The Portland daily press., 1893-01-24
TWENTY THOUSAND DOLLARS
Falls to a Maine Veteran for Humanity at
Gettysburg.

The following is the gist of story
told by the Boston Journal:
"sCharlie.' Hurdle said to me when l
left him, Charlie, God bless YOU His
arms we're tight about my neck. He
gave a great squeeze, and then he kissed
me. He was little chap then-more
girl than boy-but brave as lion. He
wasn't much more than 10 years old
when he enlisted, so he told Lie. He
was short and very slight in physical
stature.
'sAnd as / was leaving him, for he was
to 60 to the hospital and myself to reb-
ell prison, he said: If I ever get out of
this / will reward you if | ever get any
thing to do it with. never shall forget
you.'
ssThat was in the town of Gettysburg
after the Confederates swooped down on
our boys of the Sixteenth Maine, in the
Oak grove, in the first days fight, 80
years come July next" said the speaker,
Mr.. Charles z. Hayes.
1t was a touching little incident of the
battlefield.
Charlie Hayes went to Richmond to
spend nearly 10 months in Libby, and re-
turned again under the old flag at An
napolis, wasted to a shadow Harry
Heard, the boy soldier, went, to the hos
pital, wounded in both legs.
For 30 years neither of the two war
time friends and comrades in arms heard
aught Of the other.
ssHurdie'' was supposed to have met
the death of soldier in the hospital
ward to which he had been taken, from
the wounds he had received in battle.
He was sincerely mourned by all the
comrades of the old First Brigade, who
had k ownand loved him.
Charlie Hayes returned to the farm af-
ter the war. and there resumed the hum
BILE occupation which he had left at the
call of the drum.
Last summer, while at North Hamp-
ton, New Hampshire, he was suddenly
electrified by the appearance Of gentle
manly stranger, who, upon ascertainlng
his name and service in the war, as
founded Farmer Hayes with the infor-
nation that there was legacy of $780,
600 awaiting him in New York.
Had the cal tn opened to swallow him
up he could not have been more startled,
The gentleman gave his name. as
Thomas He ird of New York city, and
then, recalling the incident on the battle-
field of thirty years ago, told Mr.. Hayes
that Harry Heard, the young soldier, did
not die in the hospital. that he lived to
come home, but that never, waking or
sleeping, had he forgotten his benefactor
at Gettysburg.
UHe cherished his memory, and con-
tinued fixed in his purpose that, God
prospecting him, his old friend and pre-
server should not suffer-that he would
share with him Of his means and make
his declining pathway sunny and bright.
There are fairy tales, indeed, some
times in real life.
Harry Heard went to California, and
there became very successful in the bus
mess world. There, it is said, he grew
wealthy in the wholesale tobacco trade,
and his estate is stated to amount to
$162, 900. IL ~
Finally, in the fullness Of time, he
died, but before his death he made a
will, and in it he inserted a bequest of
$4,000 to his old comrade-in-arms,
Charles J. Hayes, who had befriended
him when in sore need on the battlefield
80 years ago.
Hayes is native of Limerick, Me-,
and when ~ years old enlisted in Cap
tain only's Company H, 10Th Maine
Volunteers. He carried Heard, wound
ed in both legs, from the field at Gettys-
burg under fire.