the dim light.
Dead and cold and bathed in its own
blood-dead for hours! And when l
reached out and touched the shawl or
wrap worn by the mother my fingers
burned at the feel Of blood!
Il have carried him such long,
leng way" she moaned, land | have
seen so many dead men and heard so