The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1901-07-04
SOLDIERS AT HOME.
THEY TELL SOME INTERESTING
ANECDOTES OF THE WAR.

Row the Boys of Both Armies whiled
Away Life In tamp-Foraxiuy Ex-
periences, Tiresome Marches-Thrii.
ling Scenes on the Battlefield.
whenever l see tasseled Turkish
attention had been attracted by 4
smoking cap of that pattern in Canal
street window. Il am reminded OF 4
curious and rather grewsOme incident
Of my campaigning days. 1t was on
the morning after the second battle OF
Manassas" he continued. in response
To request for the story. land several
Of us from my company had gone over
TO the field in the hope Of picking up
a few things that we badly needed and
for which the dead had no further use
for instance, and sound
canteens. During the previous days
engagement. you may remember that a
regiment of freshly recruited New
York zouaves held the crest Of hill
and We're charged and almosteannihi-
lated by Hoods brigade. They were
moved down like ripened grain. and
fell SO thickly that their corpses lit
orally carpeted the earth. l dareSay II
was as awful a slaughter, considering
the number engaged. as occurred any
where in the course of the war. Well.
We hadn't gone very far when we came
TO this hill. and began 10 get among
the dead men. The poor fellows had
been mustered into service less than
week before. and they were said to be
the most gorgeously uniformed military
troop ever organized. They wore scar
let Turkish trousers. blue jackets eln-
oroidered with gold bullion braid. and
purple fezzes with long. pendant tas-
sells Being just from the Outtitter's.
all this fine regalia was perfectly fresh
and new, and somehow or other 1t add
ed to the ghastliness Of the spectacle on
the hillside. The corpses Were In all
sorts Of strange pOstures. and their
fantastic costumes gave them an air
of horrible grOtesQueness that
couldn't begin to describe In words.
However, to come to my point. l
had picked up a fez to carry away as
n relic, and was about to leave the
spot when happened to notice much
handsomer specimen on the head of lit
tie zOuave. stretched out. stiff and
stark. few yards away, with hand
kerchief over his face. l stepped up
10 make swap but had barely touch
ed the tassel when low. sweet-tOned
voice under the handkerchief said:
Please don't"
For a moment" continued the vet
eran. that unpleasant protest, coming
from what l had supposed to be
corpse. made my hair bristle on my
head. Then 1 lifted the handkerchief.
and was shocked TO see the delicate.
refined features Of a boy not over 10.
He was pale as death and evidently
desperately wounded. but he looked at
me calmly My God! l exclaimed.
what lad you are to be here? I'm
afraid Pm dying unless l have-help.'
he replied. DO you think the surgeons
will be around pretty soon: The Lord
knows l grOaned. for the boys cOur-
age touched me to the heart. Your
surgeons have all run away. and we
only have q few, with more wounded
than they can attend to- Then guess
all can do is to lie here quietly and
die he said In the same gentle voice.
Can you get me a little water before
you go?
~. Il took his canteen and hurried down
IA branch at the foot of the hill.
where the first thing saw, by the way.
was the corpse of zOuave floating In
a pool went up the stream far enough
to get out of the horrible death zone.
filled the canteen with pure water. and
was soon back at the boys side. gave
him a drink and he thanked me. Is
there nothing else l can do? asked
awkwardly. because knew our COM
pany was under early marching orders
that morning and that ii would be i'm
possible for me to linger much longer.
Nothing at all. thank you he replied
No message to anybody 'NO-nOth
ing. thanks
II turned away most reluctantly.
and had gone only few yards when ]
heard his thin voice calling me back
Excuse me- he said. but want you
to accept this as present. and he
handed me his fine purple feZ. mol
no" l exclaimed. greatly embarrassed;
L couldn't think Of taking it, When
started TO. little while ago. l
thought you-you- You thought l
was dead. Of course he interrupted
Well. soon will be. and that other
fez will do me just as well. Please put
1t on my head and take mine l saw
that he would be hurt unless did rs
he desired, SO I took the fez and went
away. In less than half an hour our
company was on the march. and. need
less to say. l never heard anything
more Of the little child zOuave. He was
badly wounded. and undoubtedly died
where left him. l kept the fez long
time" added the veteran. but 1t was
finally lost, with other odds and ends,
I'm the general confusion following the
war. I'd give some money for 1t to-
Say."-New Orleans Times Democrat.
Temperance iL the Army.
In an address at Reading. Pa. ex-
Governor Curtin once humOrously said:
WHO ever knew an old soldier to re-
fuse commissary whisky" To his sur
prise q tall. gray-bearded man arose
and answered: Here's one" The
Governor was not so much surprised
but that he could exlaim: Then you
must have been as dry as craven
imager' The old soldier who was not
afraid to make known his temperance
principles is William II. X. Bush. of
Reading. He served as Sergeant four
years In the war and was in twenty