Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1908-11-18

in his left hand. raised his right aid
there took the oath of service Then
he ran back to the house, told Mr.
Butterfields folks what he had done
changed his clothes and came and
sat beside me in my place; and then
our train came on toward Madison.
! am glad to say that neither his
/ folks nor mine objected to our going
/ to war; we both went away with the
/ blessings and prayers of our parents
and the admiration of the youngsters
/ left at home. We two were, at first.
strangers in our company so we
were much in each others society
We read our home letters together
and talked of our home folks and the
4 boys and girls who had been our
/ friends and schoolmates. This We
continued to do as the years of war
drew their slow and weary length
along. though we were soon well at
home in the company.
Daniel was a generous hearted boy.
He was always ready to share any
! thing good with me. / could tell OF
many ways he had of doing me some
good turn more than l have space for
here He was cheerful and jolly, and
sec med to take the life we hved-in
camp. on the march, on picket, under
I fire of the enemy-as a kind of joke
He was almost always in good health,
and was all the time on hand for duty
1t was such fellows as he that gave
life, energy, yigor, to our army. Our
older comrades were such as TO be a
whole some example to us boys. and
in a sense, fathers to us; but the
young, hopeful, cheerful chaps gave
our army something which l think I
may call notwithstanding
snappy Daniel contributed his full
share of this something. He was
everywhere, got into everything, and
was always ready for anything. He
was. as | have said, the typical boy
soldier.
When we were at Natehez in the
winter of .G3-64, the time of the cold
4 New Years" the boys in our regiment
were given a chance to reenlist,
Daniel was one of the first to put his
name down for another three years.
lie had found that he could send his
parents a good share of his money
every time we were paid off,-that he
could not only fight his country's
battles but be at the same time real
help to the folks at home. So he dii
not hesitate as he had done before his
first enlistment. But it was diff rent
with me | thought if | should live
to serve my three years out it won'd
be enough for me,-I'd go home to
my mother. Daniel begged me to
stay with him something as in the
first place / had begged him to go. |
4 held out till the last day for re-enlist.
ment, and then | yielded, much to my
comrades satisfaction. Two months
after that we came home with our
regiment on veteran furlough, then
returned TO become a part Of Sher-
mans army in the Atlanta campaign.
The service was hard and many a
poor fellow fell in battle or went to
the hospital because of wounds or dis
ease; but Daniel kept well and hearty.
Everything seemed to agree with him.
l was slightly wounded in the battle Of
Atlanta, July 81. but no bullet so much
as touched his clothing.
A week later we had a long night
march to make, and I was in sore
straits. Daniel insisted mex. morning
that let him carry ny hnapsack, and
/ was far enough some not to refuse.
l was soon got into al ambulance for
the day When Daniel heard of it
he came running to he ambulance in
which | lay to bring me back my
knapsack. | was too sick to say
much, but he chatted away after his
/ good-natured fashion. bidding me be
/ of good courage. He said the regi-
! ment was likely to get into fight
that day, said he did not know when
we should see each other again Then
he babe me a CHEEKY good bye and
ran back to his place in the ranks.
can now hear the echoes of his feet
as they clattered over the ground
becoming fainter till they went out of
/ hearing
All that day ! lay in the ambulance
alone, thinkih-, it all over Some
times the wheels rumbled along
among those hundreds, of other wa
CONS. Sometimes they stood Sill
Toward night the ambulance was
wanted where there was heavy firing.
/ up at the front, and ! was put out on
( the ground near our supply train. IT
dark, the battle being over. two or
three of the wagons went up to the
front with rations- I was all tired out
and fell asleep. could hardly
think where | was, till heard some
one ask another how the battle went.
/ The answer came through the still
night, Two killed and eightten
wounded; Titus of company E was
killed" Titus of company z killed
My Daniel Killed. I cannot tell
with what a shock those words struck
me,-yes,-struck me. Some who have
been there can understand
/ sat up. put my face between ny
/ knees and thought it all oYer-our
hoyhood days. his old father and
mother and his sisters. the hundreds
o. miles We had marched together.