The representative., 1900-11-29
FRATERNITY BROTHERS
WHO uET IN BATTLE

How strong are the ties Of college fra
tsrnitiss. even when fees meet On tho bat
tlefeld. was illustrated in the address made
recently by Col. James NJ. Wells, Of To-
ledo. at the ffty-second annual convention
Niagara Falls. Col. Wells was with Sher-
man on the march to the sea, and, placed
the stars and stripes on the city hall OF
captured Atlanta. He said:
ION July 21, 1861. at Bull Run. Va, while
the battle ragged. a federal soldier lay in
the burning sun. sorely wounded, thirsty,
faint from loss of blood, racked with pain
and almost famished. His regiment had
moved to the right and he was alone. Out
of the woods near by stepped a stalwart
confederate. with blood on his face and q
handkerchief bound about his head. He ap-
him and said: Hello, Yank. Be you
wounded; be you much hurt?' The Yank,
rousing himself from his drowsiness and
stupor, looked up into the brOnzed and
kindly face above him and said, Water
For suah!' said the confederate, and
water came to the lips of the federal, and
he drank, and drank, and drank, while his
head lay upon the arm of the confederate.
AS he ceased drinking the confederate said,
Drink more, Yank, you need It,. No,
thanks, sir said the federal, I'm full and
sleepy and he slept, his head resting on
the kindly arm of the confederate, his
dream of home, his safety assured-yea,
thrice assured-for above him and beneath
him were the face and the arm of brave
and generous and gallant foe. He walked
and found himself beneath the branches Of
a giant tree, whittier the confederate had
borne him. his head resting in the lap Of
his foe; his face famed by that foeman' s
hat. He looked up and smiled, and received
plying, kindly smile in return, accom-
panied by more water.
On the breast Of the Federal was the
pin of Phi Gam. Touching the pin
tenderly with his finger the Confederate
with glad eyes. "Yes, Phi Gam" Grasp
ing the hand Of the Federal in warm en-
brace the Confederate said, as his glad
glance met the glad glance of his foe: Il
am Phi Gam, too."
With their hands clasped. the palm Of
each in the palm of the other, forgetful
Of them wounds and pain, they talked
confdingly and lovingly of the ties of Phi
Gam. Rising the Confederate placed be-
meath the Federal's head a carefully fold
ed blanket, gave him another drink of
water from his own canteen, placed we'll
filled canteen of water within easy reach
Of him, looked wistfully and lovingly at
his palld face, touched the pin, pressed
his hands again, said: God be with you,
Phi GAM turned away and disappeared.
Thirty nine years have passed since that
meeting and that parting. Somewhere they
Federal and Confederate-will surely
meet again.
In the battle of Chantilly Va, fought
on Sept. /, 1862 amid thunder and light
ming and pouring rain at sore cost of life
to both North and South (the gallant Phil
Kearny died there), a Federal, passing from
the right to the left of his line. hit his
foot against the body Of wounded Confed-
crate, who lay in the mud, maaning with
pain.
''Give me water, pleace," said the Con-
federate. Il am wounded through the
chest and must die" The Federal knelt
at the side of the wounded soldier, lifted
his head upon his hand and arm, put
canteen Of fresh water to his lips and
bade him drink. He drained the canteen
of it's contents and said; II thank you,
sir God bless you, Yank.' and continued
to moan.
Soon he spoke again. and said: This rain
is very severe, and l have nothing to cover
me-" The Federal, deeply touched, instant
ly took his own gum blanket from his shoul-
ders, spread IL over the face and body of
the Confederate, sat down beside him and
held it there in place. 1t was nearly morn
ing Darkness was struggling with dawn for
mastery. The battle had ceased. The Con-
federate moaned and talked to mother"
and "father" and little sister, and dear
old nanny"
In his deirium he repeated the line Of
Horace, 'Dulce ct decorum est pro patria
mOri." when did you read Horace" asked
the Federal Rising to a sitting posture, he
answered, when | was first Phi Gam. y
Il am Phi CAM said the Federal, with
choking voice. Reaching his trembling hand
up to the face of the Federal, the dying
soldier tenderly stroked it for a moment and
then fell back, while his soul went up to
God. The rays of the early morning sun,
caressing the manful white face of that
dead Confederate, clothed it with beauty not
easy to describe. Wrapping the dead soldier
in til e gum blanket which had protected him
the Federal scooped out a grave kissed the
forehead and the hair of his brother Phi
Gam, lowered his body into the grave and
tenderly covered it with the soil of Vir-
ginia.
On Nov. "a, 1868. as Hooker's men charged
and captured Lookout Mountain, with it's
beetling crags, the right Of the charging
line passed over many wounded men lying
on the rocky mountain side. One of these,
a fair haired blue-eyed Confederate, look
ing up into the face of a Federal officer
charging by him, said please, sir my left
leg is shot and broken, and 1 need some
water. I am SO thirsty sir. Can you give
me some water?" The Federal tore his can
teen from his side, handed it to the Confed-
crate, said to him, Drink, Johnnie, drink "
at the same time putting knapsack beneath
the Confederate's head, and moved on with
his men.
Immediately after the mountain had been
captured the Federal went back to the
wounded Confederate, found him sleeping,
gently wakened him and gave him another
canteen of water, which he eagerly and
quickly drank, lifted him in his arms,
bore him down the side of the mountain
and laid him on the bank of Lookout creek
at the foot of the mountain. Calling his
brigade surgeon to him he earnestly re-
quested him to care for and Immediately
treat the wounded Confederate. This the
surgeon did He frankly told the Con-
federate that his leg must come off. Look
ing up into the Federal officers face he
said, with tears running down his cheeks:
Must I lose my leg, sir? 1t is hard, very
hard to lose my leg The Federal, with
choked utterance, could only say, Yes
The surgeons lantern lit was evening and
somewhat dark was then turned toward
the Federal, and the rays from it fell upoh
Phi Gam pin fastened to the breast OF
his coat.
With glad cry the Confederate placed
his hand upon the pin and said. "And you
are Phi Gam! My father, dead now, was
a Phi Gam. l am a Phi Gam. How for
tunate!" More fortunate, :Sdeed, than he
knew. Turning to the surgeon, whose
flushed and sympathetic face betrayed his
interest in the scene, the Federal said:
Doctor this is my brother. AS you value
my friendship, deal gently and uprightly
with him. Give him your best attention.