Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1895-01-05
AN INCIDENT OF THE WAR.
Revelations OF n Commission on Confed-
erate Ofncer.


Revelations OF n Commission on n Confed-
crate Onnccr.
On June z, 1862, Sylvester Keely,
private of company G, Sixty-second
New York volunteers, then in camp
with Gen. Couch's division near Rich
mond, Va, sent to a friend of his
commission of Assistant-Surgeon Ben
nett w. Green, of the navy, issued to
him on August 81, 1850, and beginning
with 'reposing special trust and conf
dence in the patriotism, valor, fidelity
and Abilities" etc. This Especial trust
and confidence" was violated by this
young officer early in the period of the
little differences between the north
and south" by his desertion to the
confederate service, and in May, 1861,
he was dishonorably dismissed from
the rolls of the United States navy,
and soon afterward he was heard of
as an officer on the confederate iron
clad Mcrrimac.
Keely's letter began: LAS / know
that everything from the field of bat
tie is priced by friends at home, in
close you paper which found among
other papers on dead officer after the
battle. 1t will serve to show you two
things, FirsU, that / do not forget
yourself or your past kindnesses
to me; second, that some of the
of1ice-holders under President Buchan-
an were rebels at heart. This officer
lay beside Col. Davis and is said to have
been leading part of the crew of the
Merrimac to capture Capt. Brady's
battery when we were off from the
main body of the army. / cannot at
tempt to describe the fight; all can
say is that the sensation is very pecul.
lar. 1t is not fear; it is a feeling OF
awe, such as you feel when in a heavy
thunderstorm with vivid lightning
flashing around you. This is before
you commence firing. After you ge;
the word you lose all such feeling and
your rammer seems to fly as you load
and fire.
II have often wondered how they
managed in the smoke between the
the two armies; but. Lord bless you!
you aim SO naturally for their line OF
fire and as coolly as you would at g
bird. The most exciting feeling that
can be experienced is when you
get the order to charged ] cannot
describe the feeling. Did you ever get
up of warm night to hunt mos
quitoes and notice with what satisfac
tion you smash one on the wall with
the sole of your shoe? This is some
thing like the feeling with which yor
give fellow-creature the bayonet or
the field. 1t is nothing at the time
but the thought is almost sickenlne
after all is over A man does many
things to almost regret in calmer mo-
ments. One brigade has been badly
cut up; to what extent you will prob
ably never know. Everything is nov
quiet; how long it will remain SO VIZ
cannot, of course, tell. w,
had to skedaddle once, but only for ;
short time; made 2:40 time, though"
Much of the letter was kind mes
sages sent to his wife, including g
gold dollar which he had obtained
The commission will be returned tc
any member of Surgeon Green's fam
lily who can prove that he or she is
justly entitled to it, 1t is believed
that Green carried the commission il
his pocket trusting that it would in
sure kind treatment from the unio1
forces should he be taken prisoner.
n. Y. Tribune.