The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1897-05-05

was on May IL, lovely day, in 1864
AS said, G neral Grant was after US
hot and heavy; but he struck us at
stong point, and the stormin' columns
were engaged in deadly cross FIRM.
Bullets whizzed around like snowfakes
do in blizzard times in these parts.
We repealed your first advances gen.
tlemen, with fearful loss. Before we
knew it you made another gallant
charge against us, and we gave you
still warmer reception. Your lines
melted away-I can see 'em now
under the storm of musketry, grape
and canister that swept the intervenin'
space. Oh, it was a day of daysl
Your troops fell back, gentlemen, and
you didn't stop to remove your dead
and wounded from the smokin' field.
You had business which required Your
immediate presence further on. At
once our sklrmish line was thrown out
to watch your movements, and was To-
Gated at point where the slaughter
was most fearful Our men had has
tily dug rifle pits to protect them from
the sure aim Of the Federal sharp
shooters, and dead and dying men
were heaped up even to the edge of
those pits"
ain one of the pits were found four
or five members of Company Fl, First
Regiment South Carolina Volunteers.
An ungainly, angular, red-headed lad
was among them. His name was John
M. Nichols, and he hailed from Spar
tanburg, little Carolina town in the
beautiful Piedmont belt. The wound
ed had been lynn for hours unattended.
The sun beamed hotter and hotter
upon them, and they were sufferin' ter
ribly from pain, loss of blood and thirst.
Their groans and curses were sickenin'
to hear. Not fifteen feet from the rifle
pit protectin' the South Carolinans lay o
MORALLY wounded Federal officer.
{" Water, waterp he cried. will
no one give me me water? Just one
drop, that's all. I'm dying for want Of
water
"As the day wore on his cries, in
stead of subsidin' grew more pitiful,
and it was evident that he was sufferin'
more and more. Finally, Nichols
could stand it no longer. He was one
of those effervescent boys, who was al
ways lookin' out for, things to do for
other people. AT last he cried, with
the tears streamin' down his cheeks:
err. Pm goin' to take the poor fellow
my canteen of water
Everybody tried to dissuade him.
To show him the danger of his under
takin' some one stuck hat on the end
for an instant. Instantly dozens of
bullets from the guns of the Yankee
sharpshooters passed over their heads
| hot he
still in the ring.
"In the meantime the dyin' officer
moaned on, Water, water. Just one
drop, somebody please. Only one tiny
drop
"The tender-hearted boy could not
be scared out of his determination
After maxim three unsuccessful at.
tempts he at last succeeded in clearin'
the little embankment. Once on the
other side it was an easy matter for
him to throw himself fat upon the
ground between the burrows of the
cornfeld where the battle had been
wsged. He crawled slowly along and
got as near to the dyin' man as the pro
tectin' burrows would allow; then
breakin' stick from sumac bush, he
tied his canteen to the end of it and
landed it into the sufferers hands.
Talk about gratitude 1 never heard
gratitude expressed as that Federal Of
fcer expressed it, Not man who
heard him had dry eye. He begged
| young Nichols to let him tie his gold
watch to the stick, that he might in
[ that small way show his appreciation
But the boy soldier scoffed at the very
: idea, and returned as he had come
amid hailstorm of bullets. When he
. reached the edge of the pit he yelled tc
, his comrades to clear the track for him
, and with mighty leap he was among
| his friends once more without so much
as briar scratch to call to his mine
his heroic act. That was the kindes
? and bravest deed l saw durin' the
whole war. 1t was no act of impulse
2 but deliberately calculated risk of hi!
own life to give aid and succor to hi
enemy"
: "What sacrifice to relieve frient
would be too great for man who jeop
Q arded his life to allay the suffering o
4 an enemy?" asked Number One.
"Let's drink silent toast to Johr
. Nichols, the hero" suggested Numbe
i Two, and they did. The seats for thu
. Grant parade have not yet been Sc
: | lected