Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1898-08-24
nov MEN DlB IN BATT.a
Brayeiy, Invariably, Though Regulars FRS.
.sl1SIgNSI Examine Their Wounds.

EA6ullIIS lHSlf WUuuuSs
'.If you want to know how men die
In battle, ask some Of those who have
been at Wilson's Creek, on one side
or the other" said Judge Daviu Muir
ply Of the Criminal Court.
"I was in Totten's Battery. and 1isaw
them. wounded and dying, falling thick
Fad fast around me. You may say that
t saw not one man funk in the face OF
death on that terrible day Of fight and
bloodshed. While 1 was firing my gun
from Bloody Hill youngster, not more
than. 90 years old, suddenly jerked his
sleg. He uttered sharp, quick cry,
then bent down and tore the trousers
away from the place on bis shin where
minpie had struck him. He looked
up with smile, patted the wound with
hir hand, pulled the torn trousers down
and went on shooting. Five minutes
later he yelled again, and his hand went
up to the fleshy part of his left arm.
q. Il again!' he said, sat down behind
tile Sbs tile --:s.n.:..,,s and examined his arm.
The wound was only skin deep, and
that seemed to please him hugely, for
he tssd his handkerchief around 1t, and
againfwent forward into the ranks with
hisemusket.
eYou're fighting in bad luck today,
Pete said comrade. The youngster
turned his face to answer back, and by
tie swapping Of his eyes it could be
seen that his mind framed q saucy, de-
J fiant reply. Just then his jaw dropped.
A ball plowed its way through his
mouth, leaving nothing but a bloody
tcn,,gyuueless cavity. With hoarse CUR
gle the fellow threw his gun on tho
ground and fled back of the lines. H@
was found in hospital afterward, Dnt
never recovered.
5"on that same day l encountered
three men under a tree. Their. faces
were ashen gray, showing that they
were mortally wounded. l asked them
wby: they were not attended to, apd
one Of them said that es 1t was all over
With them they wanted the surgeons
to attend first to those who could De
saved. One Of them was smoking a
short briar-wood pipe. -, .
What are you doing, my friendT
asked.
.arTaking. my last smoke he an
aweredl his CLASSY eyes looking stead
Gstly at me. Another was reading a
letter. He held 1t up to his face, but
Icould see that he was not making any
headway. His eyes were growing aim,
and his weak, trembling hands folded
the jmrissive and thrust it into his breast
pocket. He was perfectly resigned 10
his fate, and had not word TO say.
when / returned in the evening, aftef
A It'll. found the three men dead.
Their faces were white and set In the
shadow of: the tree under which they
lay. By the placidity of the features l
knew that they had met death without
flunklng.
"That's all bosh about men raVlng
about mother, home and heaven. All
tbe men have seen die, or near death'
were quiet and perfectly rational. Ihey
made no fuss. Those that did were
usually delirious, entirely out of their
minds. The faces Of these were ire
quently distorted, and gave every EVIL
dence; Of the mental and physical agony
they had endured.
One thing struck me as peculiar.
Nearly alLthe regulars exhibited al IN
slant. desire to examine their WOUNDS
when they were hit, and the expression
Of their faces indicated in 1nomen.
whether they wer slightly or mortaliy
wounded. They seemed to know with
unfailtng certainty. II the wound was
slight and in a place where they cou q
tie It III. conveniently, they did so, and
t4ffs66an went back into the fighting lines.
I hit was mortal, their grave, pale faces
betrayed their knowledge. The yolun.
tcers were not so well posted, but they
were brave as lions, and seldom gave
ap unless seriously hurt."