The National tribune., 1903-03-05

the yels and firing of the reinforcements
which Johnston hurried up to save his ex-
posed headquarters and his weakened
| left.
! As the firing went slowly back the pain
| of the boys became more acute. and they
| sank down on their piny beds with grOans.
In the course of the afternoon Lieu
tenant of the 2OOth Ind, who had beea
wounded, came back to find the Surgeon
and to tell the Colonel that Johnston S
army was almost completely enveloped by
the Union forces; that Mower had broken
| tile rebel line, and reached so nearly to
| Johnston headquarters as to bring away
a couple of his horses; but that Sherman
had stopped the advance, as he did not
want to fight a battle which Johnston
seemed to offer, until he could bring up
all the wagons with full supplies Of food
and ammunition. The Lieutenant was
sure that the General-in-Chief had made
mistake, for the army was ready TO
crush Johnston, and wanted to do it that
Afternoon, before ne could possibly escape
or get reinforcements.
| Another weary night of suffering closed
down upon them, during which the firing
in front died out completely. The morn
ing brought the announcement that John
ston had stolen away. making another and
| the last OF his famous retreats before Sher-
man, leaving nothing behind but his wholly
! disabled. There was Il groan of disap-
! pointment from everybody, but the Sur
seon congratulated them that the road to
! Goldsboro was now open, and relief for
every one at hand.
Surgeon Bartholomew at once became
| the center OF managing activity and direc-
| ton. The stores in the nearly empty
| wagons were concentrated, and while the
army was sweeping forward in pursuit of
Johnston. the wagons Were brought
around. filled with pine boughs to ease as
much as possible the jolting over the rough
roads. The wounded were laid in them as
carefully as possible, and they We're
started toward Goldsboro to cross the
bridges as soon as they We're clear of the
marching column, and before even the
wagons containing food and ammunition
We're allowed to move.
When they came to Shad Graham, they
| found him lying stark and stiff with a
look of peaceful satisfaction upon his
wasted f,ce.
He has had his wish,' said 81. ''He
knew that the battle was won before he
died. Poor Shad-the best soldier in the
whole army. Let us make L grave for
him ourselves, and mark it so that we can
find it when we come back here"
How in the world those men are going
to get through over those awful roads,
Heaven only knows" sighed the Surgeon.
STANDING, with his hand Oh his bride and
watching the train start out. Il have
made every preparation that l could. and
taken every precaution that suggested
itself to me, and looked personally to ev-
cry bandage and Splint. Many of them
can't help dying on the road from the jolts
reopenins their wounds. but they will die
if we leave them here where there is moth
ing for them and we can't get to them. l
can only say that l have done the best
could with the worst conditions l ever
met"
ATS sense of Importance was restored
by his being put in charge of that section
of the train which contained the wagon
carrying the Colonel, Adjutant, rebel
Colonel and the boys, and was given a
limited supply of bandages. stimulants.
and opiates from the slender hospital
stock, with strict injunctions and directions
as to their use.
81 shall ride along near the center of
the train" said the Surgeon, dismissing
as to be near ut hand when any emergency
arises. If you are at all in doubt, take
no chances, but Immediately send or come
for me-
The frightful journey began. All day
long the great, rough wagons. drawn by
six mules and loaded with suffering and
dying men. laboriously jolted over the ter
rible corduroy: over trunks of trees,
thrown in hastily to make crossings of
streams: sunk to the axles in the bottom
less ruts; were pried out by the men
marching alongside, while the cursing
taainsters dashed the straining mules to
madness. Every jolt. every lurch. was
agony to the inflamed limbs and bodies of
the poor men. Wounds were torn open,
and blood flowed through the bottoms of
the wagons to leave a trail upon the mud.
Men tainted with the pain of one jolt, only
to be brought back to consciousness by
more severer jolts rods further along.
ALI was everywhere, helping all the
poor boy could, covered with mud from
assisting to pry out the wagons, washing
his hands in the bitches to bind up a
wound, giving few drops of stimulant