The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1897-08-07
HIS AMANUENSIS.
SHE WROTE A LETTER FOR THE SICK
SOLDIER BOY TO HIS MOTHER.

Things to Eat-He Didn't Know Who
His Hospital Angel Was Until He Re
turned Home and Saw the Letter.
II have a letter you would like to
zee, I guess" said Assemblyman James
II. Agen Of West Superior.
with you?'
.No. IT IS toe precious to carry
around il a grip or pocket
WHO wrote it and what does it con.
tain?@
LET me tell you Il story before an,
sy,ering Your double question: III 1864,
while following Grant near Richmond,
and when we had come 50 close to It
that they could hear our maskets and
-.e their church bells, / was stricken,
With a fever and sent TO hospital. III
time they landed me, more dead than
alive, IN Il Of the great hospitals at
Washington. | was a very sick boy.
Boy is right, for that was all was
sweet ~, as q girl Of that age would be.
For three weeks I had no ambition to
live.
lone day, after | had passed the dan
ger point and was taking i little notice
CT what was going on, 4 number Of Ia
dies came through the hospital. They
had baskets containing d~elicacies and
bouquets of beautiful flowers. One Of
them stopped at each cot as they passed
along. A bunch of blossoms wa hand
ed to each sick or wounded soldier, and
If ne desired it d delicacy Of some kind
was also distributed. Every now and
then U of the women sat in a camp
chair and wrote u letter for the poor
fellow who hadn't the strength to write
himself.
Il wanted nothing to eat or drink,
but those pretty posies held my atten-
lion. One of the ladies stopped at nv
cot. | hadn't yet got my full growth,
md IN my then emaciated, pale condi-
ton | must have looked like a child.
She seemed surprised as she looked at
me.
"'You poor child, what brought you
herea:'
They sent me here from the Army
of the Potomac
but you are not a SOldleT?!'
Yes, madam. / belong @ a New
York regiment. The surgeon here has
she record.
Gar | do something for you? Can
you cat something or take a swallow Of
wine::'
I'm not hungry or thirsty
Can | write a letter for you?
Not today. I'm too weak
hen | will leave some of these
flowers with you. President Lincoln
helped 60 Gull them. / will come again
N two or three days. Keep mp your
courage You are going to get we'll.
You must get WE'LL
SHE vas the first woman who had
to me since / reached the army. |
Looking at the sweet flowers which Mr..
Lincoln had helped to Gull and think. !
ing OF the dear woman who had spoken
kindly and hopefully had more effect
Frightening my spirits than all else
had occurred in the hospital.
Three days later the same lady came
again and direct to my cot.
is my little soldier boy to-
she asked in q way SO moth, rly
it reminded me of my good mother
baek IN New York, the patriot mother
who bad given her consent to my gong
70 the war after praying over the matter
many times. The hospital angel-tbat
IS what we learned to call those noble
women-after giving me a taste Of
chicken and jelly asked if I had d
mother. She saw by the tears in nv
yes that I had.
Now we will write mother q let
ter
Then she sat by my side and wrote
he letter. I hadn't been able to wSite
or a month.
Il have told your mother that + am
lear her soldier boy and have talked
him. What shall I tell her for
Tou! That you are still too weak to
write yourself?'
Please don tell her that. Re win
make her worry. Tell her / am fast set
ing WE'LL
1.-The first day I got home my mother
lsked me how / liked Mrs. Lincoln, the
residents wife.
- never met Mrs. Lincoln. What
made you think I had:'
"Then she took from a box closely
'uarded in an old bureau a letter. Il
cad like this:
DEAR Mrs. AGENT am sitting by the ,;ds
: Your soldier boy. He has been quite sick.
IS getting well. He tells me to say to Won
nat ne IS all right. With respect for the moth.
Of the young soldier,
MRS. ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
THAT was the first I knew that il
7as the presidents wife who had made
those two visits. | begged my moth
to give me the letter. You can have
Whpn an nnnn !, NIa. -