Waterbury evening Democrat., 1892-11-14

Winchester girl with you. Good-by and good luck t6 you. Don't have any evil presentiments now, but go away with light heart. Write me when you can. shall always want to hear from you"
 He gave me his hand and slowly an- swered: ''Mr. H., shall never re- turn think the contest now going on will result in final victory to the union cause. The government wiu be saved; but shall not live to see it. do not | hesitate to go. It is in the line of duty, | and a brave man ought never to fear | death. I shall probably die in battle; | but, whether in battle or elsewhere, my | death is sure to come before the war is | over. Good-by." He went away. Feeling a deep in- l terest in the young man, and believing he was entitled to better position than that of private, I interested my self with the authorities, and in a short | time it was arranged that he was to be appointed lieutenant in one of the companies of the One Hundred and Fourth regiment, then forming, with | headquarters at Camp Massillon. His credentials were duly made out and | forwarded to the colonel of the Seventh regiment, then in the field, with in- structions to send Wright to join the
 new regiment in Ohio. Tho papers
 reached the regiment the day before | the battle of Cedar Mountain Wright
 was sent for, informed by the com
 manding officer that his commission
 had been received, and he could go im-
 mediately to Ohio.
 Dan replied: "I am glad to receive
 this appointment, and will try to fill
 the place acceptably, but hope, sir,
 you will permit me to remain here l few days. We are probably on the eve
 of an engagement, and l shall be bet
 ter satisfied to stay with the boys till
 the fight is over. It 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 hotly
 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: "1t is not so bad, cap
 tain. can still use my musket."
 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 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. It 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 U last sleep on the field of battle. O1 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 o1 the term. But they determined to have funeral services, and so on one Sunday j. afternoon the church bell was rung l. and people from far and near gathered e at the church.
 Twas not preacher, but they asked !" me to speak for them, and consented $ The gray-haired and venerable pasto ! was there, and made a prayer full O ,C tenderness I did the best I could Dan Wright's character and life, hi e services as soldier, his bloody ant l. heroic death, and the cause of thu union in and for which he died, fur l. nished a grand theme. It was tex u enough for good many sermons. e This was only one life among tn
 many, and the blood that triclzled iron ' his dying wounds went to make up tn v great river whose increasing volum 'O bore red contributions from million
 homes.
 V Here, in the ordinary course of things 1 1 my little story should draw to close S But while have my pen in hand, . wish to record a.further incident COT o nected with Dan Wright. Fifteen year fe after the close of the war a letter wa
 received one day by the family of Da T. Wright don't remember to whom 50 was directed. It. was postmarke ~ Charleston, 5. U When opened It wa It found to be written by a person c ,e whom they had never heard. It state It In substance that the writer was, i ie 1so2, soldier in the confederate arm IS under Jackson; that he was at the bat 10 tie of Cedar Mountain, and when tn IL contest was over he and some of hi o comrades were detailed to bury tn III dead; that among the union soldier us who had fallen on the field was a yOun IL man of dark complexion and somewhf
 striking appearance, and when the & came to move him they found on h r. person pocket Testament, diary an es two or three letters. The soldier too ad these and had ever since retaine K possession of them, and after u- perusal of the contents of tt 1T, diary he had determined if possib Y. l tc, Sand thara to tha friends of tha d