Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-03-24
A Boy 5
Temperance
A Ssory For Memorial Day
BY EDGAR STORMS

II WAS what was afterward called
the battle OF dchancellorsyi!le. We sol
diefs didn't know when we went into
4 fight whether it was to be scrim-
! MAGE or . battle Some Of Us not ret
eEGased didn't know that there was
anything going on. When one has lis
tened to desuItory firing OF muskets
mingled with cannon for several days
4 maybe weeks-he doesn't think much
i about whether it is a campaign. a
succession of skirmishes or battle.
But this is not always so. When one
is in the midst of an engagement there
Is not much doubt as to what Is going
on What | knew OF this battle | re-
fer to WIS demonical sounds. expo
.sions: rather the mingled pesky vicious
ping OF bullets and the skyrocket
swish Of shells A man In the Gle be-
fore NE sank down with a 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 odt
Of this death storm not man OF my
company would speak to me when it
was all over.
have often been asked since IL got
used to 1t. l never did / doubt II any
man In a normal condition ever got
used to facing death But got mad.
and that served the same purpose.
Unfortunateiy was obliged TO get
mad In every fglit 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. Cen
eral Sherman when he said, WAR is
hell!''
Ii this Is doubted listen to an incl
dent told me by fellow veteran:
AFTER battle line of wounded lay
in long lipe 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 little fellow with leafy
branch keeping the flies of two dead
bodies lying side By side. Are they
any relation Of yours! ] asked the
child. That's my pap be answered.
and that's my brother
TO resume my narrative. i was hit
Some men who are shot don't know It
for awhile. Not so I { was shot
right through Il lung. sank down.
while the others passed over me. 4
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 We're have no
idea. Possibly clotted 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 a
canteen full OF water. ] can never
forget that first draft. What move
naent made started my wound bleed
ing again. The little fellow stuffed
some of my clothing into It and
staunched It, But choked agaln.
When / had somewhat recovered from
this the boy went away and brought
some persons. who carried me to a
house There received medical at
tendance and in time recovered.
The principal comfort remember In
my war service is that boy. l have
never forgotten his face and never
shall forget it. For years the desire
to 60 south and find him held posses
sion Of me. But such trip was Inn
practicable / was not only otherwise
engaged. but had not the means to
make the journey. But at last / re-
ceiyed windfall and, breaking away.
went down to revisit the battlefield
and find the Joy.
l had little difficulty in finding the
house to which l had been carried,
but the boy was not there. Indeed
IL living he was not boy. found
a man who remembered succoring a
number of Union soldiers. His age
corresponded 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 were talking, boy about /
ten years old came in.
There he is!'' exclaimed There's /
the boy who kept me alive. | would
know him among thousand"
Hes 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 Ather looked on