The National tribune., 1901-05-23

to the First Brigade, and, as usual, fought
with old-time vigor.
After Gen. Paul and Col Leonard, 18th
Mass, were wounded, its Colonel, Dick
Coulter, assumed command and was him
self wounded on the afternoon of the Sd,
the 11th Pa much to our joy, reJoinlng
our brigade a few days later.
The writer has never forgotten the ter
rible sights that field presented, as the
line of blue fell back TO Cemetery Hill.
He remembers the set and distorted feat
ures Of the dead; he remembers the agoniz-
ing struggle of the wounded; he remem-
bers falling by the roadside, weak and
thoroughly exhausted, his face begrimed
with perspiration, dirt and gunpowder,
through which the blood was copiously
trickling; the rapidly-approac ching ambu-
lance on the Cashtown road, its prompt
assistance, and his delivery among the
wounded of friend and foe in the old
Lutheran Church in the town of Gettys-
burg.
A little rebel is close beside me, his
right arm severely wounded. | fancied
that he was not more than IL years of
age He was quite slight in build, and
with a countenance and manner efem-
mate.
A Surgeon examined his arm a moment.
Immediate amputation," he said. Fire
away" was the quick reply. And / said
with feelings of sympathy mingled with
admiration, "You nervy little Reb.'
LOYALTY OF A CoSiRAnE.
This narrative would be incomplete, in
deed, if l failed TO mention an act well
understood by soldiers. AS the line was
on the return trip my chum missed me,
and someone telling him that | had either
been killed or wounded in the charge he
retraced his steps, amid the whizzing OF
bullets and bursting of shells, neryously
gazing at the faces of the dead to take
from my blouse the little badge; or, il
wounded, TO bestow his loyal assistance.
My chum barely escaped capture on his
way through the town, and seeing the
wounded being carried into the church,
he found me Just as the doctor was about
to amputate the arm of the little rebel
At the same moment there was great
comInotion in the street; yell, and turn
| ing toward the door he faced boy IN
| gray with his gun at right-shoulder-shi
| Dr. Nordquist, however, came to his re-
| lief, and detailed him as an assistant, tied
| a strip of white muslin around his left
arm. and for three days he alleviated the
sufferings of friend and foe, and escaped
an enforced march to Richmond.
The sun that set on Gettysburg that
| day had witnessed many heroic acts, and
| il you search the pages Of history you
| will find them recorded thereon. Many
! wartime events have passed into the
darkness of oblivion, but the brave act
| of my chum and comrade, VIM. B. Os-
born, of Co. T, ever shines with the bril-
| liancy of a star.
The day. closed with Rodes's Division,
minus Iyerson's Brigade, occupying the
town and line adjacent, nearer to Gene
terry Hill than any other part of the rebel
line. As / afterwards learned, Robin
sons Division, First Corps, was on Gem
etery Ridge, facing the Emmitsburg road;
the Eleventh Corps on Cemetery Hill,
with Doubleday's Division on their left
and Wadsworth Division on the right ex-
tending TO Culp's Hill. 1t had indeed
been a busy day for the First Corps, the
which every soldier was a hero, where
dauntless courage and sublime resolve
contested every STEP" and preparations
were continued long into the hours of
night for another struggle that was sure
to come with the dawn Of day.
In that valuable work, recently pub
lished, entitled "New York at Gettys
burg the author, VIM. L. Fox, Lieuten
ant Colonel, 10th n. Y, at the close OF
his mastery description of the first days
fight, says, with almost inspired words
that touch the hearts of the old soldiers
both of the blue and the gray, recalling
to mind many events of time and place
. long, long ago: "The moon that nigh
was at the full, and, flooding the land
scape with its mellow light, assisted tht
belated columns of both armies, which
were hurrying to the battle-ground Al
, night the regiments moved on in stiffness
the men too tired for talk, or song, o.
: jest"
With polished arms glimmering in tn,
! haze, the dusky, silent legions moved lik,
the spectral armies that are said TO marcl
/ at midnight when the skeleton drumme
leaps from his grave and beats the roll
: The now quiet farms on Seminary Ridg
revealed that saddest Of all scenes, tn,
battlefield at night, where, lying on tn,
Z damp and trampled ground, the upturne,
faces Of the dead took on q ghastlier pal