The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1897-08-19
IN THE MOONLIGHT.
Sergeant Jack had Lost All That EFs7M
Life Dear to Him.

Sergeant Jack Had Lost All That MS2M
Life Dear to Him.
One day it was whispered in oux
camp before Petersburg that Ser
geant Jack S wife had died Sergeant
Jack was reserved and rather mo-
rose, and none of us knew whether
he had wife or not until the ru-
NOR came. The sergeant,s demean-
or told us that the story was true.
The soldiers mental suffering
was plain to all who looked into hlS
face. He had loved her well, and
the blow had come too suddenly
In weeks time he grew so old and
haggard that one could hardly,iden-
tify him as the same man. Some Of
the men whisperingly declared that
he would do some desperate thing
others that he would bear it like
a man and get the best of it after
awhile. We loved Sergeant Jack,
every man of us IN B company,
and he had the sympathy of all his
comrades.
Things were thus when it came
our turn one night to go into the
rife pits on the line nearest the
Confederates. We had TO march
down from camp by covered ways
and crawl into the pits like so many
serpents. Death was there waiting
for any man who but showed his
head above a pit. Not a finger could
be held up without dozen bullets
being fired at it. On this night lit
was bright moonlight-so bright
that one could see every leaf azld
blade of grass and every insect NOV
ing about. The great guns were
silent after a hot days work, but
there was a spiteful and murderous
fire of musketry along the rifle pits,
The bullets whizzed above >oT
heads in a vengeful way, and the
off cers kept crying, Look out, mem
keep DOWN. as we neared the
pits. Men dropped off here and
there till only six of us were left,
and Sergeant Jack had charge OF
placing us. The men in the pits
had to come out first, and as .sooD
as they got the signal they began
the movement. We were watching
them as they wormed themselves
along the ground when Sergeant
Jack suddenly uttered a groan. III
was not a groan of pain, but OF
nguish-such a sound as a strong
man might make when he felt his
heart breaking over his grief. All
of us turned to look at him, and as
we did so he stepped out from un-
der shelter into the open and the
moonlight and was face to face with
death!
Down, ergeant-come back
look out p we shouted at him, buz
he drew himself up and walked
straight toward the Confederate
lines. His appearance amazed the
sharpshooters for half a minute
So bright was the moonlight that
they could look right into his eyes
It was not the act @of a brave
man. None of them would put IL
down to bravado. He was not de
serter seeking admission to their
lines. We shouted to them not tn
shoot-that our sergeant had lost
his mind-and those directly IKE
front heard us and withheld their
fire. Those on the tanks, however.
could not catch our words, and
probably believing that some hos
tile movement was contemporaries.
score of muskets blazed away III
the target in the moonlight We
saw Sergeant Jack halt, totters
throw up his hands and sink dOwnv
and we knew that he was dead
had courted death because there
was nothing more in life for i1zrn.
We crept out and rescued his body
for soldiers burial More thana
dozen bullets had struck him, and0sn
his face was a look of relief-a Ao1E
which came there in his dying mc-
ment as he realized that death wouk&
end all. Detroit Free Press,
Matches.