Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1892-12-29
THE BATTLE FIELD.
They MET AGAIN.
A Strange story of the Way in Which =
Bible Plays Part.

a strange story of the way IN winch .
Bible Plays Part.
Three miles west Of Douglasville, Ga.
lives John d. Pope, a battle-scarred
confederate veteran, who a day or two
ago enjoyed more real happiness than
has befallen many of the OH veterans
since the war Mr.. Pope was a mem
Der of company G. Forty-second Georgia
volunteers, and at the battle of Win
chester. in September. lS64 it so hap
pened that in the deadly conflict the
Forty-second Georgia confronted the
Forty-second New York regiment.
Pope used up all of his cartridges and
his gun had got so hot and foul he could
hardly use it Seeing a dead yankee
with his gun lying beside him, he threw
down his own gun and took up the yam
KEGS. While STOPPING to take off the
dead mans cartridge-box he was shot
in the top of the shoulder, the ball COM
ing out at the small of his back. Pope
fell by the side of the yankee soldier
and lay there for hours totally uncon-
scious. When consciousness returned
the battle was over. and save the groans
of the wounded and dying the stiffness
of death reigned over the field of car
mage Exerting all his strength the
wounded confederate raised himself on
his hands and knees, and seeing a small
pocket Bible lying by the dead yankee,
he placed it in his pocket and crawled
away. He was taken up by the ambu-
lance corps, carried to a hospital and
finally got well enough to come home
hut ha ar-i.
bic wound and never will
On examining the Bible, he discov-
that it belonged to John H. Coe, of COM
pany G, Forty-second New York regi-
ment. and had been presented to him
by his father giving the name and adj
dressed of Goes father The coinci
dence of the letters of the companies
and the numbers of the regiments to
which the two men belonged, being the
same, and their both being shot down
on the same spot impressed Pope very
much, and he decided it was his duty to
let the parents of the dead yankee boy
know the fate of their son. So, about
twenty years ago, he wrote to the boys
father in New York, telling him how
and where his boy had died, and telling
him that he had his Bible, and would
send it back on receipt of instructions
how to send it Pope never heard any
thing from his letter until about two
months ago, when letter came, in
closing a cabinet photograph of a fine
looking business man, with the name
of John Fl. Coe, Ottumwa Ia, attached.
1t transpires that the yankee boy was
not dead, as Pope thought, but that he
was taken off the field, got well, and
after the war went to Iowa to live.
About two months since he was look
ing over some old papers left by his
parents and found the old letter re-
ceived from Pope twenty years ago He
Immediately wrote to Pope, telling him
of his narrow escape from death on the
field at Winchester, of his slow recov-
cry, removal to Iowa, his business sue
cess, etc, since the war, and asked that
his old Bible be returned to him. Pope
replied, asking Coe TO come to see him,
and telling him that if he wanted the
Bible to play the old soldier again and
come and take it and eat hard tack
with him for awhile. Mr.. Coe, being
wealthy business man of Iowa, and
having nothing to hinder, decided he
would make raid into Georgia and
capture John Pope and his 'hard tack, "
and recapture his old Bible, taken from
him during the war. About a week ago
Pope received telegram from Chatta-
nooga signed by Mr.. Coe, telling him he
would be here Saturday evening. A
great many people had heard of the cor
respondence and telegram, and when
the five o'clock p. m, train came quite a
crowd was present to witness the meet
ing between the old Yank and Johnnie.
Their curiosity was certainly gratified
and in a manner to convince them that
the war is over, for such hugging and
~crying between men who were total
st rangers to each other has rarely been
seAn.-Atlanta Constitution.