The Rich Hill tribune. (Rich Hill, Mo.) 1903-1911, 1906-02-08
Saved for Many Years Of lite.

aaAAE NAAAN nv WIN 414A HN
beneath three feet Of earth. yet IN
able to CRY out or to love. or In any
way warn thoss bent upon their grim
task. was the actual experience Of q
man who is living today. and who.
after a lapse Of forty years, has just
been able TO locate the Oma who
nursed him back % life after bis
strange paralysis had passed and be
vas rescued.
The man is Private Joiner Of Mis-
sissippL The he first laid
eyes upon when he recovered from
his horrible nightmare Is Frances
Courtney Darlington OF Hyde Park.
wife Of Brig -Gen Darlington, L. S. A..
retired. A short time g she re-
ceived a letter which had been for
warded from one place 10 another
until Il finally reached her. Il was
from Private Joiner. and expressed
once more his thanks TO the northern
woman who was so kind 10 him when
he. a confederate soldier. was In sore
need Of kindness. The episode GO
CURED after the battle Of Franklin.
Tenn. one Of the most destructive
battles Of the civil war Mrs. Caring
ton tells the story as follows.
The women Of the town stood
ready to nurse the wounded. but there
were few men 10 bury the dead. and
there we're so many killed, Just out
side the Presbyterian church. where
I was doing my work. trying 10 care
for the living, the dead yer brought
and laid iu the church yard until the
burial place could be decided upon.
II was hard 10 cheer the men inside.
aud inspire them with hope and cour-
age. when I knew the sounds outside
were those 0f the steps ni the few
remaining men In town who we're
bringing in the brave dead 10 pile
them up where one mau could watch
them until the burial Z heard the
tramp Of feet and guessed the erraud.
SIN. I had Co keep a smile upon my
lips. although @ almost faded when
! realized that vigilance was neces-
ssry. because every battle had Us tale
OF human yultures who preyed upon
the slain.
"As the day wore on I heard fewer
footsteps about the church, sud az
last ihe yard was left with only one
negro to watch For a time the sill
ence outside WAS unbroken Sudden.
ly Z was startled by q shrili scream.
After "a night OF awful terror and
hours of constant -cannOuading 81
seemed too slight a thing 10 stop 20
investigate. and ] went on. unheed-
ing. wlth nay work among the
wounded.
1t was nearly an hour before I
was again disturbed, aud thea IA the
deepening dusk some one came to the
door and whispered my name There
followed a disyointcd explanation
Something for me 20 DO A strange
thing outside, n was the ist day Of
December. 1864. aud cold for that date
IN Tennessee bus ] ran out 81 the
church without a wrap Tor those
we're not the days 20 think OF ones
self There were a number 90 men
T. the yard. gently lifting the dead
from the pile where they were laid.
one upon another like cordwood. A.
last they took a a soldier and laid
him on The grass
We an bent tenderly over him.
aad as We looked be opened his eyes
and moved his arms wearily h seem
ed mor han I could bear; as though
something 90 the supernatural were
added 10 what vas already a terrible
reality, FOR the man Who had lain
among the dead an day. only 70 come
20 himself % nightfall
Il could do nothing except TO whIs
per words OF cheer and encourage
meat He wore lhe confederate uni
form. aud I had a church full OF
Union soldiers, SO they took him
across the street TO a house where
other confederate soldiers wore being
cared for. and did not see him again
FOR several days Then he told me
the whole story
"He had had the strange experience
OF being wounded aud OF lying as
though dead. He was conscious OF
being moved aud carried; he knew
that he was alive; he was possessed
with The terrible fear of being hugief
before death came; hut hours went
by before the strange paralysis left
him.
FIRST % all he was shle 90 move
his lcet. and be put forth an his
strength 60 move one foot al a time
IN the hope of being seen Al last
he found his voice aui cried for heln
The SCREAM which had heard came
from tho poor supensutious negro
who had been SEQ 10 Watca iho dead
and Who bad heard the voice nom
under the awful Pile
"rhia mar Who had been lea for
dead was Private Joiner 81 Missls
sinpi You aea he has not foreoilan
the Elri 0ho bent oyer him Uhtn b.
came back 90 the world ehica vas