Daily Kennebec journal., 1894-09-27
ToeUs NOTES.
4 Leaf From Real History-Retss.

OF the laLe war. now muCu tucIc 10 eDoL
never has been told, that never can be
told.
As the years roll by and new generation
rises up to take the place of those who
lived and participated in the terrible scenes
of 1861 to 1865, the true story of many
man who went through it all will seem
almost incredible. -
knew q young man, who, when the war
broke out, was just entering manhood's
gates. lie was, and had been struggling,
under somewhat adverse circumstances for
an education He had gone far enough so
as to be able to teach, and was hoping to
work his way through college. But the
war came, and all through 'Gl he chafed
and fretted to join the boys in blue. But
was an only son and the father dreaded the
result Finally, when in 1862 the calls be-
came more and more urgent, the young
man gained the fathers permission and
enlisted it was in Maine regiment. From
the day of his enlistment to the day
when the regiment was ordered to Washing
ment reached Washington the evening
the second battle of Bull Run. Those who
were in Washington that night will remem-
Der il always. 1t was night OF rumors
and alarms. Early the next morning the
orders came to cross Long Bridge, and
start for the battle field of the previous day.
Upon reaching Arlington Heights, the order
was countermanded, and the regiment was
assigned to duty in the forts around Wash
ton.
After remaining there a few weeks,
orders came to proceed to Harper's Ferry.
This was in the early days of September,
1862. The regiment remained on Boliyer
Heights till the cry of "On to Richmond
So often reiterated became by-word, but
at last the army moved.
Slowly, with the enemy in sight, nearly
every day, on they moved until they finally,
after many weary day, met the enemy at
Fredericksburg. History tells the result.
Well, this young man was with bis regl-
ment. And when it became necessary to
corduroy the road from Oxquin Creek to
Falmouth Heights SO that Burnside's pom
toons could be brought up, this Regiment
from Maine was ordered for that duty. The
men worked in those cold autumn days in
mud and water to their knees until the last
log was laid. few days before it was
| finished this young man awoke one morning
with burning head and aching limbs. He
| finally, after in vain trying to eat, started
| for his work. Hours after he was found, a
| long distance away, stretched upon the
ground burning with fever. He was carried
| 20 camp, and with others. equally as sick,
and some worse. was placed in an old hos
pital tent on Falmouth Heights. There
raving with fever he lsy with typhoid pneu-
monia, with the roar of cannon, the rattle
of musketry and the groans of the
sick and dying all miDgling together.
Now in his disordered imagination
he was again in the old schoolroom at home,
| irst as scholar and then Us teacher.
Scenes of his boyhood were again re-
enacted, and still he lay there with men
dy ing on the right and men dying on the
left. Occasionally he would partially re-
gain consciousness, and, leaning on his
elbow, look with wonder at the poor fellow
next to him or near by as the breath left his
body and he was carried out to make room
for another. At last the battle of Freder-
cksburg WAS over and the wounded were
being sent to Washington.
The surgeons came into the tent where
this young soldier lay, and after examina-
ton said "No use, he would not live to
reach there" and passed on. Finally the
last load was being made ready in the
ambulance, and upon the earnest appeal of
comrade, he was laid in the bottom of the
ambulance, and with the feet of those on the
seat resting on him, in part, away they
went.
Reaching Washington the next morning,
an ambulance carried him to Armory
Square hospital. There, dirty, ragged and
almost dying, they carried him in. His
clothes were removed, he was washed and
made clean, clean clothing was put on his
poor, shrunken limbs, and he was laid upon
clean, white bed. That young man, with
the flesh fairly worn from his bones where
he had turned and tossed on the ground
during his fever, will never on earth have a
keener perception Of heaven than he real
lied, Just then. An hour or so after,
thanks to the kindly offices of one of that
noble band of women who unweariedly
waited and watched by the beds of the sick
and dying. a letter was on its way to far off
Maine, telling the anxious father the condi-
ton of his son. Two days after, the door
of the ward where he lay opened and the
father, with eager glance, slow
ly passed between the long rows
of teds, and was passing
still farther along, when weak voice says ::
father, don't you know me?' The father
turned, and with tears streaming from his
eyes, kueeled beside the bed of his only
boy.
But why go on. The surgeons said "take
your boy home TO Msine. He may live
That journey from Washington TO Maine
was a sad one, but the son lived. He recov-
cred. He enlisted sg ,iu. He served till
the surrender of Lee made the end seem
near, and again, with enfeebled health he
returned to Maine. And now. almost 80
years after, he is again in Maine. Again
he wears the suit of blue, but alas, his bat
ties are Ger. He is of but little use now,
either to himself or any one el'e. This is
one of the least painful, one of the most
uneventful of hundreds of stories that end
here, right here in the soldiers home at
Togus.
l hope to give the JOURNAL readers some
that will, to the yourg readers at least,
serve to teach what men can go through
and live.
Last night the "Davy Jones" Opera Co.
played here, and the whole performance