The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1902-04-03
THE CHRISTIAN DRUMMER BOY.
BY DIR. w. l.. r.

army, and after the battle of Get
tysburg there were manyhundred
wounded soldiers in my hospital,
amoug whom were twenty eight
who had been wounded so severe
ly that they required my services
at once. Some whose legs had to
be amputated; some their arms
and others both leg and arm. One
of the latter was a boy who had
been but three months in the ser.
vice, and being too young for a
soldier had enlisted as a drummer.
When my assistant surgeon and
one of my stewards wished to ad-
minister chloroform, previous to
the amputation, he turned his
head aside and positively refused
TO receive it. When the stewart
told him it was the doctor sorders
he said, "send the doctor to me. :"
When | came to his bed side, l said,
young man, why do you refuse
chloroform? When | found you
on the battlefield you were so far
gone that | thoughtithardly worth
while to pick you up, but when
you opened those large blue eyes
thought you had a mother some
where, who might at that nom
ent, be thinking of you. l did not
want you to die on the field, so
ordered you to be brought here;
but you have lost so much blood
that you are too weak to endure
an operation without chloroform,
therefore you had better let me
give you some" " He laid his hand
on mine and looking me in the
face, said doctor, one Sunday
afternoon in Sabbath school, when
| was nine and a-half years old, l
gave my heart to Christ. [ learn.
ed to trust Him then. / have been
trusting Him ever since, and |
can trust Him now. He is my
strength and my stimulant. He
will support me while you ampu-
tate my arm and leg"
/ then asked him if he would
allow me to give him a little bran
dy. Again he looked me in the
face, saying, "Doctor, when was
about five years old my mother
knelt by my side, and said "Char-
ley, | am praying to Jesus that
you may never know the taste of
strong drink; your papa died a
drunkard andwent downtoadru
a. DIS grave, and l promised God,
that if it was His will that you
should grow up that you should
warn young men against the bit
ter cup. am now seventeen
years old, but I have never tasted
anything stronger than tea or cof-
fee, and as | am, in all probability
about to go into the presence of
my God would you send me there
with brandy on my stomach?
The look that boy gave me, |
shall never forget. AT that time
hated Jesus, but l respected
that boys loyalty to his Savior,
and when l saw how he loved and
trusted Him to the last, there was
something that touched my heart
and | did for that boy what | have
never done for any other soldier
i asked him if he wanted to see
his chaplain. "Oh,yes, sir" was
the answer.
When Chaplain R--came he
at once knew the boy from having
often met him at the tent prayer
meetings, and taking his hand,
said; "Well Charley, | am sorry
to see you in this sad condition. "
"Oh, | am all right SIR" he an
swered. "The Doctor offered me
chloroform, but declined it; then
he wished to give me brandy,
which | declined, and now, if my
Savior calls me, | can go to him in
my right mind" "You may not
die, Charley" +" said the Chaplain,
"but if the Lord shonld call you
away is there anything | can do
for you after you are gone"
chaplain please put your hand
under my pillow and take my lit
tie Bible; in it you will find my
mothers address; please send it
to her and write a letter and tell