Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1892-03-17
WAR "REMINISCENCES.
TAKEN HOME TO DIE
A sad Incident from the RecoIlections o.
an Army Nurse.

n cau incident nom the Recollections OF
an Army Nurse.
Samuel Colvin was the oldest child in
the family. a nice boy about twenty
years old, his father was in poor health
and not able for service, so the parents
consented to let their dearly loved son
go into service. Sammy" was a good
soldier, ever ready for duty, well
thought of by his officers, and beloved
by his comrades. In February, 1858,
he, with several others, was severely
exposed to cold by the roof of the bar
racks caving in with a heavy fall of
snow. The soldiers suffered consider
able exposure before other quarters
could be provided Soon after, Samuel
Colvin was brought to the hospital very
sick with pneumonia He grew worse,
and in a few weeks the surgeon pro
nounced it quick consumption. About
that time the father came TO visit his
son and to take him home, if possible.
But the captain of his company being
away, the father had to leave his boy.
l never witnessed a sadder or more
touching scene.
The son begged so piteously to be
taken home fearing he should die, the
father, so anxious to take him, or will
ing to stay in the boys place. if he
could only be sent home to his mother,
that she might see her boy again. But
it could not be, so the boy was left and
grew rapidly worse, and each day
would say to me, II believe / could
get well if could see mother" l tried
TO fill a mothers place as far as posi-
sible, but could plainly see that if he
could be gotten home, it would be bet
ter than all else we could do for him
Therefore proposed to the surgeon that
they allow me to take the boy home
to his parents. His answer was that
He would die before we were half way
there" / then said: "In that case
I'll take his remains to his parents"
At ten o'clock that night l started for
Mogadore, o., his home The thought
of going home revived him consider
ably at first then as the journey ex-
hausted him, it required great care to
keep him from sinking. But he stood
the trip better than could be expected
The ladies of the sanitary commission
met us at the train and he was made
very comfortable until mewhat rest
ed. The following day at noon we
reached his home, having to ride by
carriage from Cayahoga Falls to Moga-
dore, o., a distance of about twelve
miles | procured an easy carriage,
had a comfortable bed made for him,
and in that way neared the longed for
home AS we rode along, he would
often ask, "Have we got where you can
see the house yet?" and remarked,
What will they say?" and "How
good of you to bring me home"
At last the dear old home appeared
in sight Home, the word to most of
us possesses deep significance With
what reverence do we look back to the
home of our childhood, with the dear
father and mother and all it's loved as
sociations. But to this sick and dying
boy no word can express the feeling If
homesick heart or the unspeakable Joy
that seemed to pervade his whole be-
ing to such an extent that he seemed to
regain his strength in a moments time.
As the carriage stopped and the sur
prised and overjoyed parents rushed
out to meet their loved one whom they
had given up to die among strangers
and the boy rose up to meet them l
shall ever remember the impressions
made upon my mind then, as witness
ed that meeting and heard their words
to their boy and their heartfelt thanks
to me for caring for and bringing him
to them and securing for him his back
pay. Then their pray ers Of thanksgiv-
ing and praise to Ged that their son
had been returned to them, awakened
my mind to the fact of how great was
the price we were paying for the pro-
lection of our union, and the freedom
of our country, and how much suffer
ing and anguish endured, and sacrifices
made in so many quiet unpretending
homes all over the north, tt at are only
known to God, who watcheth over the
destinies of nations e. E. Ellis, in
the Guard.