Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-04-11
THE EXPERIENCE OF LADY
DURING THE WAR.
THE HORSE ARTILLERY
A Record of Exciting Scenes ana
Incidcnts--Why He Wonid come
cood Renson-AS 20 Southern
Histories.

Tn riv,n, her experience with the
wounded on the battlefield, Kate Nc
Vicar. in an article in the winchester
Times. says:
Among the wounded Lieutenant II. ].
Mum. of the Twenty-hrst North Carolina;
his thigh was fractured; the surgeon said
A. was death TO attempt TO amputate the
limb. and as they expected him to de
but little had been done for him. He lay
on the ground with some straw under
him. in Mr.. Rutherfords yard, short
distance from the front gate, under &
large shade tree. He could not turn or
move himself. He complained so Of the
pain in his back from lying in one posi-
ton. and said II hurt him worse than
his wound.
Without knowing that Miss Russell had
done the same act for another soldier the
night before. j sat down on the ground
and did what the tender heart of any
yirl would tell her to do. raised his head
and laid il against my shoulder so that
he could rest. In many letters received
from him afterwards, and which L still
have. he ItNtIlS W lidl A4iAAO oAG ~
great relief from his pain 1t gave to him.
There were eight other Confederates
lying on the ground. The two Federal
soldiers died early in the night, and a
blanket was thrown over them. The men
left 10 care for them disappeared. Mr..
Rutherford's family were completely eX-
hausted, for they had had no rest Tor
several nights, so we three did the best
we could to alleviate the suffering OF
these poor southern boys-the most or
them being from North Carolina.
After midnight young jenkins came TO
me and told me that one of the men was
dying. i laid Lieutenant Num- down
and went to the dying soldier, who lay
Just under front window of the Ruther-
ford house. He told me he was from the
Sixth North Carolina, gave me the ad-
dress of his family. and asked me TO write
them of his fate. 1 promised 10 do so. l
sat down on the ground and raised his
head and he died in my arms. He was
conscious to the last. Another of the
same regiment died in a short time, but
he was unconscious.
| went back to Lieutenant Num- and
for the greater part of the night held
him in my arms TO rest his back.
shall never forget that night a bright,
full moon flooding all that beautiful land
dark IN the distance. the sthl, dead
forms lying near US, the groans Of the
wounded around us. ! was very young
girl then, but all the sorrows OF humanity
seemed to be surging around me. as
waves of the ocean. / thought or the
southern homes, where loving. tender
hearts were waiting and praying for
those men, the dead and dying whom
they would never see again. From an
old notebook Of mine l will copy some
verses Of that time, time so full OF
terrible scenes that now IL is hard to
realize how we lived through them:
WIFE you look at this picture OF the past?
A lawn with trees scattered around.
And dozen brave men with mortal
wounds
Are lying on the ground.
TITS night, and the full moon Is shining
down,
But we heed not It's silvery charms.
For we hear the death-groans of dying
men,
AS they breathe their last in our arms.
I smoothed back the hair from boyish
face.
That was once some woman's pride:
AS ] wiped the death-damp from his
pallid brow,
OF his mother he murmured, and died.
St2mDcQ forever On MY Dldlh W inv
dread seal OF memory are the events or
that Saturday night Of July "a. 1854. Next
morning ambulances were sent out and
the seven Confederates still surviving
were taken In town to the York Hospital,
now Fairfax Han. OF them l can only
tell Of one. Lieutenant Mum. He was
placed in a corner of one of the lower
rooms In that building, and never moved
from there until the following winter.
when the hospital was broken up by COM
mand Of the Federals. Miss Mary kurtz
remembers him well, as she was matron
there during the time. When the hospital
was disbanded he was laid on a mattress,
still unable to move and transferred TO
the Post Hospital, In Baltimore. There he
remained until that was broken up in
July following the surrender. Still utter
~ helpless, he was put on a train and
started TO his home. in Stokes county,
~ c., where for several years he was
helpless, and then, with the aid OF a pair
of crutches. he became able to move
around some. but never recovered from
the effects of his terrible wound. lie had
bitter cause TO remember Winchester and
Ramseur's disaster.
But TO return TO the events Immediately
following that. On the Sunday July s5th)
after these men were removed to town,
the fight became general between Crook 5
and Early's forces. and by the middle OF
the afternoon the Confederates were again
IN possession OF Winchester and Crook
In full retreat 10 Martinsburg, his dead
and wounded left lying over the fields
south Of winchester.
Tho next battlefield hospital ! was in
was at our own house. when on the night
OF the 18th OF September. 1854. the Fede-
rails brought over fifty OF their wounded
10 our home. after night. and, although
our hearts were with our own southern
wounded lying scattered over the fields.
yet our hands gave all the help possible
to those we counted then as our enemies.
and our tenderiy caring for the Federal
wounded that night brought It's own re-
ward. for the surgeon in charge reporting
A TO General Hancock, he gave orders
that our family were TO be protected. al
though he knew that my father and
brother were with the southern army.
And this same surgeon got permit for
me the next morning TO 30 over TO the
omithfeld House. which was full OF
southern wounded.
But the terrible sights and scenes there
And the fields around II would make an
other article. and this one 81 already long
y Ixh IN tx he a.