Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1895-02-02
ONE MORE SHOT.
Tho Last Wish of a Soldier Dying on the
Battlefield.

Battlefield.
Here was battle going on, said an
old soldier; nothing very heroic about
1t nor anything very tremendous, ex'
cept more or less men were getting
killed all the time. Patches of woods
with open spaces intervening, the line
stretched along in the edge of the
woods and across the open spaces.
Along in front an open space and on
the other side of that the confederates,
in woods like overselves, where there
were woods, but in light earthworlSs
and rifle pits between. That was their
position, and we had advanced toward
it as a part of some general movement,
and our business was to stay there and
keep the troops in front engaged.
Veteran troops, ours were, except for
such recruits as were scattered among
us and except for n few enthusiastic
men that liked to shout, using ammu-
milton sparingly and not shooting much
unless they thought they had some sort
of chance for hitting something.
Thoughtless, sometimes, about them
selves, but pretty careful generally,
and protecting themselves as much as
they could. But even with that, and
with the fighting slow, we managed in
the course of the day to lose pretty
good lot of men.
Here, now, was man in my regi-
ment shot through the body. He
crawled away toward the rear. don't
know why he wasn't picked up by the
hospital men, but he wasn't. Just back
of that part of the line where our regi-
ment was stationed was little farm
house. In front of this house was a
sort of open yard or space in which
there was one tree; it wasn't very big
tree, and | don't remember what kind
of tree it was, but remember that
two of its roots ran away from the
trunk little above the ground for
four or five feet, and between these
roots there was little hollow, Just a
little sort of a depression in the
ground The front yard was maybe
eight or ten rods back from the line;
that is, it might have been that much
back to the tree. The man crawled
along slowly until he came to the tree,
and he crept partly into that little de-
preston; | suppose it looked sort of
inviting; it was place; it wasn't just
out doors, but was sort of place by
itself, and the tree gave it kind of
companionship, too. He crept partly
into the little hollow and then stopped
and raised himself up SO that he was
half sitting up, propped on one arm
and hand, and he sat up in that way
and looked at the brigade commander
who was standing in the yard. The
brigade commander had been the
colonel of the wounded mans regi-
ment, and he knew every man in it; he
knew this man; and, of course, every
man in the regiment knew the colonel
the general he was now-and from
knowing him so long and so well the
men had all come to rely on him and to
look to him.
Red was creeping out around the
wounded man, and staining The little
hollow as he sat there, propped up on
his arm looking at the general. There
was sort of wistful look on his face,
as though he thought the general
could help him, and the general looked
down on him very soberly; in fact,
with very great pity. Just a few
feet away, more or less, men were
being killed and wounded all the time,