Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1892-11-10

Dan replied: 81 am glad to receive
this appointment, and 1 will try to fill
the place acceptably, but hope, sir,
you will permit me to remain here a
few days. We are probably on the eve
of an engagement, and i shall be bet
ter satisfied to stay with the boys till
the fight is over. 1t wouldn't be manly
to go away now"
The request was granted. The next
day occurred one of the bloody battles
of the war. In the heat of the con-
test the Seventh regiment was holly
engaged and suffered from tremen.
dous fire of the enemy.
Dan Wright was wounded by shot
in the face. Capt. Reed said to him:
you are badly hurt; better go to the
rear"
Dan answered: ''It is not so bad, cap.
tain. can still use my musket."
He stayed In his place and continued
to load and fire as though he had never
received a scratch. In short time,
however, another ball struck him in
the shoul Ter and his gun fell from his
hands.
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 the day was over the
ground occupied by the union army in
the morning, with it's 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 il
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 nc
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
nd ,onnr1o f,opo e.,
at the church.
was Dot preacher, but they asked
me to speak for them, and I consented
The grayhaired and venerable pastor
was there, and made prayer full Of
tenderness. l did the best I could
Dan Wright's character and life, his
services as a soldier, his bloody anc
heroic death, and the cause of the
union in and for which he died, fur
nished grand theme. It was tex,
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 river whose increasing volume
bore red contributions from a million
homes.
Here, in the ordinary course of things
my little story should draw to close
But while have my pen in hand,
wish to record a further incident con
nected with Dan Wright. Fifteen year.
after the close of the war letter was
received one day by the family of Da1
Wright don't remem Der to whom i
was directed. It was postmarkec
Charleston, S. G. When opened it was
found to be written by person O:
whom they had never heard 1t stated
in substance that the writer was, II
1862, a 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 hi:
comrades were detailed to bury the
dead; that among the union soldier.
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 hi.
person pocket Testament, diary anC
two or three letters. The soldier tool
these and had ever since. retained
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 hi
had learned that the name of the deac
soldier was Wright, and that he be
longed to an Ohio regiment. He haG
written to various points, but so fa1
without avail. The family were salts
fed from the letter that the Bible anc
papers belonged to Dani1 and an
swered the letter at once. In a few
! days a package came by express from
Charleston. It contained the !Testa
ment, the diary and the letters. The
diary was daily memorandum or rec
ord of events, and the last lines were
| written on the morning of the battle
The leaves and the writing were wei
preserved, but the cover Of the little
book was stained with blood. --Alphon
so Hart, in Washington Post.
Act in the Present.
In Ruskin's study, on massive piece
OF chalcedony, is engraved the wore
to-day which is the authors motto
think we might all adopt this mott,
with immense profit to ourselves ant
the world in which we live. We ma,
stretch out our hands and cry, Al
, nightly as we will. but we cant re
call one moment of the past. We ma,
try ever so hard and we cannot lift the
veil that shrouds the future But tn,
now is absolutely ours. aud il il
enough. We are apt to forget that to