St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1895-06-14
Found al "Death AueIe.U

! Su'u ioi tue Ola nag was not lost IN
all Southern hearts. Captain Blodg.
EFT says:
Not long after General Sedgwick
was killed at Spottsylvania, our
Sixth corps marched down to the
lett, and at daylight came in front
OF the death angle AS we halted
stepped upon the rebel breastworks,
captured the day before, and as
stood looking along the line | no.
ticed rebel soldier lying up against
the breastworks looking as though
dead, but thought he might be
alive, and approached and spoke
to him, He answered by slight
groan. Igave him drink from my
canteen, and said, my good fellow,
what can do for you? You are in a
bad fix" In few minutes he was
able to speak in very weak voice,
and he told me in answer to my
question, for he looked so young, a
mere boy, that he was fourteen years
old, and had been in the army three
weeks. He had been conscripted, he
said, and added in despairing tone,
The worst thing about it all is that
| must die fighting against the old
flag"
sent word to our stretcher bear
ers, who were going about the lines,
and they carried the poor boy, who
had both legs broken, and was other
wise injured, to house in the vicni-
ty, where he was laid on the piazza
with other wounded men. He had
been all night on the breastworks,
left there because he was so badly
wounded that the rebels could not
take care of him. He probably died
soon after, as there was no apparent
hope Tor him.
The death angle was one of the
bIoodiest spots during the war. Lit
orally, pools of human blood were
there, and the incident above, show
ing that one Southerner at least was
not happy in fighting his countrys
flag, happened not hundred ieet
from the oak tree, fifteen inches
through, that was cut off by mimic
balls, and is now to be seen in the
Army museum at Washington"
A "Raw" Recruit Knew Something
AboHt Fighting.
"At the first battle of Fredericks.
burg, in which our battery was en-
gagged says a veteran living at St.
Johnsbury, VT, THE rebels right in
front OF us had battery on side
hill, from which they poured shot
and shell so lively that our men were
getting badly cut up. We had new
French recruit. who had joined us a
week before, and he could not speak
word of English. He was heard to
say in his own language: Mon
Dieu. II could have the privilege of
sighting our pieces would soon fix
those fellows on the hillside One of
the comrades who understood French
heard him and stepping up to the
officer in command, told him what
the French recruit had said. The
chance was granted and he did sight
the pieces, and at his signal they
were fired. The next thing we saw
was huge explosion where the rebel
battery was, and we heard no more
from that tort during the rest OF the
fight. We afterwards found out
that this man was one OF the practi-
cal artillerymen OF the French army.
He was soon after promoted to the
rank of lieutenant and sent off to a
battery composed mainly of French.
He Was Mason.
A Vermont Mason tells an incident
illustrative Of the benefit resulting
from being a Mason at time when
his need was desperate. He says:
at was on the evening of July 13,
1864. that three tired Union soldiers
who had escaped some thirty miles
below Lynchburg, Va, from col
umn of prisoners being conducted to
Danvile, sat down to rest by small
stream that ran through the little
settlement in the northwestern part
o, the state called in those days "the
Australian Furnaces. One of the
party, Captain S., belonged to the
Masonic fraternity, and our plan in
m aking this spot came from the fact
that the superintendent of the woods
was a member OF the order, and the
captain had strong hopes OF obtain
ing from him substantial aid. He
was successful in obtaining an inter
view, and enIistng the superintend-
ent's sympathy, though we were told
subsequently he was OF the opinion
he ought to give the captain over to
the proper authorities.
An agreement tokeep him, brought
the request for aid to his two COM
panions. Are they Masons?" asked
the superintendent, mo, replied the
captain. but they are in need. What
YOU do for me YOU must do tor
them" The appeal brought an
affirmative answer. We were direct
ed to remain quiet till the evening OF
the day following, when aid would