The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-05-01
OUR SOLDIERS BIBLES.
Companion of so Per Cent of Heroes
Found Dead on the Battlefield.

Found Dead on the Battlefield.
Chicago Times Herald: General Toral
has commented In Spanish Journal on
the fact that his men during the battle
OF Santiago, when they had opportunity
to examine the American dead, usually
found a Bible or Testament on the
bodies. He Is unable to reconcile this
discovery with his belief that the Amer
leans are o nation OF hypocrites. dishon-
est. yainglorious and bloodthirsty.
Perhaps II Gen. Toral could have en-
tered thousands OF American city and
farm homes last April he would have
noticed q gray-haired woman or n
young girl on whose bosom CLEANED the
bulge OF social purity writing with
trembling hands on the fly leaf OF the
sacred book: ITO John. From His AZ
fectlonate Mother Tor sister,"
And II Gen. Toral had looked closely
he would have seen that on the fly lear.
Just below the writing, or perhaps I'M
mediately upon the name. there were
stains as II tears had fallen from eyes
that were to know no rest until the SOL
der boy came home. II this be hypo-
crisy, II 1t be no sign OF 4 deeper anu
truer undercurrent OF life welllas In the
great national heart, then Gen. Tornl is
entitled to make all that his wits can
Of 1t.
The American does not carry his re-
llgion on the sleeve OF his coat. 1t has
been said by some philosopher that the
American, OF all nationalitles. most held
his religion In reserve for q crisis. Tor
m hour when the soul Is tried upon the
rack Of temptation. II this be true,
what n spectacle Of man when on un-
covering the bosoms OF 80 per cent or
the American dead, fallen between Sib-
oney and Santiago. those who came to
bury found blood-sta!ned or bullet
pierced the word Of the Scriptures. IL
matters little how the truth comes e.
n man, so that the truth be found with
him when his battle song Is at an END.
General Bates. General Aopsevelt.
even our own Colonel Turner, ointment
ed ut the end of the late war on the
companIonship there. appeared to be be-
tween the men In the ranks and, these
little volumes given to them by dear
hands. There was comment also that
the volume was rarely conspicuously
displayed. that only on the transports
or In the late hours Of the night or when
there were long and deadly waits In the
jungles, did the books come out. Then
they were handled shyly, perhaps be-
cause they seemed rs sacred as the
name of the woman who gave them. II
one were to listen to some arguments.
perhaps that Of General Toral. 1t might
have been thought that men going Into
battle would have been given n pocket
volume Of "Voltaire" or of lnter-day
poems, or bit of the satire OF 1nger-
soil. But singularly enough such edi-
flying works were not selected. and the
wounded man who was brought to the
hospital tent did not ask for them. He
was content II the letter from home
could be read to him, or as the shadows
came upon his eyes that the old song OF
Israel should be repeated to him while
his soul slipped away to the sweet fields
of Eden.
Is there not something more than the
mere influence Of orthodox. Of a set the
ology. in this death struggle of johnson.
private of the Fourth infantry. at Sib-
oney, who, turning and tossing. called
to his nurse to read to him. In the tent
there was not even n scrap OF paper.
That mattered not to him. He indi-
Gated with his head that she should go
to his blouse. She did SO, and found in
the inner pocket an Old Testament,
given him by an Iowa mother. She
turned page after page. wondering what
he would care for. until her eye CHANGED
upon the lines:
AS the hart panteth after the water
brooks, 60 panteth my soul for thee. o
God"
It was sufficient. There came to this
American soldiers face one CLEAN OF
~,diance, one last interblending Of the
sunlight ~ life and the hereafter, and
he was without days.