Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1912-06-06
A Boy S
disappearance
A Story For Memorial Day
BY EDGAR STORMS


diers didn't know when we went into
a fight whether it was to be a scrim-
mage or battle. Some of us not VET
engaged didn't know that there was
anything going on When one has lis
tened to desultory firing of muskets
mingled with cannon for several DAYS
maybe weekS-he doesn't think much
about whether it is Il campaign, a
succession of sEirmishes or Il battle
But this is not always 50 When one
Is in the midst of an engagement there
is not much doubt us to what is going
on What | knew of this battle | re-
fer to wis demoni.Hl sounds, explo-
sions; rather the mingled pesky vicious
ping Of hUI.e,:, ana the Skyrockpt
swish of SbpfIs \ man IL the Tile be-
fore me sank Gown with Il faint groan,
and | stumbled over him. but pressed
on. | had to press on. What else WAS
there FOR me TO do: | couldn't fall out
of the ranks, for the officers had their
eyes on every man to keep him from
breaking and demoralizing the rest.
Besides. if did succeed in getting out
of this death storm not Il man of nv
company would speak to me when it
was all over
| have often been asked since If got
used to it. | never did | doubt if any
man in Il normal condition ever got
used to facing death But got mad,
and that served the same purpose
Unfortunately | was obliged to get
mad in every fight In order to stand
the racket. This is my experience;
others may be different Let those
sing of the glorious excitement of bat
tie. but only one man, so far as |
know, ever described it correctly, Gen
eral Sherman, when he said, War is
hellr'
If this is doubted listen to an Incl
dent told me by a fellow veteran:
after a battle a line of wounded lay
in a long line waiting for the surgeons.
They were not all waiting, for some
of them were dying. In the fight the
men, and boys. too. of the country in
which it was fought had taken part.
l saw a little fellow with a leafy
branch keeping the flies off two dead
bodies lying side by side. Are they
any relation of yours| | asked the
child. That's my pap he answered,
and that's my brother"
To resume my narrative. | was hit.
Some men who are shot don't know it
for awhile. Not so |. | was shot
right through a lung l sank down,
while the others passed over me.
struggled for breath. and the blood,
pouring from my mouth, choked me-
After awhile | lost consciousness, prob
ably tainted After that | remember
intervals of fighting for breath. What
was my condition the rest of the time
| don't know. | remember that it was
night and it was day, but how many
of these changes there were | have no
idea. Possibly clothed blood stopped
the breathing or some of it.
Opening my eyes, | saw standing
over me a small boy. He might have
been ten years old or thereabout
Water | said family. He went
away and presently came back with
canteen full of water. / can never
forget that first draft. What move
ment l made started my wound bleed
ing again The little fellow stuffed
some of my clothing into it and
staunched 1t. But l choked again.
When l had somewhat recovered from
this the boy went away and brought
some persons, who carried me to
house There received medical at
tendance and in time recovered.
The principal comfort | remember in
my war service is that boy. | have
never forgotten his face and never
shall forget it, For years the desire
to go south and find him held posses
sion of me But such a trip was inn
practicable. l was not ouly otherwise
engaged, but had not the means to
make the journey. But AT last | re-
ceived a wlndfall and, breaking away.
went down to revisit the battlefield
and find the boy.
| had little difficulty in finding the
house to which | had been carried
but the boy was not there Indeed
If living he was not boy, | found
a man who remembered succoring
number of Union soldiers. His age
correspondent to what that Of my little
friend should be. He thought that he
might have been the one was looking
for, but could not be certain All the
boys he had known had been out help
ing their elders In caring for the
wounded.
While we We're talking. boy about
ten years old came in.
the boy who kept me alive would
know him among a thousand"
He's my son." said the man | had
been speaking with
He was the perfect image of his ia
Their | took him in my arms and hug
ged him, while his father looked on
and laughed
Il may be indebted to you" l said
to the parent. but since you have
grown beyond boyhood, and in Your