The National tribune., 1902-02-27

ened my leg, but l. felt no great pain
the leg was numb The new blow was
torture. i managed TO take down my
clothing, and saw Il great blue-black spot
on my groin. / was confused. and Won
dered where the bullet went, and perhaps
became unconscious.
Darkness was coming. and Jones or
Berwick, or whoever it was. yet lay on
the hill. Now there were dead men and
wounded men around me. Had n tide of
war flowed over me while l slept? \
voice feebly called for help. and l crawled
to the voice, but could give no help eX-
cept to cut shoe from a crushed foot
The flashes of rifles could be secn-thc
enemy's ri6es-thcy came nearer and
nearer, and l felt doomed to capture.
Then from the rear a roar of voices.
and in the gathering gloom a host of men
swept over me. disorderly. but charging
hard-the last charge of GHines's Mill.
What troops are you?' l had strength
to ask. and two replied:
Hoods Brigade"
''The Hampton Legion"
Night had come The great battle was
won. Lights flashed and moved and dis
appeared over the hills and hollows Of
the ficld-men with torches and lanterns;
and names of regiments were shouted into
I
friends who replied. and for others who
could not. At last | heard: First South
! Carolina, First South Carolinar' and
gathered up my strength and cried,
Here" Louis Bcllot and two others
came to me. They carried me tendcrly
away, but not far; still in the field Of
blood they laid me down on the hillside
and night Of horror passed slowly away.
The next morning. June 2S they bore
me on Il strctchcr back to the field hos
pital near DIR. Gaines's. just in rear of
the battlefield. Our way was through
scattered corpses. We passed by many
Xouaves. lying stiff and stark: one / shall
always call to mind; he was lying fiat on
his back, the sOles of his feet firm on tho
ground, his knees drawn up to right
angles above, and with his elbows planted
on the grass. his fingers Clinched the air
His open mouth grinned ghaStly on us as
we went by.
AT the field hospital the dangerously
wounded were so numerous that | was
barely noticed; brief examination; flesh
wound'-that was all. | had already
found out that the bullet had passed en-
tirely through the feshy part of my thigh,
and l had no fears; but the limb now
gave me great pain, and / should have
been glad to have it dressed. l was laid
upon the ground under a tree and re-
manned there until night. when | was put
with others into an ambulance and taken
to some station on some railroad-I have
never known what station or what road.
The journey was painful. l was in the
upper story of the ambulance. We jOlted
over rough roads. halting frequently be-
cause the long train filled the road ahead.
The men in the lower story were badly
wounded, grooming, and begging for this
or that. | did not know their voices; they
were not of our company. But some time
in the night | learned somehow sup
pose by his companion calling his name
that one of the men below me was named
Virgil Harley. Harley? / thOught-Vir-
gil Harley? Why, l knew that name
once. Surely knew that name in South
Carolinai And l would have spoken, but
was made aware that Virgil Harley was
wounded unto death. When we reached
the railroad | was taken out and lifted
into car. | asked about Virgil Harley.
lie is dead,' was the answer.
Then l felt more than ever alone be-
cause of this slightest opportunity, now
lost forever. Virgil Harley might have
been able to tell me of myself. He was
dead. | had not even seen him. l had but
heard his voice in groans that ended in
the death-rattle.
ITO no cnntiuuodl