The National tribune., 1899-09-28
STRETCHER Corps.
Humane Work Under Heavy Fire on Several
Battlefelds.

EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: Read
ing the reports from comrades OF their ex-
pcricnce around Petersburg, 1 have been
quite interested, as | was there with my
regiment for Il number of months. TO start
with, the 9th Mass. was doing provost
duty at Norfolk, Va, in the Winter of 1863
Ga When Gen. Butler started with his
boats and troops for Bermuda Hundred the
27lh was with him. We were all through
his campaign for six or eight months. We
went out with a full regiment; wien We re,
turned 20 Fortress Monroe, to be sent back
to Newbc-n, N. c., where We belonged, we
had some $50 men with us. This shows
what amount of fighting and duty we did
We were where the bullets were flying most
of the time. My Captain, Co. II, Charles
l.. Sanford. was killed at the battle OF
Drewry's Bluff; Col. Walter q. Bartholo,
NEW was wounded and taken prisoner.
We We're at Cold Harbor, and at the charge
| of the mine at Petersburg. | was with the
party at the burying OF the dead killed in
the charge.
One thing I wish to state, that I have not
seen in print. | think it happened at Cold
Harbor. Capt. Caswell, Co. b, 9th Mass.
was ordered by some officer to take his
company and part of some other com
mand and go Il few rods to the right flank
Of orr line. We were in the woois and
fronting the rebel breastworhs, Capt
| CaSWeli did as ordered. After he had
reached his position an order was given
him to advance little farthcr. He did SO
When he had his men in position Il volley
was fired from the bushes and Is of them
were killed. They started for low ground
and worked out after dark.
The Captain asks who was that officer
that gave him that order. and who was il
that said: "A little farther, Captain"
! Again, while at this place | was one of
the stretcher corps, and an officer gave lis
the order to go up on the skirmish-line
and bring out some of the wounded. Com
rades McLeary, of Co. III, and Cannon. OF
myself took the stretcher. went up into the
woods until We came to two battle lines "
| ing down, one in advance OF the other, and
passed over them, and up Il few rods Were
our skirmishers, all behind trees, lying
down. The breastworks Were few rods
from the skirmishers, ard the Johnnies were
standing up behind the works.. AS we
passed the line lying down some of the
soldiers said: Here, come and get my
friend" another said, Come get my friend
| Comrade McLeary said: You towards
lying there, III stump any of you to help
take them out; there are two and three men
| behind some of the trees"
We went a little farther and took sol
dier from behind one of the trees, and as we
got him onto the stretcher, and the bullets
We're tipping, he jumped and ran down past
| the two hattle-line5, then tainted and fell.
We We're i'll sight of the rebels when we took
him onto the stretchcr, and they saw us and
| fired Il volley into us and hit Comrade
| Spooner. We took him out. A ball hit John
McLeary on one of his little fingers. Com
rade Spooner lived about three hours.
We were at Cold Harbor, and some 10 days
at Petersburg, stationed ON the LETT One
day we were back of the brcastworks; Just
down steep bank was a brook that sepa-
| rated the reb3 and our men, behind breast
works. don't think they We're more than
| 10 rods apart. One of the Union men had
been killed and his comrades were calling
| for a stretcher to come and take him out:
! they We're dressed in uniform, with red caps
and red stripes on their pants. n bully look
ing company, but no so down that bank
| for them, exposed to the rebs' bullets So
our leader, John McLeary, said: Boys,
| take that stretcher, and we will go and
bring him out" We did SO, and Mel Leary
said, NOW, you comrades, take your man
| and care for him." and the soldiers all
shouted bully 70 the 9th stretcher corps
There was no better fighting man than
Col. Walter G.. Bartholomew, of the 9th
| Mass; no better Captain than Charles l..
Sanford, CO. IL; no better Hospital Steward
than Comrade Spooner, OF Co. FL, 9th
| Mass. Now l want to hear from some of
| the 9th boys.-J. BULLARD, Co. II, eth
| Mass, Davis Bridge, Vt.