The National tribune., 1898-05-19
A GETTYSBURG REMINIScEHcE.



On the Field Among the Enemy. and In the
| Hospitals Cared for by Patriotic Women.
| EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: It NAV be
| interesting to the present generation to know
things not recorded in history that happened
in the dark days of the Nations life, and how
a certain feeling existed among some who were
fighting against Old Glory, ard also how the
wants of the wounded and dying were
ministered to by those noble women whose
lives are devoted to purity and to God, and
by those whose patriotism was the brightest
| jewel in their every deed.
| About noon, on the first day Of July, 1863.
| at the memorable battle of Gettysburg, Just
as our lines were being driven back, and
| while trying to lift the colors of our regiment
that had fallen to the ground, i was struck
down by two balls. This happened on a
knoll back of the Seminary, toward Will
loughby Run. Our liue fell back about so
yards farther, then rallied, and for hale
hour held that position. To be effective, tho
| firing from both sides had to be as close tbs
top of the knoll as possible. You can i'm
agne what an interesting time had during
that half hour, as / received third shot
from our own men, and had my haversack
| and cartridge-box torn from me while lying
| in that position.
About four clock, after our men had been
driven to Cemetery Hill. North Carolina
Lieutenant belonging TO the regiment COM
manding the rear-guard OF the Confederate
army, approached me. He was very jubilant.
| and told of the great victory that they had
| won, how they were going on In the morning
to Harrisburg, thence to Washington City,
and so on until the whole Northern army
was wiped out.
told him that such might be the case, but
that more than likely they would find some
obstacles on their way. He then wanted to
know how many of our army were there.
informed him that all | knew Of was our
corps (the First and part of the Eleventh.
After further bantering and more details as to
how they were going to clean US out, he pus
the following question to me:
.'Well, Sergeant, what did you fellows
come out to fight against US for, anyhow"
I'VE thought it was right to fight for the
old fag," / said. At the mention of the flag
his countenance changed. He turned about
and walked several steps away. Returning,
he said:
"Well, Sergeant, never desert the old
flag"
3sWhat?" I exclaimed.
81 mean Just what / say" he repeated.
"Never desert the old flag" Then calling
to one of his men, he bade him get a canteen
OF water lot Ine, anu Dc uliiiScn pIoCuIcU -
blanket, and after making me as comfortable
as he could, went on his way, leaving me
filed with strange thoughts about the flag
and the struggle that was going on in our
land.
This incident showed the feeling that ex-
listed among large number of the Confed-
crate troops. and especially among those OF
North Carolina. What glorious inspiration
it is to-day to see both the North and the
South vieing with each other to show who
can pay the most honor to Old Glory.
The next evening, about O'Clock, four Of
our men who had been captured carried me-
about mile and put me In the basement Of
barn. The following morning, the memoir
able Sd of July, found ME right along the
Confederate line-of battle, with a battery at
each end of the barn Our batteries were
sending messages in the shape of shot and
shell intended for the rebels, but we were in
as much danger and as liable to catch them
as they were, and it soon became evident that
the barn was in danger of being fired, and
the 500 or 600 men who were quartered there
burned up
Then it was that the kind-hearted Confed-
crate commander gave orders that the men be
carried out to place of safety. We were
taken to q house along the Emmitsburg
road. where we lay until the evening of the
5th. Our forces now had control of the field,
and our ambulances were busy gathering up
the wounded and taking them to more COM
Portable quarters. / was taken to the CathO-
lie church building in the town of Gettysburg
and placed in the gallery along with IA more
of my comrades, where / remained until the
18th of the same month.
1t was here that we first learned of the
good deeds of those noble women called Sis
tiers of Charity, and should l live to be
hundred years old / will always hold them
in grateful remembrance for the kind and
loving attention that they gave Us while we
were under their care and keeping i never
see one of them wearing their peculiar garb
but my mind goes back to the time when,
wounded and sick and away from home and
our own loved ones, they ministered to our
every want as tenderly and cheerfully as our
own mothers or wives or sisters could have
done.
When we left Gettysburg we were taken
to the cotton factory hospital at Harrisburg.
Here we found more sisters, not dressed in
any peculiar garb, but with hearts as loving,
loyal, and patriotic as any In the land. And
as our mind goes back to those days and we
think of the punches of flowers, the baskets
of fruits, the kind words, and the loving
cheer they brought US each day while we lay
in the hOsptals-and when we think of how
the brave, unselfsh, heroic women of the
North stood up for the boys who wore the
Dlue-we can but say: Had it not been for
hem our cause had been lost. ."-J. r. Balls
LEY, Connellsyille, Pa.