The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1906-03-28
WAR STORIES.
2wo Brass Story Of the Christian Commission


even worse condition. Yet they had
not been wholly neglected, for the
grim sight Of C rudely constructed
table just outside the barn doors and
pair OF surgeons working above it
with their arms barred to the elbows,
told me that science with her knives
and opiste was already doing her mcr.
e'ful york. 1t was to the barn that
was assigned to cooperate With the
surgeons as chief nurse.
Within the cramped quarters Of that
barn were eighty men, all terribly
wounded. 1t was a barn of a type
common in Adams County-and, in.
deed, cverywhcre-the main entrance
approached by an inclined driveway.
the threshing floor in the middle
hanked on either side by the hay lofts
and beneath the threshing floor, the
cattle pens opening upon the barnyard
IN the rear. The smaller of the barn
doors had been unhinged to serve as
surgeons tables, and there on the
high floor end haylofts OF peaceful
husbandry war had garnered it's awful
harvest of death and agony. Such q
harvest no Pennsylvania barn had
ever stored before or since. Every
available inch Of space was occupied.
The men 10y close to caoh other, eide
by side in long rows, ss oompaetly az
when, few days before, in tho full
vlgor OF manhood, they marched
shoulder to shoulder across the EN-.
meteburg road, uudaunted by the
grape and canister from eighty union
guns, as oompsotly as We laid their
mang'ed bodies few days later,
shoulder to shoulder in the long
trenches Of the stubblefield. The
cattle pens, too, still reekipg Nth the
litter OF the barnyard, we're as densely
packed with victims as the threshine
fioor above, and I noticed with hor.
hor, as assisted at the dressing of a
bleeding wound, that the blood Of the
patient filtered through the cracks
aud knotholes Of the floor and dripped
upon the sufferers below.
AS night came on darkness threw
kindly mantle over such repulsive
sights but the horror of the situation
was hardly less acute. The only il.
Illumination Of the place came from the
sickly yellow glow Of an army lantern.
A square box-like contrivanee hung
from q joist with an oil lamp in the
middle and four cracked paues Of
glass 80 solid chat the dull yellow rays
barely struggled through them. The
men-restless, suffering aud unable
to sleep-tossed end moansd and
rsved in wild delirium. The westher.
beaten barn reaounded With q horrid
chorus OF ousses, impraoations and
groans that sounded doubly awful q.
dead Of nighs. and the old army Ian.
tern . glimmering ligh. wrought ;weird
fantastic shadows among che cobweb-
bed raf,ers OF the roof. i t :.:=z.. 8. ~. 4 +.
.'I - II ..::>:,; =. ~.
II Was in this chamber og horrors
and on the frat night OF my appren. rel
tioeship 80 q Good Samaritan that I
met Donald Gordon Of the 28.h
Georgia. I saw the CLEAN Of . lantern
outside the barn, and a rough but
kindly voice said: ''Take him ia here
! hese -" :" Th an the 1antern aashed mo. mo,
mentarily on the grim relics. :Ssof: the
surgeon's g. table near The doorway; !
there was a shuffling Of: feet upon tue
| threshold and two men entered al, aud
deposited 9 atretoher upon the floor:
Behind them came .. third, who wore
bis left arm ina cling :rudsly impro+i
vised from . cartridge belt and q hand
kerohief. The two who I We were s. able.
bodied cleared spot BY removing The
body Of q poor fellow: who had lust
breathed his Last The corpse ;was i
taken outside TO be buried 5, S,in.#: :the
morning, and then Donald { Gordon
was" lifted ,5tenderly s. from III th,ieI
,strstcher and plaeed in the spot wkero s
the dead man had lain. :; ,l Il &
t u the aickering light of The lantern tl
I saw Bile face, hand daome, though p,asls5
and haggard from 90 FERNS. s;I & :ssasi
the face Of 5ayoung man-shs WAS bare,
~ 26--and every festursa,f swaa !, ID q au inddex:
:of maniin ness, graesd with sthe hish hs,st.
ouleure and rafn ont. &c: 81 ,Ss 0
S. Lieutenant Gordon u, was--sp i l,5 /. uss u ius 81
its best aenss 8 phrass thas has some, md
times besn abused ~ Soqtk ketn .gsn:.
tlsman. Between 6iu, 1 aud his Sssi ne
III & oomtads. Tom 5spaul diaajki,, & stke, 1L
vouadsd soldier, i u hpIss 1: II ts orsh sbps;
kinSltV yniaS kads S;rna M 81 SSS Fl.iSSs3.