The National tribune., 1900-09-06

to the ground in heap. Several of his
fellows sprang from the ranks TO help
him, but a sharp word of command
brought them back. A glance was suffi-
cient to show that the regiment had laid
her first victim on the altar of her coun-
try.
l turned to look at Papa" wonder
full transformation had taken place in
him. He stood erect, the stoop in his
shoulders was gone. his lips were closed
firmly, his hitherto weak eyes flashed, and
the begrimed face seemed that OF a hero.
My own feelings | can scarcely describe
| was not frightened, but l had peculiar
lightness in my head; my body did not
seem to be my own; 1 seemed TO be NOV
ing in a dream.
Nor can | describe the charge that fol-
lowed. They say il lasted 30 minutes. II
did not seem to me that it lasted 10. There
rs strange blank in my consciousness
concerning this now memorable charge
L know that l took part in it and came
out unscathed, but scarcely an incident of
1t remains in my memory. The enemy
fought stubbornly, but was compelled to
retire and We were masters of the field
When we dressed up at the close Of
the charge was still in a half-hypnotized
state. and it did not occur to me for some
time to notice who stood next me on my
left When IL did | was startled to find
that it was not Papa" I looked up and
down the ranks, thinking that one or both
OF us might have been jostIed out of. his
place; but he was nowhere to be seen.
The discovery that he was not in the
ranks brought me out of my dream state
and filled me with anxiety for his fate
/ had become strangely attached to the
poor fellow; his very weaknesses had
made him an object of sympathy and af-
fection to me. A lump swelled in my
throat and my eyes filed as l now thought
Of him.
Watching my chance 1 slipped out of
the ranks and started back over the ground
We had just 'traversed. The sight was
dreadful. Dead men were lying about
in all directions, and the groans of the
wounded were heartrending. Strangely, I
did not at first recognize any of the dead
or wounded. l looked among them anx-
4ously, expecting yet dreading to find the
object of my search. Suddenly my heart
stood still. There was no mistaking the
form lying face downward a few rods
distant. Tremblingly / walked over and
knelt down beside the silent form.
trembled so and grew so weak that Il
was with difficulty i turned the body over
The face, though peaceful, had not wholly
lost the heroic look it had when / looked
upon 1t last in life. The lump in my
throat almost choked me. and before I
Poor, simple fellow! All his weaknesses
were lost in the fact that he had met
the death of a hero.
As had promised him I should do in
such an event. / took from his pocket his
few little possessions-an old silver bulls.
eye watch, his pocket-knife and a few
other trinkets. In the breast pocket Of
his coat found bundle Of letters soaked
with blood. and as drew them ont there
dropped from among them the photograph
Of his wife and child. The bullet that
ended his life had passed through that
small piece Of board, and it was drenched
with blood. The face Of the child was
untouched, and it smiled still, as II its
young life was not affected by the death
of its father. But the fatal bullet in its
flight had pierced the bosom of the mother
as would the announcement of the death
of her husband pierce the heart Of that
poor widow in her far away Ohio home.