The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-11-28

ty years, keen as ever. knew full
well and they knew what the to-mor-
row would bring, and alas it did bring
to many present the death that seemed
to Turk in the dark air under the sigh
ing pines! A young man came, not
anticipated. and was greeted with sur
prise that he had made so speedy a re-
covery. "Why did you Gomez" said his
old comrades. ''Oh. could not keep
away any longer" he said. But is
your Antietam wound healed?" 'sPret-
ty well, said he, showing his left arm
with two awful purple holes in it below
the elbow. He said the army Of the
Potomac was his home, and he would
rather die than not be with it in any
great action, and thank God" said
he, 81 am just in time" But You are
not going with the regiment to-mor-
row." said one. Am l not?" said he.
'Ill go with it if it is grand march
to the graveyard" And that'was the
march it was. He could not have told
it better.
The dear boys in their weather
beaten blue were making the best of
gloomy affair, and could not conceal.
or cared not to do so, their feeling that
there were many chances all would
not be well with them. The worst of
it was they all doubted the capacity OF
the commanding general, and they
were strangely devoted to Mcclellan,
singing Mcclellan is our leader" the
last song of the night. with hearty,
ringing enthusiasm.
Cross had more writing to do, and in
sisted l should go to sleep on his bed.
l did SO, for the way had been long and
/ was fatigued with excitement. l
awoke after three or four hours pro-
found repose, to find Cross sleeping in
his camp chair before his fire. Before
it was light, while he slept softly as an
infant, there was the clatter of
horses feet, and a paper was handed
the colonel, who was erect the moment
the horse stopped before the tent.
and he received his orders. Quickly
the camp was stirring and the men
were getting their breakfast The
chaplain called and took the colonefs
letters, receiving a few words as to
what should be done in certain
contingencies. There was soon hot
coffee and chops not badly cooked, and
as the morning light grew clear we
heard the dull, heavy throbs of the
''two guns" and soon after the open
ing of the batteries-one hundred and
sixty guns playing on Fredericksburg.
The sound was enormous, increased.
redoubled by the echoes that rolled
through the valley. Cross got for me
all his limbs-there was no other to be
had-and when we started the poor
animal slipped on frosty grass and
fell. The third time he did this told
Cross would rather not have my legs
broken in that way. / did not fear
being thrown off by horse, but did
not want a horse pulled off of me,
and l had lodged, him as often as
felt sure 1 could. We were not a
quarter of mile from the tent, and
told the colonel l would return the
poor beast to the man from whom he
had been borrowed, and who would
hold the colonel responsible for his
valuable property, and then join him
on foot. rs S ms
When the poor beast was in the
hands of the quartermaster Il be-
lieve he was a Q. M / set forth to
find Cross, but there were SO many blue
columns moving mysteriously that I
could not come up with Caldwell's
brigade, and l saw good many fell
lows that day who said they had lost
their regiments-and indeed they GER
tainly had-but the soldiers in line
they addressed did not sympathize
with them, and said frightful things
to them. l never saw Cross again.
That evening l learned that he had
been wounded, and visited several hos
pitfalls hoping to find him, but could
not. He was badly hurt, but recov-
cred and fell at Gettysburg on the Sec
ond day, when hurrying with rein
forcements to resist the rush of Long
streets attack on Sickles; and when
| visiting the field few months ago
took off my hat where a great gray
stone bears the inscription of the
name and rank of Col. Z. c. Cross,
and states that he fell on that spot.
In every action in which he
participated he was the incarna-
ton of fiery valor, exalted by
the excitement of battle, an inspira-
ton to the men. At Seven Pines he
was greatly distinguished by his in
telligence and his superb bearing. He
was elated and sought danger. There
was an Intoxicating glory for him
when the crash of musketry came and
the smell of the powder cloud was in
his nostrils. He had no idea of living
through the war. He was one of -four
quiet lawyers knew we'll before the
war, who turned out to have heroic
blood. The others were dear Bob Nc
Cook, murdered by bushwhackers in
| Tennessee when sick in an ambulance
Rutherford B. Hayes, greatly re-
| ~
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