Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-08-26
l4oW WOUNDED MEN ACT.
EcrDes Who Continue to Fight After
Being Shot.

EcrOes Who Continue to Fight After
Being Shot.
While the subject of the dead and wound
ed is the least touched on by writers on
the war, * is nevertheless n topic equally
os interesting. If not so pleasing, as those
having TO do with the glory of war.
On the second day OF the battle of the
Wilderness, says n writer in the Philadel
phia Times, when fought as an infantry
soldier, saw more men killed and wound
ell than did before or after the same time.
/ know but feSy of the men in the regiment
in whose ranks l stood, hut l learned the
Christian Names OF some of them. The
man who stood next TO me on my right
was called Will. He was cool, brave and
Intelligent.
In tho morning, VIXEN the Second corps
was advancing and driving Hills soldiers
slowly back, was Hurried. He noticed it
and stcadied my nerves by saying kindly:
Don't fire so fast. The fight will last all
day. Don't hurry. Cover your man be-
fore you pull your trigger. Take it easy,
my boys, take Il easy, and your cartridges
will last the longer.
During the day l had learned to look up
to this excellent soldier and lean on him.
Toward evening, as we were being slowly
driven back to the Brock road by Long
streets men, we made Il stand. was be-
hind u tree firing, with my rifle barrel
resting on inc SluS Vi d lliAlb VIII WAS
standing by my side, but in the open. He,
with u groan. doubled up and dropped on
his hands.as he fell.
lie looked up at me His face was pale.
He Casped for breath few times and then
said family: Tibet ends me. l am shot
through the bowels. /" I said: Crawl TO
the rear We ere not far from the in
trcnchments along the Brock road" 1
saw him sit up and indistinctly SAW him
for hi riff L. N-h hnI nj
his hands rs he fell.
Again l spoke TO him to go to the rear.
He looked ut me and said impaticntly: Il
tell you l am good rs dead There Is
no use in foOli.:g with me. l shall stay
here" Then lie pitched forward, dead,
shot again aud through the head. We fen
back before Longstreet's soldiers and LETT
Will
When we got TO the Brock road intrench-
ments, a man IA few files to my left drop
ped dead, shot just above the right eye.
, He did not groaH or sigh or make the
slightest physical movement except that
his chest hcavcd few times. The life
went out of his face instantly, leaving is
without q particle of expression.
1t was plastic, and AS the facial muscles
contracted it took many shapes. When
this man. body became cold, and his face
hardened, it was horribly distorted as
though he had suffered intensely. Any
person who had not seen him killed would
have said that he had endured supreme
agony before death released him.
After Longstrcct's soldiers had driven
the Second corps into their intrCnchments
along the Brock road n battle exhausted
infantryman stood behind Il large oak
tree. His back rested against it. He was
very tired and held his rife meekly in his
hand.
Pho Confcderatos were directly in our
front. This soldier Was apparently in per-
feet safety A solid shot from COnfed-
crate gun struck the oak tree squarely
about four feet from the ground, but it did
not have Sufficient force to tear through
the thick wood. The soldier fell dead.
There was not n scratch on him. He was
killed by coEcussiUn.
While we were fighting savagely over
these intrenchmcnts tho woods in our
front caught fire, and l saw many of our
wounded burn to death.
The smoke rolled heavily and slowly be-
fore the flames curlcd around the victims.