Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-06-12

line of their dead, seemingly one-third
of a full line of battle, their heads all
pointing forward in the direction they
were advancing. This was done by
Thomas men with one volley before they
were forced from the field, as related
above. having held their fire for the pur-
pose. According to the usual proportion
of wounded to killed there could have
been but few, II any, OF that column es-
capped unhurt.
1t may have been ten or fifteen min
utes after the firing ceased while the
strange stiffness was over the battlefield,
when we seemed to be abandoned or for
gotten by those in command. I was
standing few feet in rear OF the line,
silent like every one else. have no idea
what was thinking about but my broth
er had not returned to my memory until
a comrade came up to me unseen and said
to me hoarsely: George, do you know
Henry is killed."
remembered looking at him without
speaking, that I did not believe he was
telling the truth, though did not doubt
he thought he was 1 remember the hor-
rihed look that suddenly came over his
face, his turning away quickly and start
ing off in a sort of sneak, rapidly getting
faster and faster until he was among the
other men. I do not know what he saw
in my naturally mild, harmless look, but
judging from his appearance and motions
think he was in mortal fear that would
shoot him on the spot. He never after
ward mentioned the circumstance to me.
nor I to him.
But there was nothing to do but to
make sure that he had given me wrong
report, and slowly went over every spot
of ground where my brother could have
been during the battle hoping and believ-
7 mo- Whfl0
thus engaged came to a young man OF
about my brothers age, lying dead, with
his brother, who was about my age, sit
ting on the ground beside him weeping
bitterly. While stood looking down at
them the weeping brother looked up into
my face steadily, helplessly. appealingly
Suddenly he ceased weeping; a calmness
came over his countenance; he really look
ed as If he felt pleasant. / have thought
he probably saw greater distress in my
face than he felt, for copious weeping
had been some relief to him. while 1 felt
too badly dazed and distressed TO weep.
Still I did not believe my brother was
dead.
That young man, If alive. is now an old
man. and he should read this he will
doubtless remember 1t.
I could never bear to look into the face
Of the corpse Of one who was dear to me
and do not know what
would have done or how it would have af-
fected me If I had found my brothers
mangled and dead body lying on the
ground.
The truth was. as I afterward learned.
my brother was one of the first. If not the
first one, in the regiment that was shot,
the cruel ball striking his temple, frac-
turing the skull and injuring the brain.
and the litter bearers quickly bore him
away to the hospital, where he slept his
life away without feeling pain. AS /
turned my eyes from his face as described
above, the firing commenced, so that the
instant I looked away from him as my
earnest, righteous prayer for his safety
was being ended, that instant he was
stricken down.
And to think that II the cruel ball had
varied from his brow but fraction of.an
inch in its course he would have es-
capped! For many weeks felt disconso-
late and dazed, wondering what was the
use of fervent, righteous prayer when
such results would follow. though never
for once lost faith in the goodness and
business of God.
It was years afterward before It ever
occurred to me that while prayed, that
while my brother was so tenderly looking
into my face. he prayed the same prayer
did, only IN a reversed order, praying
as fervently for my safety In preference
to his own, probably neither of us pray
ing for Gods will to be done In preference
to ours.
In those days OF war tens OF thousands
Of people were praying to God in direct OPP
position to each other, some praying for
the success of the southern arms. while
at the same instant others were praying
for the success of the northern arms. But
as well as I remember, It seemed to me
after my unavailing prayer that God had
nothing to do with the battles that He
had for the time abandoned the American
NJ Lat Offny
on account OF their wickedness. north and
south, and that the prayers of the noble
Christian Stonewall Jackson, were all
in vain. any farther than they would nat
urally tend to keep him In an humble, de-
pendent frame of mind.
For some cause both sides delayed long
after the enemy gave back before putting
out any pickets. Finally was sent out
with others as scouts to beat up the enc
my, and we found them in double line
of battle about half mile in our front.
The ground Immediately in their front was
thickly covered with scrub oak bushes,
so that we crept very near them unseen
selected a position where could see
them through a narrow opening In the
bushes They appeared to be in a very
great furry of excitement. They were evil
IDENTIFY in great apprehension that our line
would advance on them at once and were
making preparations to receive us in the
greatest haste. expecting our attack to
be severe and determined. They must
have calculated our strength from our de-
termined resistance and from the terri
BILE damage we had just done them. If
they had known it we were too badly
crippled weak and exhausted to think of
renewing the combat by attacking them.
though we were determined to hold our
ground If they would renew the attack
on us.