The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-06-25

| hope there are but few fathers, il
any. in this day and time, who are
allowing their children no advantages;
for, it would be worse than cruel in
this progressive age not to give the
children such advantages as will fit
them for the enjoyments as we'll as
the business affairs of life.
/ love to chat with an old soldier,
for the reason ! expect to learn some
thing, and at the same time, be thrill
mgly entertained. An old soldier like
an old man writing "reminiscences,
can tell it like he pleases, without fear
of contradiction; SO, it is plain to be
seen that he has plenty of latitude
and longitude; can soar as high,
spread as wide and descend as low as
the nature of the narrative requires,
so he keeps within the bounds OF
reason. / was right in the midst of
sentences. the sweat was pouring out.
on my face and hands, and the last
idea had just about been exhausted,
when an old soldier dropped in, much
to my relief | laid down my tablet
and pencil. put my feet on the piazza
railing. took a chew of tobacco and
came to attention, as he began with
the battle of Mechanicsville; for /
felt sure he was going to fight his way
to Malvern Hill before he ended his
war story. And, sure enough, he did.
And as hot as | was, / had to go with
him through the seven days fight
around Richmond, and then, although
still sweating, had to charge Malvern
Hill; or rather hear him tell all about
that desperate charge.
Pretty hot times at Mechanics
VILE he said, for we had to charge
the Yankees right through a truck
farm, and got all tangled up in the
ptal IA nd w lost
a captain in that fight. who claimed
to be severely wounded in the leg.
went home on account of his wound
and never came back to the army
any more"
"Was he very badly wounded?' |
asked.
"He pretended like minnie ball
had shattered his ankle but. the
truth of the matter was he scratched
his ankle, enough to make it bleed
little. against some of the stakes with
which the garden peas had been stuck.
But, from the way he beloved when
he saw the blood oozinG through his
stocking, we all thought his foot had
been shot off. No, he never came
back to the army any more; but, some
of the boys said he deserved to have d
Tom Cat. with sharp claws, pulled by
the tail down his naked back, to give
him something to howl over and en-
title him to Il discharge"
yes" he continued. eve had a hot
time around Richmond. for five or six
DAYS but Malvern Hill was hot place
for sure enough That was the tough
est evenings work | ever did. 1t was
hot a sight and. il seemed to me. it
kept getting hotter. the further we
went. / got lost from my company, in
the break-up, and being i'll the woods
| hallooed to sec if any of my COM
pany were i'm hearing. | was within
ten feet Of the road. but did not know
it: and just then ] heard the voices
Of some men who had a wounded man
on stretCher. who had been shot
through the body. the bail going into
his breast and coming out at his
back "
did he de-" l asked.
NO he got we'll | saw him about
a month after that night, and he told
me the surgeons ran a silk pocket
handkerchief through his body three
times to wipe the blood out, and he
commenced getting we'll right away
and soon he was back in the army
again and strange to say he was
wounded again at charlottesville, the
ball entering his breast about an inch
from where the other ball entered and
coming out at his back about an inch
from where the other ball came out.
did that kill him ?" l anxiously en-
quired.
ooh. no; he got well. and after the
war he was ambushed and shot by
some negroes. in Jones county, about
the time of the killing of Colgrove
His body was completely riddled with
buck shot, and DR.. Duffy was sent fol
to pick the shot out.
"Out Of his dead body ?" ] asked.
No he didn't die. He got well and
went to teaching school AMI hn9Siy
went to merchandising.
us he still living?" ] enquired.
NO. he died from consumption sew
eral years after the war.
Some people are very easily killed,
while some others seem to be as hard
to kill as cats. I either read or heard
some one tell it, during the war, thai
a man had a ram-rod shot through
his head. tearing out some OF his
brains. and yet, he got we'll, while ONE
our most distinguished men came
his death by being shot in the heel.
Yes. / love to hear old soldiers tell
f their marches Campings. drillings
nd battles; and especially is a war
tory acceptable in hot weather when
he heat has so added ones brains
hat thinking is almost impossible.
Until the weather gets to be little
ooler. | think Id better hunt up old
=.
he benefit of their hot hardy and
heroic experience in the June, July
nd August fights, when, added to the
eat of the sun. they had to forge
heir way through the Scorchins
lanes of battle.
Sherman said. WAR is hell" and /
I'm not inclined to contradict that
tatement for when | am almost suf-
locating with heat, in shady place,
an imagine the condition of men
nassed together by the thousands, In
open field, under burning sky
heir tongues parched for lack of .
little water to cool them, and their
bodies almost scorched by the rays of
a vertical sun. and | am ready to
conclude that, if not hell, war is next
of kin to it.
Yes, think I'll hunt up the old sol
ders and let them tell me of their
summer campaigns, as the surest way
of making me feel comfortable, these
hot days. If they could stand the heat
of the sun, and the heat of the battle
with no water to drink, surely ought
not to complain of a little warm wealth
er. sitting in the shade, within fifty
feet of the best we'll of water in the
country and nobody shooting at me.