The National tribune., 1904-02-04

duty, with no thought of the weather or
hour of tile night. If there was spice
of danger in it, he was better suited. Of
ten, to avoid the dizziness of camp life,
he has begged to accompany me on topo-
graphical trips, when it was necessary to
get information about the country ahead
of us.
He was always Of the greatest assist
ance to me. But what risks he would
take. 1t was my custom to approach a
log hut or rail pile on the road cautiously
and expose rs little of myself and horse
as possible: but he would gallOp on ahead
i'll the middle of the road, singing or whist
ling with the greatest glee, and there had
TO be more than two rebel cavalrymen sta
toned in the road to keep him from charS-
ing. When he mounted his horse ut Frank
lin and rode off along the line, with his
full figure exposed above the works, the
staff officers remarked to each other that
he would surely be killed. 1t was late at
night when we found him near the cot
ton-gin, where the hand-to-hand fighting
was the fercest. We lifted the cape from
his pale face, and the stars looked down
with Us and wept. He was handsome
fellow of % years, with intelligent blue
eyes, classic features, and trim brown
beard that the communicating razor had
never touched. He was born in southern
Illinois, of Irish parents. Previous to the
war he found employment as school
teacher i'll Kentucky, and when his regi-
mcnt was recruited he was one of the first
to offer his services.
The ride to Nashville was lonely to me,
and | expected, after three days and two
nights without sleep, when we spread
our blankets on the floor of a small house
outside the lines. that slumber would come
quickly; but it was not so with me. Alter
supper | called my black servant, Scott
to bring me bucket of water, with
which | swashed out my boot, that was
pIastered thick on the inside with foul
mud made from the dust of the pike and
blood that trickled from two wounds that
were not ut all painful. After making
myself clean and comfortable as pos
sible, | sat on the side of my bed and
locked over to the empty half that my
good friend Coughin had occupied. and
my only utterance was Poor jim" In
my broken sleep rolled over several
times during the night, and the same sor
rowfui words escaped me. 1t made me
wakcful, and | was broken with grief to
think that l could not be with him while
he was dying to hear his last request and
give him my hand for his death-grp. Be
fore daylight | got up and sat by the
window, for the bed was so lonely. The
one who had shared the blankets with me
for nearly year was back at the Harpeth
River. near the bridge-head, with two feet
of earth over him. This brave officer
could see only one thing in martial glory,
and that was to die in battle.
His mind had been usually bright and
happy. but gloomy spells were coming Of
tener as the dread disease of epilepsy in
creased and blighted his future. The
nights were more frequent, when. after one
of these spasms, l gently rolled him back
III bed.
There was no suffering, aid he had no
recollection i'll fhe morning of what had
occurred; but once i'll a while depressed
feeling would prompt him to ask me IL
he had been unwell in the night. and
| would satisfy him with cheering word.
We who knew him, when we saw him
| dead believed that what he most dearly
wished had come. Dying like hero in
one of the greatest battles of the worlds
! history. before his mind became clouded
and his system broken with bad health,
] was to him well treasured as his dearest
| prayer.
A BRAVE DRUMMER BOY.
| CD During one of the charges that was
made on this part of the line. an incident
occurred at Scoyille's battery which is
1 worth relating.
A slight boy of not more than Is years.
| with drum on his back. belonging TO one
of the Missouri regiments, foolishIy at
| tempted to force his way through one of
the embrasures and thrust n fence rail
into the mouth of the cannon. thinking.
/ by has brave act, TO stop the use Of that
| gun. 1t was heavily loaded at the time.
and was fired. tearing the poor boy to
| shreds, SO that nothing was eyer found
of him.
THE FIELD TWO WEEKS LATER.
| After our return from Nashville. we
again put up ut the Carter House, where