Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1894-08-04

have pIowed their way into arms, sides,
hips or legs; fragments of shell have
carried away fingers and reduced hands
to pulp. OF hundred men 10 two have
received the same hurt.
Rude tables have been prepared, and
strong men lift each victim M to be
overhauled by the men who have strip
ped Of coat and vest and rolled their
sleeves far back. They look like butch
ers in slaughter pen, bat their hearts
are tender toward these victims Of bat
tie, whether friend or foe. The bitter
ness Of battle is at its height when the
crash Of artillery and the crackle Of
musketry are fiercest. When the battle
is over. whether victorious or defeated,
pity returns to the heart and blinds the
eyes to the color of the uniform. Over
each man lifted up there 10 . brief con-
sultation.
Those bare armed men need waste no
time. They can tell almost at glance
what the result will be. II it il . NOR
tai hurt, the poor fellow is lifted aside
to breathe his last as peacefully az pos
sible under such surroundings. II there
is hope for him, his wound is dressed
with agile fingers, and he gives way 70
the next.
That's Captain wyle. my company
captain!'
So exclaimed Steve Brayton as he en-.
tered the barn about IL O'Clock at night
to see If he could recognize any Confed-
crates being brought in. The captain
had just been lifted to the table. &c
was conscious, but had not yet spoken.
Those who brought him in said that be
was pinned to the earth by the hind
quarters OF his dead horse, and that the
animal was feartuily mangled by grape
shot.
Shoulder dislocated, ribs broken, leg
broken, struck in the groin by q carbine
ball, announced the surgeon who made
q rapid investigation.
ANY hope for me?" asked the cap.
tain, whose lips had been moistened
with whisky, as it was observed that be
desired to speak.
The surgeon shook his head and mo.
toned to the attendants to lift the Off.
Ger aside. When they had left him,
Steve Brayton sat down beside him and
bathed his face with whisky and gave
him to drink. The captain had recog.
nized him at once, but il was several
minutes before he qreried:
You and kenton were in the fight
at Harrisonburg and were captured
How came You here?'
I'VE uns made bolt fur 1t on the
road and got away
| And what has happened here:''
WAL. Kenton was wounded, ther
me and him stood off Ike Baxter and
his crowd, then the gals mother died
then the gal and Kenton hev hin driy
away to the Yankee lines. Sorry full
20, cap, and sorry fur the rest of 'em,
fur our hull crowd has bin wiped of
the face of the airth.''
Have we been defeated:"
Regularly cleaned out, cap. don'i
believe a hundred of our men got away
'Cordin to what them doctors say, 70
can't pull through this. Do yo' want &c
leave any word with me:"
No" whispered the captain after 9
moment S thought.
Not even fur the gali She won,
bear no grudge when she hears yo' n
dead
The captain shook his head and closed
his eyes. Steve moved away after few
minutes to look for other Confederate
wounded, and two hours later the off
GERS dead body was carried out with
others to make room for the wounded.
When morning came and the dead
were gathered for burial, Steve Braytor
found many that he could identify. In.
deed full half of his own company had
been wiped out. and among them wal
Ike Baxter. But great as was the Con.
federate loss. that of toe Federals wal
severe. History has said of that first zeal
cavalry fight OF the war that il was ter.
ribly brief in duration and appalling in
its list of dead and wounded. 1t was al
most night of the day following the
fight before the last of the Federals
moved off and left the field. And how
changed was Restl Haven, Iand what 9
misnomer the title which had beer
given to it in the years of peace! Gin
dsrs and ashes showed where the houses
had stood. Across the plain, furrowed
by shot and shell and hoof. its snow
white carpet now spattered and blotched
by thousand blood stains. they had dug
long trenches and covered in the dead
Trees had been cut down, bushes mp
rooted, and over acres Of ground wa,
strewed the wreck Of battle.
| y
have but few more pages to write
My story has not been all romance
and it is with feeling of selfishness thai
part from those Of my characters whs
are with % in the flesh today, ana WDos
hands ! have held in mine within tn
last twelvemonth. At the opening q
my story Winchester was described -
quaint old town. That was true of it
quaint old town Of quaint houees and
streets and people. War wrecked 8
again and again. Every street ant
square and si.ey witnessed death crap
pie. Every building which escaped tb
flames was marked by ball or bullet. 4