Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1905-08-03
WAS HE PREPARED?

Joe and Sandy were privates in a reg /
iment recruited, at the beginning OF the
Civil War, mostly in Venango and JEFF
ferson counties, with few from the
northern part Of Butler coun,J.
Joe was from Jefferson county and
Sandy from Butler county; they were
both six-footers, were assigned to the
the same company, and f9und them
selves marching together at the head of
the line of that company.
Joe was of a timid disposition, the
suspense and turmoil of battle would
unman him; while Sandy was bold and
nervv. Sandy usually took the lead and
Joe followed and the two men became
fast friends.
During the first two years of the war
every officer of that regiment was either
killed or disabled, and hence it was
that Sandy. who had been promoted
step by step, found himself at its head,
and became its Colonel, while Joe got
no higher than Corporal.
The battle of Gettysburg was on, the
regiment was on the firing line, and one
morning Joe approached Sandy and
said, Colonel. l am going to be killed
TODAY, and here is something that
wish You would send to Lay mother.
"Oh. nonsense, Corporal, said the
Colonel. 'its more likely to be me.
''No, said Joe, you are going to live
through this and get home, while am
going to be killed today"
.eWell, il you feel like that, said the
Colonel, take this and go the rear =
and he wrote him pass TO look Tor
stragglers anywhere.
joe took the pass, read 1t and stuck
his thumb through it, Il am no coward,
Colonel, said he, L am ready to die,
but don't want to die among those fell
lows (pointing to the rebel lines so keep
your eve on me and when | fall see that
/ am carried back.
Shortly after the regiment was order
ed to make a charge, and did so, ana
when it got back the Colonel looked for
Joe. and he was there and all right
but a moment after a bullet struck hlm
and lodged in his hip bones, and he
fell.
THE Colonel saw him fall and ran to
him and helped to put him into an am
bulapce, and then went back to the
line. Joe was taken to the field hospl-
tai. A few days after a surgeon hand
ed the Colonel a bullet, saying L cut
this out of dead man and at his re-
quest hand it to you, and the Colonel
knew what had happened to Joe, and as
he had no affection for that bullet he
threw it away; but he sent the mother
the trinket Joe had given him.
After the war was over cousin or
.Joe who had followed him to the hospi-
tal and who was with him when he
died. called upon the mother at her
home, and told her all about it, and the
mother listened to his story.
'"You were with my joey when ne
died?"
eyes"
WAS he preparedg"
We'll, / don't know, we never talked
about that.
You don't; you were with my joey
when he died, and don't know whether
he was prepared, there's the door. never
darken it again"-and she became sad
woman from that day, and spoke harsh
ly of the soldiers, wishing they had all
been killed.
A dozen years after the war the reg1-
ment held a reunion in Brookvllle, and
the Colonel was there, and he had been
told that Joe's mother would visit hlm.
He was standing in the lobby of the
hotel when he was approached py al
aged and bent woman of unusually hne
features, and carrying small satchel
care YOU Col. R" she asked, and
being answered in the affirmative said
she was Mrs. Kinnear, that she hao
come to see him.
Come up to my room, said the Col,
oneE and he led the way, gave the old
| lady a seat and asked what he could DC
| for her.
You knew my joey, she asked
You were with him and knew him
well3"
"Yes."
lyon must have known him well,
Won were intimate with him. have
here docking at the satcheD fifty of his
4 Irstrprr zrrd YOUR name 10 mentioned IN
| every one of them. You knew M
died?"
Eyes, I saw him fall and helped tc
| carry him to the ambulance"
A silence followed broken by the
eagerly asked question, Was he pre-
paredy'
We'll. said the Colonel, IF you ant
are as well prepared for death as Jo'
Kinnear was we need have no fear o
it.
bow do you know" What did HI
| say"-and the Colonel repeated the con
| versation on the battle field, and othel
| talks he had had with Joe.
Another silence and then Mrs. Kinneal
began crying-and she cried and cried
| Then her face frightened and SIN
thanked the Colonel and told him sh'
| wished she had met him fourteen year
before as it would have done her
great deal of good. And she left tha
room believing that she would again SEE
"her Joey" 1t was to her like the day
| of the resurret tion.
(The above is the substance OF stor,
Ltold us of Col. Redic's experience VIII
Joe Kinnear and his mother, whos'
home was in Jefferson county, on th'
4 ,oad from, Rrookville to pupXsutaW