Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1910-01-28
A Dead Gen era1.

| Il know what it is to die"
Gen. E, M. Rogers, a soldier frona
private to brevet major in the Sixth
Wisconsin, made the remark In on@
of Gen. Grants battles about PeterS4
burg, in June, 1864, he received a dams
| gerous wound. Upon reaching WaSha
! ington 1t was found that gangrene had
home, to Viroqua, to die. On the way
| he grew much worse. Blood potsora
| was Fastening the end.
In an interview Gen Rogers teERx
the story
my high fever turned to an fcE
chill. I heard DR.. Rusk say to DEs
Tinker, the family would better Ee
called
MY mother and sisters came to tina
bedside, took my hand, kissed my fore'
head, sobbed a goodbye and left the
| room-left it that my bride of fsw,
months might be alone with her dying
husband. My young wife was weeping
when she entered the room, realizing
that in a short time she would be II
widow. Then came minister. heard
some of his appeal that the soldiers
life might be spared to his wife, mothS
er, sisters and country. Night came
total darkness-my last night yet
fought and still had just the least
glimmer Of hope. / shivered with
cold that no artificial warmth could
prevent, and was, oh, so tired! When
the last night was half gone I fell into
a troubled slumber l thought, or
dreamed that I was in camp ON ths
shore Of river and could look across
into the Eternal Beyond. | was walt"
ing my turn to be ferried over. The
water was clear and without ripple.
War scenes and bits Of army life apa
peared. ] saw Gen. James Wadsworthg
our brave old division commander, shot
and fall as I had seen him fall in the
Wilderness, the May before. l saw
thirty-seven OF my company who had
been killed at GAINESVILLE, South Noun
tain, Antietam, Gettysburg and else
where, on the other shore. They
seemed to be waiting for me. I waG
not afraid to go over, but still hoped
for life and return to the regiment,
Over yonder I saw Co. | getting into
line under Old Glory, as 1 witnessed
it so many times in Virginia. l saw
the ferry coming in my direction, saw
it land, felt the angels lift me and
carry me to the boat; realized that
was dead. My old company waved the
flag and sang a welcome as we aP@
preached the shining shore. l was I'm
heaven, free from pain. How quie&
and peaceful it was, and what beaut8~
full sights I saw.
1.-TWO days afterward / aW0ke t8
look into the still sober but less trou-
bled faces of my wife, mother and siss~
ters, and to hear the doctor say YOU
have won the battle and will in time
return to the regiment When / first
looked at the dear ones my thought
was to ask them why they had so soon
followed. but the doctors remark resuE4
rected me-"
A few months later Capt. Rogers
limped back on crutches to his COM
mand, near Petersburg, and partfcE4
pated in the battle OF Hatcher's rum
but was obliged to quit the service be-
cause Of the unhealed wound two
months before Appomattox. Two years
later he was made an officer in the reg
uIar army, but that same old Peters
burg hurt led to his return to private
life In 1885 Gov. Rusk commissioned
him quartermaster general of the state
In spite OF that ride to the Other
Shore in 1864, he is, in 1909, at a.
erect and vigorous. but that ConfedeT-
ate bullet gave him hitch in his step
that will stay by him to the enid
A. WatrOus, in Milwaukee Wisconsin.