The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1892-11-11

"Now," said the captain, "you can
no longer be of service. Go to the rear"
Hardly had the words been uttered,
when another ball came and buried It
self in his brain. He fell dead on the
field.
The battle still waged with terrible
fury, and when sthe day was over the
ground occupied by the union army in
the morning, with its bloody burden of
union dead, was occupied by the con-
federate forces. Dan Wright's life was
over. His prophecy was fulfilled.
A day or two later the daily papers
announced the fact that in the battle
Of Cedar Mountain the union loss was
fifteen hundred killed, wounded and
missing. A little later the list of dead
was given, and in the list was the name
of Dan Wright. 1t was only one life
gone out. and to the great world at
large little notice was taken of it. But
up in the good old town of Freedom,
where Dams people lived, the news was
received with sad interest. Men and
women talked in low and tender words
about the lad who had grown up in
their midst, and who now slept his
last sleep on the field of battle. Of
course, his body was not recovered,
and they could never give it the rites
of burial, and they could have no
funeral in the ordinary acceptation of
the term. But they determined to have
funeral services. and so on one Sunday
afternoon the church bell was rung,
and people from far and near gathered
at the church.
] was not preacher, but they asked
me to speak for them, and / consented.
The gray-haired and venerable pastor
was there, and made a prayer full of
tenderness. / did the best / could.
Dan Wright's character and life, his
services as soldier, his bloody and
heroic death, and the cause of the
union in and for which he died, fur
nished a grand theme. 1t was text
enough for a good many sermons.
This was only one life among the
many. and the blood that trickled from
his dying wounds went to make up the
great rirer whose increasing volume
bore rel contributions from million
homes.
Here, in the ordinary course of things,
my little story should draw to a close.
But while have my pen in hand, I
wish to record further incident con-
nected with Dan Wright. Fifteen years
after the close of the war a letter was
received one day by the family of Dan
Wright. ! don't remember to whom it
was directed. 1t was postmarked
Charleston, S. C. When opened it was
found to be written by a person of
whom they had never heard. 1t stated
in substance that the writer was, in
1862, soldier in the confederate army
under Jackson; that he was at the bat
tie of Cedar Mountain, and when the
contest was over he and some of his
comrades were detailed to bury the
dead; that among the union soldiers
who had fallen on the field was a young
man of dark complexion and somewhat
striking appearance, and when they
came to move him they found on his
person pocket Testament, diary and
two or three letters. The soldier took
possession of them, and after
perusal of the contents of the
diary he had determined if possible
to send them to the friends of the de-
ceased. From the papers found he
had learned that the name of the dead
soldier was Wright and that he be-
longed to an Ohio regiment. He had
written to various points, Dut SO far
without avail. The family were salts
fed from the letter that the Bible and
papers belonged to Daniel, and an
swered the letter at once In a few
days a package came by express from
Charleston. 1t contained the Testa-
ment, the diary and the letters. The
diary was daily me emorandum or rec
ord of events, and the last lines were
written on the morning of the battle.
The leaves and the writing were well
preserved, but the cover of the little
book was stained with blood.
SO Hart, in Washington Post.