The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-06-05
CHAPTER XII.
AFTER THE FIGHT WAS OVER.

first company. which had carried only
fifty men into action. besides several
from each OF the other companies. Some
OF the missing we found dead or wounded
IN the creek and woods with larger
number OF the enemy In the same condi-
ton but after a careful count We found
the Johnnies had secured about twice
as many prisoners as we.
The proceedings OF the next hour or
two would not have interested any civil
ian spectator In search OF the glory or
war. Several mounted men who had been
hurried away 10 farmhouse known 10
be about a mile down the road came
back with all the farmers wagons, carts.
colored men, spades and picks, Into
the wagons and carts on lot OF pine
tufts hastily picked were placed the
wounded and our own dead. The colored
men under the direction OF the farmer,
who had kindly volunteered 10 help,
buried the Confederate dead near the
roadside. Some OF the wounded groan-
ed terribly. and one poor fellow almost
broke my heart by family screaming
Father every moment. l didn't feel
any better when we learned that the
wounded boy who we were about TO cart
away was a son Of the old man who
was preparing the dead Confederates
for their last home Then we knew why
the old man had offered 10 assist the
bual party and why he had looked so
quickly and intently through the gath
erng dusk into the faces OF the dead.
The boy had been brought In later from
the woods and the father would never
have known OF his presence had II not
been FOR his cries.
The next scene was equally painfut--
the Old man begging. with tears In his
eyes. 20 he allowed 10 take his wound
cd child 70 his own house and the ma
jor insisting on his duty 10 carry all
the wounded captives to our owrs camp.
Several minutes before the old farmer
had been to us only stay at home reb-
ell Now there wasn't a man OF US who
would not have added our entreatles TO
his had we dared. IL was great relief
10 all OF us when our assistant sur
geon, who had been rapidly examin-
irg the wounded. assured the old man
that the boy would need frequent sur
gical attention instead OF home nurs-
ing II his life were 10 be saved so he
would be better of in our hospital
Then the surgeon offered the farmer
his hand and after a shake the old
man sighed
'l'll take your word for H.
couldn't understand why a mere
handshake was so convincing until one
Of our middle aged chaps told me that
both men were Freemasons. But the ag-
Ony lOf US WAS ItSutlltu Blitt VIC rldiA-
cd for camp. for the major. though true
20 the letter OF his duty. was Free
mason himself so he halted us in front
OF the old mans farm long enough to
let the family come out and bid the boy
goodby, perhaps for the last time. They
came down with a lantern. for II was
now quite dark, and the mother sobbed
and walled as she leaned over the cart
and did all her thinking aloud and told
4. 10. a.,A oh hnt
looked when he took dinner at home
few hours before the first time In
months. His pretty sister. whom all of
Us had odrned from time to time as she
stood at the farm gate with her father
10 see the soldiers pass by, prayed
aloud for heavens curse TO fall on the
man whose bullet had pierced her broth
er's lungs, and ] am sure each of us
trembled at the thought that the bull
let might have been his own. Near them
stood a little brother and sister crying
In the pitiful. hopeless way that my
brother Ned did when he first heard that
j was going 10 the war.
Yet this was not the only family that
suffered by that engagement. Besides
the. men killed outright some of our
own comrades died afterward OF their
wounds without father. mother. sisters
or brothers TO say goodby 10 them. Not
ell the missing were taken prisoners by
the enemy, and nearly half year OF
awful uncertainty and of frantic letter
writing passed before we learned this
through our captured men who returned
when exchanged. One OF our men, whose
leg was broken by bullet and who then
was knocked senseless by a glancing
shot on his head. floated down the shall
low steam some distance before he came
20 his senses and got ashore Stanching
his wound by tying a strip OF his shirt
tightly around his leg, he bound the
broken limb I'm twigs and then spent two
whole days and nights in growing on
his hands and one knee To our nearest
picket station several miles distant In
the early spring n colored man who went
20 the creek 10 Ash found the remains OF
one OF our men beside tree, a mile
below the scene of the fight. and scratch
ed on the bark OF the tree were a few
words telling how the poor fellow had
died a lingering death from wounds, ex-
posure and starvation.
Yet the entire engagement, In which a
full third OF the men on the bridge were
either killed, wounded or captured with,
in Is minutes. was in military parlance
merely a little brush" Mention of II
never got into the newspapers. There
were thousands like IL. except for the
falling bridge, during the war. the re-
suits being too small or gradual TO be
part OF the history which was being
made by some engagements which pro-
portionately were not so bloody Per-
haps the story OF this one will explain
20 some people why old soldiers when
chatting together about the war talk
much OF the march and camp. but very
little about fighting.
The fight az the bridge was the Sc
vcrest engagement In which our com
pany had ever participated, so l ought
20 have been so absorbed by Il as TO
be insensble to anything but my duty
as a soldier. am glad TO say that I
loaded, aimed and fired as carefully as
lf--oh. as n II were the first day Of the
''open season for quail In the woods and
fields near Summerton. Nevertheless
frequently detected myself In the act OF
looking about me 20 see what other men
were doing / saw Cloyne loading and ar
Ing as placidly and smiling as II ne were
merely making out bills at the Summer
ton lumber yard. Mick MoTwyny was
handling his carbine as theoretically as
AZ IL were coffee mill. yet In his ex-
cltement he was discharging II In the
direction OF the sun. the tree tops and
his own toes, as n the enemy we're
atoms OF the surrounding air and could
be easily hit by a man with his eyes
shut. Meanwhile he was volubly ours