The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1906-05-31

his comrades who wanted to check
him through all right, which it seems
he did. Many others of the boys
were checked at the same time. but
none of them derived so much bene-
fit as did the lieutenant. During the
fight referred to he knew that bull
let had struck him, as hes felt the jar.
but he did net know how near it came
to making a hole through his body
until he looked himself over after
ward. The check was hanging by the
little leather strap which is with it
still, on the inside of his blouse and
under his overcoat, and it was through
there and a large pocketbook that the
cold lead went; it struck the check on
one side, bent it nearly half double,
and glanced outward through the cloth
ing again. 1t did not touch the sol
dier's body, but left him unharmed.
He was very much out of patience.
however, when he found that it had
cut his tobacco pouch to pieces, and
spoiled the smoke which he so wanted
to take after the battle of cannon and
musketry had ceased.
In Hospitals at Fredericksburg.
Grant was batterlng away at the
Confederates, and the wounded and
sick from the Wilderness and Spott-
sylvania were taken into the city,
churches, public buildings and private
houses being converted into temporary
hospitals, and many a poor fellow af-
ter leaving the dissecting table gave
up his life and answered the reveille
in a different country. Reinforce
ments, many of them raw troops with
gay uniforms, occasionally passed
through the city singing GLORY, Hal
lelujah" and Battle Cry of Freedom
and many soon returned singing quite
another song, wounded and sick Old
men, young men and even boys were
stretched upon the naked floors, SIM
ply blanket for a mattress and
knapsack for a pillow, some with legs
off, arms and hands amputated, 9TH
ers with bullets in their bodies and
many sick.
Early in the morning after being
Invested of their money, and watches,
the dead were taken out, placed In
rows, pinned in blankets, with slip
of paper attached giving name and
regiment, and soon removed by the
army baggage wagons, taken near
some cemetery and there inferred. a
pine slab In pencil giving name, etc.,
and there left alone in their glory,
martyrs TO liberty and union
One little drummer boy, wounded
in three places, lay in the basement
OF one of the churches In. hastily
constructed cot, one leg held firmly
to a post, tenderly cared for by an
elderly woman, volunteer nurse,
who would sit by his side for hours
and watch over him, giving a moth
.er's care. Late one evening, during
her absence, he was taken again to
the dissecting room, operated upon,
| and In few moments passed away,
never more in earth life to beat the
long roll, for taps were beaten and
his life extinguished-
where's my boy?r cried the good
lady, in the morning, when she saw
the vacant cct, and then burst into
tears.
An artillery soldier belonging to the
Eleventh Massachusetts, Battery, with
brain crazed, imagined himself on the
march, and kept crying to his horses
| until halt was made, and he, too,
passed away, leaving a widowed
mother somewhereHamong the hills of
New Hampshire.
A young lady attached, suppose,
| to the Sanitary Commission. visited
us often. and after distributing bas-
ket of delicacies to the soldiers would
pause by the door and sing patriotic
airs amid deadly silence, recalling
to our minds our dear mothers and
sisters at home. That young lady
saw some time afterward at the front.
apparently unconcerned, amid the fly
ing bullets, but who she was know
| not.
Members of the Christian Cdnmis-
sion, seeing the approach of death,
would kneel by the side of the de-
parting soldier, utter an audible pray
/ err. and give all possible consolation.
There were constant arrivals, all were
Fastening on to Washington, for Grant
and his army were marching and Fred
ericksburg was soon vacated.-Ameri-
/ can Tribune.