The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-08-07
UNWRITTEN HEROES.
Heroisms That Are Not Recounted
by War Department Volumes.

Omaha Bee)
There has Just been issued under the
direction Of the war department two
large volumes entitled Deeds OF Valor,
which recount achievements of men of
the volunteer and regular armies, who
have been awarded medals of honor
during the last forty-five or fifty years.
While this is a merited tribute to
brave and heroic men, the list at the
best is but a fragmentary story Of deed
Of valor and self-sacrifice on the part
Of the American soldiery. These ac-
counts viii go down into history to the
glory of these men, as they should. But
other deeds just as valorOus have been
performed by other soldiers of which
no published record has been made.
Here is a half dozen of them:
During the battle of the Wilderness
in May, 1854, a young confederate sol
der was badly wounded in front of the
Sixth Pennsylvania cavalry, and fell
between the battling lines. He was in
imminent danger of being trOdden to
death under the horses of the advanc-
ing cavalry. One Of the Sixth Pennsyl-
vania dismounted from his horse went
out under the heavy fire from the en-
envy, picked up the wounded soldier
and carried him to a place of safety be-
the kindly act refrained from firing on
the Pennsylvania soldier and he re
turned to his command.
The Pennsylvania soldier was Ser
geant Theodore f. Whit, afterWard a
brigadier general of the regular army,
and at one time commander of the De-
paTtment of the Missouri. About four
years ago General Whit attended a re-
union of his old regiment, the Sixth
Pennsylvania, at Philadelphia. A guest
of honor at the reunion was the cOnfed-
crate soldier, then visiting Pennsylva-
MIA, who General Whit as an humble
sergeant, carried off the Wilderness bat
tlefield to a place Of safety. Il was their
first meeting since the battle.
Daredevil PriVates Rescue General.
During the battle of Wier Bottom
church in front of Petersburg in June,
1864 the One Hundred and Thirty-third
Ohio volunteers was hurtled back by
sudden charge of the cOnfederates and
retreated in a panic across a clearing.
George Powell and Sterne f. Aspinwall
Of that regiment, Chagrined at the re-
treat, turned when half way across the
clearing and opened fire on the advance
ing enemy The audacity of the two
boys struck the admiration of the con-
federates and they withheld their fire
for moment. Just then General FOs-
ter in command of that part Of the
Union forces rode out from the timber
toward the two boys and with an oath
ordered them back. Fosters horse was
shot under him and Foster himself bad
ly wounded. Both fell.
Powell and AspinwaIl, casting their
guns aside, went to General Fosters
relief, and releasing him from his horse
carried him back to the Union lines in
safety, Both the Union and confeder-
ate forces cheered the act.
While General Howard's Eleventh
corps at the battle of Charlottesville
was being driven back in a panic by
Stonewall JacksOn's victorious confeder-
ates, it became evident that something
must be done quickly to prevent the
panic from communicating itself to the
entire Union army. General Sickles di-
rected General PleasantOn to take COM
mand of the artillery, and the latter
hastily collected twenty-five guns, con-
sisting Of his own and the Third corps
batteries.
There was no time to be lost for the
c0nfederates were close at hand and
their triumphant yells were heard as
they took possession of works after
works abandoned by the Union troops.
In another moment Pleasanton would
have been compelled to give up his ad-
vantageOus position, which was the key
to the battlefield