The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1897-01-27
A Pathetic War Story.

Major William Goges, a war vctcr-
an, narrates the following story in the
Iowa Woodman, the scene of which is
laid at the scige of Atlanta:
One of the singular occurrences of
the civil war that came under my OBJ
servation was pathetic little incident
on the battlefield after the seigc of
Atlanta. It was night, and l had
been ordered to 60 out and work on a
easement near the cncmy's lines.
They knew we were there, for they
kept up a continuous ping, ping, ping
of minnie balls, now and then varying
the amusement by sending hot ten
FOUNDER, scorching the ground and
playing havoc with the bushes un-
pleasantly close to our cars. AS I
was running about, suddenly one of
the boys rushed up and said:
"There's dying man wants to see
you, captain. You'd better come
quick, for he's got hole through his
1 hastened in the direction indica-
ted, and soon found the poor fellow.
He was being propped up by corpo.
raj, but by the way he acted and talk
ed l knew he was settled for.
"They've got me this time, cap
tain, he said, slowly, the blood
choking him as he spoke. He'd been
wounded couple of times before, and
was brave man and a good one, too.
l said what [ could in the line of sym
pathy, telling him that it was the fate
Of war, and that his old comrades
would follow him sooner Or later It
was only matter of few days, any
how.
II want you to do me favor, cap
tain," he said, the death sweat on his
forehead shining like beads in the fit
full CLEAN Of candle he had lighted.
''Of course I'll do it, my boy" I
said.
"There's my knapsack and can
teen," he choked pitifully. lake
them or send them to my poor old
father and mother up in Vermont.
Tell EN- that their son died likea soldier
on the field of battle. Tell them that
I died thinking of them-and-and-
and there is another matter-another'
here stream Of blood gushed from
his lips, and his eyes took on look
of horror that almost frightened me.
Another matter" he gasped-''an-
other matter. Reach down in my
blouse and get picture there" 1
did as directed and saw in the faint
light that the card bore the face of a
young woman. "It's-it's the girl I
was going to marry" sobbed the dy-
ing man. ';Tell her that I died with
my lips on hers. Put the picture to
my lips, captain, that I may kiss it.
He kissed the senseless cardboard over
and over again, and although turned
reverently away, caught glimpse
of the lovelit eyes that told of his de-
votion.
AS he caressed the likeness for the
last time the ambulance drove up and
he was tenderly loaded IN Tor the hos
pital, where his last moment might be
less painful than on the rough, rock
strewn battle ground.
The first chance [ got sent that
knapsack and that sweet face to the
ones mat loved the soldier. That
isn't all the. story. In October, if |
recollect right, just before the battle
of Allatoona, and after General Hood
swung around to Grants rear, I was
riding along very dusty road with
my company. Suddenly | saw spec
tacle before me that nearly knocked me
off my horse. There in the middle Of
the road, with his arms wildly waving
toward me, was that same dying sol
dier. His head was bandaged up, and
when he spoke his voice was much i'm
peded.
eve got furlough," he said, try
ing to grin good naturedly, but failing
because of the bandages around his
face. I've got furlough, and | m
going home to marry that girl" And
ba did