Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1904-12-03

lhcllheu 10 DC impatient with the olu
soldier who does not take care of HIM
self, and who drifts down to poverty.
General Newberry stirred me up ON
the question the other day and the
story is worth telling. not in palliation
of soldiers weakness, but in justice
to common soldiers memory,
ION the oath of October officer
Ryan on the West Side picked up an
old soldier who had fallen on the
street and sent him to the co,inty hos
pital. where he died mn hour after
ward, reviving just enough to give his
name~-Ioseph kimball He was with
out home. a wanderer anu his son
and daughter had not known his
whereabouts for many days. hut the
incident being published. their atten-
ton was called to ii. the daughter Wis
tied the morguc, and found and iden-
titled the body OF her father. Grant
Post, No. %, Of Chicago took charge
OF the funeral and gave Kimball tiia
burial of their order and bore him 10
an honorable resting place in their
grounds ut Elmwood, 1t was beau
tiful service and the bier and grave
were decorated with flowers and moth
ing but The virtues OF the dead sol
der were remembered
"When the regular rites had been
performed. General Walter I. Newbcr-
nv was asked il he desired TO make
any remarks. We all knew that New
berry was one of the strlctest dsCi-
plinarians of the general officers Of tho
old army living in Chicago, and | did
not believe he would have any remarks
to make on such an occasion. But he
had, and he began by saying: This
man was Il hero. He was hero be-
cause he performed heroic and special
deeds which entitlc him TO that dis
tinction Then | knew there was II
story worth telling, and it came in
thus wise:
'Kimball was member of my
regiment said General Newberry, "A
wild and reckless boy, but one who
never failed TO faithfully perform any
duty devolving upon him. My mind
June II. 1864, when the army had
reached the front of Petersburg and i'm
| their desire to capture that city pro
ceedcd forward In several assaults
| upon the enemy's lines la one OF
these. the Twenty-fourth New York
| cavalry leading charge upon q bat
terry. compact body of men received
a discharge Of shrapncl which killed
and wounded 113 of their number, and
II being but battalion. practically de-
stroyed il. I'm that terrific fire men
lay, in one instance. five deep upon
the field Mt il O'Clock at night, twelve
hours after the assault. Under n
bright clear moonlight from the federal
works was observed movement
among what were supposed to be the
dead, and !, turning TO the men be-
hind the works. said: II will make
corporal of any man who VIII at
tempt to succor that living soldier"
Joe kimball, q boy or ~ years
rising In his place. Volunteered To per-
form the duty. The field was being
swept by the enemy's bullets, and hav-
ing been supplied with a cantecn Of
water, flask OF whisky and n sponge
he was put over the works. crept
| through the abuttoir, aud down upon
his face and stomach 100 yards away.
| covering himself behind the bodies Of
the dead comrades, pulled this wound
al soldier-who proved TO be Lieuten-
ant Randall of Company Il OF the regi,
| ment-from under a mass Of mangled
bodies, clearing the blood and sand
from his mouth. and administering
water and little spirits, revived him,
and. as a cloud shaded the field for
n moment, threw him upon his back
and ran to the works. safely bringing
him inside, Lieutenant Randall was
wounded in five places and lived for
ten years, paralyZed in his arms and
lower limbs, and all that time blessing
the courage Of that gallant boy.
But this is not all that this sol
dicr did to make him hero. The fire
OF the enemy across that field that
night was prelude of their retreat,
and the carly morning found our limo
! following them over that blur, through
| the woods and across the ravlne next
| circumscribin2 the city of Petersburg.
| The Twenty fourth New York cavalrv
/ again took the lead In tile assault. ana
with cafblnes only made a rush. can.
! turing a part Of the encmy's lines and
/ holding il for forty minutes. The in.
! fantry support, owing to the rapid
movements of the ConfederatcS en-
abling them 10 enhlado the valley over
which they must cross, were unable
to reinforce this gallant assault made
by the Twenty-fourth. ana "a grove Of
timber lying Immediately upon the
right being recognized as danger
| 0us cover for force to come out and
sweep around our rear, taking Us pris-
oners, ! ordered Corporal Kimball to
1 lay aside his gun and 90 through the
/ woods to the outer line ana observe
any action the enemy might take to-
/ ward such Il movement and 10 hasten
back and inform me upon any attcmpt