The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1897-09-25
IN THE MOONLIGHT.

N..THE MOONLIGHT.
8 One day it was whispered in our camp
before Petersburg that Sergeant Jacks
wife had died. Sergeant Jack was re-
served and rather morose, and none Of
us knew whether he had wife or not,
until uni the rumor came. The sergeant's3
sdemeanor told us that the story was
true. 3r s5 IL
The soldiers mental suffering was
plain to all who looked into his face.
He 'ess had loved her well, and the blow
had ld come suddenly. In weeks time.
ne grew SO old and haggard that one
I could hardly identify him as the same
7 man. Some Of the men whisperingly
declared that he would do some desper-
ate thing others that he would bear
1t like man and get the best Of 1T
alter 'sl q while. We loved Sergeant Jack
every man Of us In B company, and
ne had the sympathy Of all his COM
rades. III /. @
Ihlngs were thus when it came our
turn to go into the rifle 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
MS head above a pit. Not q finger
could be held up without dozen bull
lets being fired at it. On this night.
It was bright moonlig SO bright that
i one could see every leaf and blade Of,
grass and every insect moving about.
The great guns were silent after q
/ not days work. but there was spite
ful and murderous fire OF musketry.
along the rifle pits. The bullets whizzed
above our heads in a vengeful way and
the officers kept crying, Look out, men
keep DOWN. as we neared the pits.
Men dropped of here and there until
only six Of us were left, and Sergeant
Jack had charge Of placing us. The
men in the pits had to come out first.
a and as soon as they got the signal they
began the movement. 5.#s.# a
We We're watching them as they
Wormed themselves along the ground,
when VI en- Sergeant Jack suddenly uttered .
groan. It was not a groan of pain.
but OF anguishsuch:s "a sound as
strong man mi make when he felt.
his shear brea king over his grief. Ai
OF us turned to look at him, and as We
did SO he stepped cut from under shell
ter into the opening and the moonlight.
an and was face. to face with death. ,
down, sergeant back-look
out! we shouted at him, but 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 ewes
1t was not the act of a brave man: none
OF them would put it down to brayado.
He was not deserter seeking admis-
sion to their lines. We shouted to them
not to shoot, that our sergeant had lost
his 81 mind. ind and those directly in front
heard US and withheld their fire.
Those on the. TANKS, however, could
not catch our words, and probably be-
l1eVed that some hostile movement was
contemplated; lt': a score of muskets
blazed away at the target#i in the moon
light. We saw Sergeant Jack halt
totter, throw up his hands and sink
down, dow q, and we knew that he was dead.
had az courted death because there was
nc nothing thin in life for him. We crept out
and q rescued his body for soldiers
/. burial II. al More than a dozen bullets had
st. struck him, and on his face was a look
OF relief-a look which came there in
his dying moment as he realized that
death .lte;d would end all. Detroit Free
Press. Il