Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1908-05-08
Civil War Stories


r. Reynolds, when the battle of Chan
eeliorsville was fought For one reason
or another. and suppose it was good
one, though / have never succeeded in
definitely convincing myself TO that eff
feet, our corps, splendidly differed and
IN good trim for hard work, did very
little fighting at Charlottesville. We
were thrown into line OF battle,
changed about some, shelled little,
and on two or three occasions d por-
ton of the line heard bullets whistle,
but we didn't count that fighting.
The day that General Dan Sickles'
Third Corps, the boys who wore the
diamond badge, had their prolonged and
sharp fight, struggled out in that di-
reetion without the consent of my Of
ficers, and had an experience the par
ticulars of which l always recall on
Memorial Day. / saw many wounded
men on the ground, others who were
slowly getting 20 the rear and great
numbers of dead. Sitting by large
stump, which had protected them from
the musket firing. were two badly
wounded soldiers, one a New Yorker,
the other Confederate Besides a
bad wound in his thigh the Confederate
had been shot in the face His clothes
and face were covered with blood and
he was a most woe begone appearing
subject. The Union soldier had been
wounded in both legs above the knee
and had revere shot in one OF his
arms
While | was talking with them that
portion of Sickles' line directly in their
front broke and the troops began to fall
back. What made it worse was the
prolonged yell" OF the Confederates SO
familiar TO every soldier who ever met
them in battle. Both of the wounded
soldiers begged me to help them get to
the rear. Assisting them to their feet
l put an arm around each body and
they an arm on my shoulders. and we
started. At first | almost carried the
two men. both of whom were under
sized, but after going few rods the
load was too great They insisted on
walking, okly depending on me to keep
them erect. This they did with great
pain, though they had not suffered from
broken bones We went more than n
mile before reaching an ambulance, in
which the poor fellows were tenderly
| placed and driven across the Kappa
hammock. They were lavish with their
thanks for helping them from the field
and very anxious that l should call and
see them at the hospital after the bat.
/ tie.
When the army had returned TO lts
old camps ! got permission from the
captain to go to the hospital of the See
ond Division of the Third Corps
had very little difficulty in finding my
wounded friends. While they were re-
celving good care, both were greatly
emaciated and seemed to have lost con
| fidence. seemed TO have made up their
minds that they would not live.
"The boy in blue and the boy in gray
were in cots close together, So that
4 AAttS NVhlll itAlh WIN NdIli bAitBi. tui
they had become good friends. The
New Yorker whispered a request that |
| write letter to a young lady whose
! address was Syracuse. He told me that
he had expected TO return and make
| her his wife. 1t was a short letter, for
| had instructions to write only that
| which he dictated He told of his be-
| ing wounded, expressed the hope that
| he would soon be well enough To be
| sent home and asked the young lady
not to worry but to be Of good cheer.
TO me he said: she will probably hear
| of my death not long after she gets this
/ letter | tried TO convince him that
he would recover, that he would return
TO the Syracuse lady, make her his
bride and live long and happily. but
with very Indifferent success. He was
tormented by the army plague--a pre-.
monition shook hands with him aud
wished him good fortune In passing
the Confederate he extended his hand
for like recognition and asked DO
you think my chum there will get wcllY'
Yes, / guess so; think yon VIII
both get well, unless you lose your sand
and surrender too easily"
Il guess not. pard, / guess not The
old man with the scythe seems TO he
coming our way. Our wounds were not
| dressed soon enough. We bIed too much.
We are very weak"
Both wanted me to come and see
them as often as possible ! continued
the visits. / went to see them on the
Doth of May. II does seem very long
ago as ! think Of it. but it is thirty
| four years, more than a third Of cen
fury. Both were dead, had died that
morning only half an hour apart. The
| attendant told me that the New York
or. when he felt that he was going.
asked him TO wake up his Confederate
chum He said they reached out their
| withered hands touched palms. whis-
pered their good-bys. closed their eyes.
| aud in ten minutes from that time the
Union boy was mustered out--a recruit