The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1891-09-17


standing behind large oak tree. He held
his rifle loosely in his hands, the butt rest
tng on the ground. His back leaned heav-
lly against the tree. The soldier was not
shirking. The Coufederates were directly
In our front. This Maine volunteer was
apparently resting in perfect safety. A
solid shot from q Confederate gun struck
the oak tree squaIely about four feet from
the ground. It did not have sufficient
force to tear through the tough wood, The
soldier who had sought the protection OF
the tree to rest, instantly pitched forward
lead, killed by the conclusion OF the tree.
His skin was unbrokcn
When the Second corps got into the
Brock road intrenchments, on the after
noon of the second days fighting, man a
few files to my left fell dead, shot just
above the right eye. He did not groan or
sigh or make the slightest physical move
ment, except that his chest heaved q few
times. The life went out of his face in
stantly, leaving it without a particle Of ex-
preston. 1t was plastic and rs the facial
muscles contracted it took many shapes.
When this mans body became cold and
his face had hardened it was horribly dis
torted, as though he had suffered intensely.
A few minutes after he fell another sol
der, little farther to the left, fell with
apparently precisely similar wound. He
was straightenGd out and lived for over an
hour. He did not speak, simply lay on his
back, and his broad chest rose and fell,
slowly at first and then faster and faster
and more md more feebly until he was
dead. When his face hardened it was al
most terrifying in its painful distortion. |
have seen dead mems hlces wreathed in
nj p1 coll hnt . bavr ha1
evidently died happy. lido not believe that
the face of a dead man ever shows the
mental or physical anguish he suffered or
the serenity he enjoyed before his death.
In the Wilderness, in front Of the Brock
road intrenchments, l saw many of our
wounded burned to death. Must they not
have suffered horribly l am not at all
sure of that The smoke rolled heavily
and lowly before the fire. 1t enveloped the
wounded men, and think that by far tho
larger portion of the stricken soldiers who
were roasted were suffocated before the
flames curled around them. The spectacle
was courage sapping and pitiful, and it
appealed strongly TO the imagination Of
the soldiers who saw it, but | do not be-
lieve that the burned men suffered greatly.
l saw near Spottsylvania, as my battery
was moving into action, group of wound
ed men lying in the shade east by some
large oak trees, near which field hospital
stood. All OF these mems faces were gray
They silently looked at us rs we marched
past them. One of these wounded soldiers,
a blond giant of about forty years, was
smoking a short brlerwood pipe. His
strong, white teeth were firmly set on the
pipes stem. / asked him II he was badly
wounded 81 am having my last smoke,
young fellow" he replied. His dauntless
blue eyes met mine, and he bravely tried
20 smile, 1 saw that he was dying fast.
Another of these wounded men was trying
TO read letter. He was too weak to hold
1t steady, or his vision was clouded. He
thrust it unread into the breast pocket of
his blouse and lay back with moan. This
group Of soldiers numbered eighteen or
twenty. All of them were supposed To be