The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1898-08-05

Men wounded in battle behave in
various manners, according to the ma
ture Of their hurts and the degree Of
physical courage possessed.
While the subject Of the dead and
wounded is the least touched on by
writer's on the war, it is nevertheless
a topic equally as interesting, If not so
pleasing, as those having to do with
he glory of var
On the second day of the battle of the
Wilderness, when 1 fought as an in
fantry soldier, I saw men killed and
wounded al I never di before or after
the same time. I kenw but few of
hem men in the regiment in whose ranks
I stood. but I learned the Christian
names Of some of the men. The man
who stood next to me on my right was
called Will. He was cool, brave and
intelligent.
In the mornig when the Second corps
was advancing and driving Hills SOL
diers slowly back I was farried. He
noticed it., and steadied my nerves by
saying kindly: Don't fire so fast. The
fight will last all day. Don't hurry.
Cover your man before you pull the
trigger take it easy, my boys, take it
easy, and you cartridges will last the
longer"
During the day 1 had learned to look
up to this excellent soldier, and lean
on i'm. Towards evening, as we were
being slowly driven back to the Brock
road by Longstreet's men, we made a
stand. I vas behind a tree firing,
with my rifle barrel resting OF the
stub of a limb. Will was standing by
my side, but in the open. He, with a
grOan, doubled up, and dropped on
his hands as he fell.
He looked at me. His face was pale.
He gasped for breath a few times, and
then said, family: THAT ends me. ]
am shot through the bowels" I said:
Crawl to the rear. We are not far
Brock road" I saw him sit up, and
indistinctly saw him reach for his rifle,
which had fallen from his hands as he
fell.
Again I spoke to him to go to the
rear. He looked at me and said i'm
patiently: II tell you 1 am as good as
dead. There is no use in fooling with
me. I shall stay here" Then he pitched
forward, dead, shot again and through
the head. We fell back before Long
streets soldiers and left Will.
When we got to the Brock road en-
trenchments a man a few files to my
left dropped dead, shot just above the
right eye. He did not groan or sigh
or make the slightest physical I've
ment, except that his chest heaved a
few times. The life went out of his
face instantly, leaving it without a
particle Of expression.
1t was plastic, and as the facial mus
cles contracted it took many shapes.
When the mans body became cold, and
his face hardened, it was horribly dis,
torted, as though he had suffered in
tensely. Any person who had not seen
him killed would have said hat he had
endured supreme agony before death
released him..
Sometimes the dead smile, again they
stare with CLASSY eyes and lolling
tongues and dr%eadfully distorted Wis.,
ages at you. One death was as pain
less as the other.
After Longstreet's soldiers had driv-
en- the Second corps to their intrench-
ments along the Brock road a battle
exhausted infantryman stood behind a
large oak tree. His back rested against
it. He was very tired and held his rifle
meekly in his hand.
The confederates were directly in our
front. This soldier was apparently in
perfect safety. A solid shot from a
confederate gun struck the oak tree