The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1895-06-05
who Comes Esrel'
IIaIt. Mho csm.. lhers!

I II " IL tiit Atitl- AtatA- Att1 ANtA-'t0 ~
change the piclets, and was dropped
out at post No. :. We had fought Lee
all day long on the -trangcst battlefield
Of the whole war in the WiIdcrir..-
From right To left flank, from front To
rear, We were henrned in 10y forest and
thicket. There were swamp- in which
lizards aud serpents lurScd, thickets ia
which the coy whipoorwiil built its
nest, dense spots OF forest which seemed
never To have echoed the riGg OF the
/ woodman's az.
( We had fought from tree 60 tree,
from thickei to tLicEet, from glade To-
glade, pushing lacl, the gray Zines here,
bafled AMI compelled 10 give ground at
other points. Lees liacs barred the
way. Never a man ia his whole army
whose inusl.et barrel was not hot that
day. Never IL man who did not feel
that he was fighting for the life of the
Confederacy.
How the forest shook and tremhled
as the great guns sent their deadly
missiles crashing through the foliage,
How Tie thicSe,s bIazed up ia flames.
| the severed limbs crashed down, the
sunny glaGes turned dark "a night with
the powder smoke settling over them,
The dead outnumbered the bushes.
Woanded walled and cried a. I never
heard them before oc after. There was
something so somber-so grue~0me--o
uacarthiy in fighting a foe unseen IN
the semidarkness that the shouting and
carsing usually heard in the lines gave
place 10 silence and pale faces.
Darkness had come at last, and the
roar OF battle had died away 70 low
/ growl. Giant had failed 10 drive Lee.
We knew that from flank to flank. Il
he could not force a passage through
those gray lines he could flank them.
Before the sun went down We knew
that be would 90 IT, It was not set
/ night when the movement began, but
ny division would bc one of the last %
/ move aud wc must hold our ground and
( prevent the Coufedcrates from di>cov-
ering what w.t- taking place It was
/ a curious coincidence Of war that I.lc
was almost moving by the flank, both
armies marching ia parallel lines from
q battlefield which had yielded neither
victory or deiea! 60 either side.
psf No. : was under large tree on
the edge Of thic1et To the south
there was a strip OF open ground, then
a thicket. then al old field. in which
/ stood IN old lcc cabin. II was a lonely
I place, we'll away from the dead and The
dying, bat / was glad TO he alone. All
along the lines there was a growing Of
nusketry; but ;his WAS bat biuii-a
bit Of acting 20 cover the real design
! had been nearly an hour OF the post
wiihou: anything happening to alarm
ne, when ! heard person moving in
/ the tiieket across the open strip.
Was it 81 person? l,iderles7 Eor~ts
had salIoped abou! that day almost
without number; ,hi- might be one
which had found shelter in that th:cket.
Rustlei Bus.ie, Step, Step!
1t was a cautious movement. Who
ever Il was hoped 10 reach HE without
discovery, but there were dead leaves
under foot, and the thicket was dense.
\ hare could not have moved without
betrayins is presence.
Rustic. Rustic!
KnoeIinS down 80 a. 10 SEE under the
darkness, - it were, I suddenly made
out black object against thc dark
background. Ii is neither horse nor
male; it is human being. \ scout
from the enemy's picket post, only
quarter OF mile away! y wounded
man hobbling about to find succor:
! one of our own scouts returning?
"Who comes here:''
There /. a silence of fifteen seconds,
and then u wo:nan's voice answers.
~ can't find the place. II Is 80 dark
/ can't find the place.
Ayi it Is woman's voice; and it
had = sob in it too. \ woman there in
/ the darkness between the hostile lines
with powder smoke still in the mir,
with stray Lallets Iariing through the
/ thickets with whizz, ~ of some great
insect stirred "a anger.
''Nho CONES herc:'
wish it wasn't so dark! am so
tired-So tiredw And then she came
across the open strip toward me, max
ing no stop, never he-itating, walking
straight up TO me Is if she could see ~
well by night as ia sunshine OF day.
Il can't find the place" She s'bbcd,
a she came 10 sop within arms
length.
GOOD God, woman. bat what are
you doing herc:" ! gasp,d, almost
terrified at her presence.
"See sec. - she replied, holding
bundle out toward me. "One time
saw a beautiful spot in the woods, AMI
said 10 myself that If he died would
bury him there, but can't find i'll
can't find il -
"What is it, woman: What have
you got there ~
...oee. see. Don't be afraid. He's
dead. lie can't >peal, or move. Take
him -
She put bundle into my arms and |
cried out and let fall my musket- IL
was the body of a baby about a year
and a half old Dead? Yes. Dead
from cruel bullet which had pierced
it, little body and left great wound
which looked horrible TO me in the dim
light Dead and cold and bathed in it7
blood, Dead for hours. And when |
reached out and touched the shawl OF
wrap worn by the mother my fingers
burued at the feel OF blood
IL have carried him such long, long
way" she moaned, ''and | have seen
50 many dead men and heard 80 many
guns. You'll help me, went vol
help NE to find the place and bury
poor baby ,"
"Was it your baby: Did you live il
the cabin beyond the thioSet?' | ask
: ci, still holding the little corpse.
| ale was 20 happy, she said as Sh'
patted the little bare head with &
motheriy hand "And was 80 happy
- IL. ,,..,,fs a,-.r faussI, aud f.rn.,