Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1895-09-16
INCIDENT OFTHE WAR
A BRAVE DEED PERFORMED ON THE
 FIELD OF ANTIETAM.

After Thirty-three Years Yankee Soldier
 Learns the Name of the Confederate Sol-
 dier Who Saved His Life at the Risk of
 His Own.
 An interesting war story comes to light from an incident that occurred at the battle of Antietam, which demon strates that even the roar of cannon, the shot and shell, the crash of musketry and the cold touch of the bayonet can not drive from the breast of the soldier the spirit of kindness and humanity.
 This incident tells of the heroism and kindness of Confederate picket and the grateful remembrance of wounded Yankee.
 The battle of Antietam had been fln- ished for about 30 hours. The soldiers of Lee and Mcclellan were resting on their arms, after direful conflict in which both sides had suffered terribly, and on the battlefield the dead and wounded were stretched out by the thousands.
 A young Confederate picket was marching along his beat keeping vigil over the sleeping Army of Northern Virginia. Just out there were many of the Federal dead and wounded.
 A faint cry came to the ears of the boy in gray It was gasping, despair ing cry. Water Waterl" that was all that could be heard. The man who gasped out those words was dying slowly of thirst.
 The picket resolved to carry water to the wounded Yankee. Near by was 8 spring and quickly the picket filled his oanteen and returned to his post. The wounded soldier was still begging for water, but the question was how to get it to him. The picket knew he took his life in his hands, but dropping upon his knees he began crawling toward the dying Federal. Two shots were dis charged at him from the Federal sharp shooters, but he kept steadily on until he reached the side of the wounded sol dier. A wound in the thigh was letting the life blood slowly out, and the sol dier, quenching his thirst, thanked the boy in gray for his kindness. The war was over right there and then between those two fellows. The picket then re- turned to his post, and the incident passed into the realm of memory.
 Thirty three years have passed since that night, but the wounded Yankee and the boy in gray are still in the land of the living. That drink of water saved the life of the wounded soldier, and he has always been grateful to the memory of the Johnny reb" who gave him the cooling beverage on the field at An tietam.
 The Federal soldier was MT. B. l.. Burr, who is now editor of the Holland County Leader of Rockford, Conn. For years he has been trying to find the name of the man who risked his life to bring him drink of water and has at last succeeded Through some chance ho happened to write to Major w. B. Pruitt of Athens, Ga, concerning the incident, and few days since Major Pruitt in talking with friend learned that the Confederate picket was MT. Matt Norton of Winterville, Ga.
 MT. Burr was notified, and he and MT. Norton have entered into regular correspondence, giving each other maps describing their ideas of how the lines were that day, and everything goes to prove that MT. Norton was the soldier who carried the water to Mir. Burr Mir. Norton had long since forgotten the in- cident, but now remembers it perfectly. Atlanta Constitution.