The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1898-02-17

tons especially preventive of early
rising.
ave also visited. the sick and dying.
Brethren Waddell and Turner did much
in that line. Frank ". Smith, now of
the Toledo Railroad Bethel, was fire.
quent visitor to the sick and dying, as
well as an active worker in our meet
ings. This work was constantly carried
ON by many In numerous cases the sick
were cared for by their mates as tenderly
as was possible in such a place re-
member boy | visited while sick and
after his death, who was kept by his COM
panions almost as clean and comfortable
as if at home
Zone instance in my own experience
illustrates how even these men were
sometimes most thoughtfully alive to
the dictates of humanity. My tent mate
at that time was Joseph Quesnall, a
mere boy, French Canadian. A men,
Der of the same company and regiment
with Corpl Moss. he had upon his death
come in as sort of heir of his personal
effects. Joe was the soul of faithful
ness and unselfishness. The illustration
of these traits, on his part, which / am
about to relate, was no doubt but one
of hundreds known to Him who sees all
hearts
During January, 1865, we we're with
out even the imperfect shelter we had
been accustomed to have took a cold,
coughed much, and must have looked
very badly. During the weary hours
no word of encouragement fell from his
lips. With warmer suns and better
shelter / recovered my usual prison
health. Then he said one day: Ser
geant, | was afraid for awhile that you
would not stay with US much longer
can organization was formed to clear
the way for the sick and carry cool
water to them. By the clumsy barbarity
of rebel arrangement, all the sick unable
to walk had to be dragged through heat
and dust to the South Gate. MY blood
never boiled hotter than when I saw
daily the long line of cripples crawling
along, or the still more helpless borne on
the backs of comrades or ON blankets,
while every movement was agony, and
many died upon the way.
Yet this daily torment was the price
of a rebel prescription. frequently,
from some cause, no doctors would be at
the gate. In that case never knew any
notice to be given to prevent the pill
grimage of pain, but the sick would come
and lie around in the hot sun for hours,
only at length to go groaning back to
their miserable huts. To such cup of
cool water was boon indeed.
II was often called upon to hold
burial services. After the first two or
three deaths in my ninety, I resolved
that each should have that mark of re-
spect as long as / had the strength to
give it. One of the saddest deaths ]
saw there was that of Edward Shoulder,
Co. II, I'd Del. He was a man / think
about middle age, quiet, unobtrusivs
Christian. With him starvation brought
on delirium. He would start up, grasp
my hand and then fall back with in
coherent words or an empty laugh.
One of the most quiet deaths / saw was
that of Corp'l W. S. Moss, my tent mate.
He was, apparently, religion. and always
inclined to be thankful that things were
no worse. His last words we're: What
a cool breeze
Lyman Gregory, also of the 7th N.
Y. III. A, and a tent mate. told me, Q
little before his death, that he had been
trying to live a Christian life. The hap
piest death l witnessed was that of An
drew Smith. 9TH Pa. His death was
one of triumphant joy. He seemed fully
prepared to go.
"Others l did not see die, but know
of their spiritual state. The first was
John Lanson, of Taylorsville, o. He
told me, perhaps week before his death,
that he had building, not made with
hands, eternal in the heavens
al knew Brother Achison, 9th Mimi,
. Local Methodist Preacher, who died
there. Brother Gardiner, 125th Ohio,
was man of noble spirit. A member
of his church was drafted. He had Q
family and could not bear to leave them.
So Brother Gardiner went in the place
of this friend, and died at Florence,
S. G.
"Now, while all loyal hearts musr
ever abhor the diabolism of the Slavery
rebellion, by which so many brave men
found untimely graves amid the sands of
the South, who can fail to rejoice at the
earnest Christian labors of prisoners at
Andersonville and other Southern pens7
And may we not believe that when
Jesus comes in all the glory of his final
advent to gather his jewels it may be
said of many precious souls thus born to
heavenly joys amid the deepest woes Of
earth, these are they who have come
up through great tribulation and washed
their robes white in the blood of the
Lamb p"
Ito be continuedl
EDITORIAL NOTE. In the next installmsnt
of "Andersonville a graphic story is told
of the arrest, trial and execution of Capt.
Henry Wirz, in charge of Andersonvtlle