Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1904-05-28
lie Still Has the Leg
Written for The Morris Tribune

. 0~0~0~ 0~00@ o. 0@0@ q
l can see bin, sir, just as plain al
l see you standing there before me
and it happened thirty-nine years
ago. It was one of the last battles
of the war. We were ordered to take
the rebel entertainments in front OIL
J us, and advancing on the double
quick were soon up to them, quite q
number of the boys dropping as we
ran, under heavy fire. I saw the
man that shot me take aim at me-
He is plain in my sight before me
now, as tho it were yesterday. OF
course, J. stopped. l felt as tho my
leg, between my knee and hip had
been struck with club. But [ did
not not fall then.
| thought it was time for me to be
| getting to the rear. The boys kept
on over the entertainments, and I
stood alone, the bullets still whizzing
around me. tell you I did not feel
good. began to be bit shaky. I
reversed my musket and put it under
my left arm for crutch. It was this
left leg that was wounded. Well,
sir, I started to hobble back. 1t did
not work very we'll, my fingers began
to Jingle little and my stomach did
not feel right. lpicked up another
fellows musket. He was quiet, and
did not act as tho re wanted it very
bad. 1t wouldn't do him any good,
anyway. I made another crutch of
the second musket, and went on, but
I could not 60 straight and I began
to see all kinds Of colors, black
mostly. and l guess the ground
caught me.
The next thing I knew I was JOLT
ing along with some other fellows in
an ambul' nee. The grooming was
narrowing to hear [ tell vou.- The
trip wasn't any too good on me. After
little we got to a tent where the
doctors were ready for us. The sides
of the tent were up, and I could see
an operating table and three or four
doctors ready with their instruments. |
[ was the last one into the ambu.
lanse, and SO was the first one taken
out, and I was placed up beside the
tent where I could see the operations.
The other boys were placed in row
along side of me, and the wagons
loaded with wounded kept coming
until there we're long rows Of
The doctors attendants
took up the first one in the nearest
row and put him on the operating
table, and here is about a specimen
Of what I began to hear. "You won't
my arm, will you DOCTOR
some poor fellow would say.
swell, your arm looks pretty bad,
out we we'll give you little ether so
7ou won't feel it, and we'll dress it
'p little, and you'll soon De alright
When that fellow came to himself
while afterwards he would be out
n a row with lot of others who had |
zen operated on, minus that arm or J.,
eg. That was the dressing up they Y
OF, saw this going on for quite a
'hile, and | made up my mind that =
his leg of mine and I would go to
he grave together, if I had to fight
Or it.
About this time there came along
soldier with a tin bucket Of milk
inch, and lot of tin cups He I
ent up and down the lines of #
ounded and gave each fellow cup il
the punch to keep up his strength. n
h! [ wa; just dieing with christ. \
he fellow in front OF me barely =
lsted his cupful, and lay there hold o
lg his cup. The attendant turned
round to get an empty Gun, and | -.
iatched that fellows barely tasted
lp. and down went the contents in
iffy. Not seeing this, the attend
ut passed me another full cup, and
own that wen. By that time was
retty we'll keyed up.
The line to be operated on kept
rowing less up towards my corner
nd by this time l was ready for most
ny thing.
Finally, I was the last one, and
our assistants approached me. There
as one for each arm and one for
ach leg. I began to fight aud to "
-rnpole for all | was worth. e