Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1892-09-15
WAR "REMINISCENCES.
DEATH CALLED THE ROLL.


All Were Accounted for. Either on the
Field or in the Trenches.
He had been lying very quiet for q
long time. and the nurse at his bedside
dozed and nodded-struggled to keep
awake, and finally slept in her char.
Then a shadow stole into the room and
stood by the bed whispering:
Right -.ress! Back on the left!
'FRONT.'
The sergeant opened his eyes and
looked about him in wonGI- His hair
was thin and gray. his face pas and
wasted, and death had set its mark
upon his brow.
Attention to roll CALI continued
the shadow. Adams, Ansil, Artman,
Averill, Airport, Amsden-"
They do not answer" said the
sergeant as the shadow paused.
They can answer no more! They
We're buried in the trenches at Manassas.
Barnard, Baxter, Beebe, Burton, Bloom,
Bailey"
Il do not hear them" said the SER
geant
Their lives went out when McClel-
Ian turned at bay at Malvern Hill.
They died as heroes die. Carter, Curtis.
Claxton, Coleman, Caniff, Campbell"
Does any one answer for them?'
asked the sergeant
Aye! don' replied the shadow. Il
saw them laid inthe shallow trenches at
Antietam after the roar of battle had
ceased and the cries of the wounded had
been hushed They were following
Hooker's flag when they fell. Davis,
Denton, Danforth, Dougherty, Dono-
hue, Dillingham;"
Absent without leave?" said the
sergeant
NO! Absent forever. They crossed
at Fredericksburg and their dead bodies
lay nearest the terrible stone wall at
the base of Marie's hill. They could
not win victory, but they could die.
Enright, Eberman, Eclllitf, Epstein,
Engleman, Eckart"'
They may be on guard" said the
sergeant, as he listened for the sound of
their voices.
Then the dead guard the dead, re
piled the shadow. Il saw them lying
stark and dead under the trees at Chan
cellorsville, left to be buried by Vie
torious enemy. Tabor, Fenton, Foster,
Franklin, Fitch, Fitzwilliams-
They have been detailed for special
duty" suggested the old soldier.
Their duty ended at Gettysburg. l
saw them lying dead after the Virgin
ians had been driven back and thou
sands were shouting victory. Gray, Cor
man, Gobel, Gosport, Gansel, Green"
"Where?" asked the sergeant
in the thickets of the sombre wilder
ness, where ten thousand men died
without seeing an enemy. When night
came the songs of the whippoorwills
were heard above the plants of the
wounded Hall, Harmon, Hennessy,
Hill, Hilton, Hurlburt-"
And these too?"
Aye! every one of them They were
left behind Ingalls, Irving, Isham.
Imrie, Isabel, Ingersoll-"
All l remember!" whispered the
sergeant. They fell as they guarded
the trenches at Petersburg. / myself
helped to bury them.
james, Jenkins, Jordan, Jolly, JUS
tin"
Dead at Appomattoxr
"Larlins, Hampton, Larry, Lennox,
lowering, Loring-"
Call no more. Only when the angel
calls the roll of the dead at the last
great day will the dust make answer.
| alone am left of my company
The old sergeant fell back upon his
inflow with a moan and before his dim
vision the specters of the dead seemed
to form in line and await his order
Sergeant Grim called the Shadow.
The nurse awoke and cried out:
who has called him? He is deadr
1t was l." said the Shadow He
was the last on the roll and l can call
no more"
And you-you--''
Il am the Shadow of Death!'-N. Y.
Sun.