The Savannah morning news., 1903-05-24
PHILETUS ARNOLD, q. A. r.
By w. H. MONSTERS.

( armory," but as he was only speaking
for himself, it was not disputed.
The boys allowed Philetus to put
the flag into the mound over the
grave of Corporal Williams, and some
OF the old ladies whispered among
themselves as they saw him stoop
over and stick the dag in its place.
"Philetus won't be putting out flags
next year." said the old women, but
Philetus was thinking of Antietam and
the second Bull Run. and his ears were
so full of musketry and shouting that
he didn't hear the old women.
And the blurring stayed in his ears
so he didn't hear the commander say
Fall in" he just heard that fearful
roar as he heard it the day Corpl Will
liams had his left foot shattered, and
he and Philete had waited till night to
find cut if the Union troops had won
or lost a battle. That was a hot day.
hotter by far than this day, and yet
his head must have been clearer.
And then the old woman saw him
fall beside the grave of Corpl. Williams
and saw several of the men spring to
lift him into the wagon which carried
the feeble men of the post.
Overcome with the heat ought not
have tried to walk up the hill" said
the men, and they saw them bending
over Philete. and DR.. Smith feeling his
pulse. and then he was lifted into the
doctors team and with a pair of blue
arms around him was driven out of
the cemetery and down toward the viii
lage.
The next day they all heard that
Philete was in bed in his little room
in the hotel. and the young doctor
thought it was going to be a hard job
to save him for another roll call.
a n he n col
the poor old frame isn't good for a
very hard siege" and then he got the
hotel man in corner and told him
that an old veteran had been starving
under his very roof, and said a great
many other things that were very i'm
polite for young doctor to say who
is trying to establish a practice, espec-
tally to man who was so important
as the hotel man. which showed that
the young doctor was a humanitarian
first and politician afterward
Philete recognized no one during the
first two weeks after he was taken
sick, but one day when one of the post
called. he opened his eyes. spoke the
visitors name, and then closed them
again and was off to sleep. And the
man went out and told the rest of the
members that Philetus was getting bet
ter.
But the young doctor knew that
Philete was bound to go. He knew
there was nothing to build on.
"Oh, if they had only given him one
square meal day. l might do some
thing" he said. My God! the poor
farm patients get more to eat than
this man has had. He has been starved
to death. and was too much of man,
too much of a soldier to complain. We
, will do our best for you, old vet, but
, I'm afraid we come in too late"
And Philetus was growing weaker
and weaker, but he was able to talk a
little now and the doctor let the old
man in to see him and say a few
words, and then came the last day,
and the doctor knew he could not keep
life in the old body another night, and
leaning over he asked Philetus If he
would like to see the minister, and Phi
letus, who didn't quite understand
said, Yes, bring him in"
So a messenger was sent to the par
sonage. and the minister came down
and the doctor explained matters to
him, and the minister knelt and asked
| the great commander to take a new re-
cruit into his army. Then he took
Philetus by the hand, and asked him If
there was anything he wished before
he went away. and Philetus knew that
he was going to die.
II don't want much" he whispered,
Just take me out on the hill and put
me beside the wife and have all the
boys come to the funeral. l always
wanted to be buried like a soldiers, -
and, looking down at his hand. he saw
a tear splash on it. and wondered
where it came from, as he wasn't cry
ing, and the minister took the old,
wrinkled hand and folded il with the
other over the breast, near the place
where the old bronze badge had hung
for years. and tiptoed out of the room.
Afterward the young doctor made out
certificate which said that Philetus
Arnold died June 49, 1897, at 8 o'clock
in the afternoon, and that evening the
Decor attended a special meeting of
Post %, G. A. r., and told them of
the dying wish of their comrade
Capt. Norton rose and said Com
rades, you have heard what the doctor
tells US. We all knew Philetus for a
good soldier and a stanch and loyal
member of the post, and 1 think he de-
serves all the honors we can give him