Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1913-03-08
DEATH WARNINGS.
Soldiers Who foresaw Their Fate
!. on the Eve Of Battle.
KNEW THEIR TIME HAD COME.

Il Was Not Mere Fancy, but Grim Pre-.
monition, That Moved These Men to
Read Their Own Death Marrants-A
Case Of Red Tape and a Bullet.
Premonitions get little attention, and
| those who have them little sympathy
| In these days. During the war, how
| ever, a premonition came to be looked
| upon as a most unwelcome guest. In
| the company l went out with there
| were two Garfield brothers. The young.
| Ell, a quiet, modest fellow who spent
! his, leisure time writing letters and
reading, never joined in camp amuse
ments, told Il few Of his more intimate
| friends while the regiment was IN
camp opposite Fredericksburg, Va, In
1862, that he would be wounded in
the first battle he went into and die
| from the effects Of it.. The boys laugh
| ed at him and tried to cheer him up.
! but is was Of no use, he never changed
! his mind. aug. %, 1862. was the first
battle OF the regiment. Young Gar.
| field was as brave as the bravest ut
Gainesville. ''.... ...
This is my first and last fight, boys,
and 1 shall do my duty" Is what he
! said when the regiment plunged into
| that battle, in which the Iron brigade
Of four regiments and two regiments
! of Doubleday's brigade. the Fifty-sixth
| Pennsylvania and the Se~venty-sixth
| New York, met "Stonewalr' Jackson's
| sixteen regiments and held them IN
check for tolh: hours, our brigade alone
losing SOODfNs $500 men.
Ppm hit; goodby. boys. said Gar
field, as he fell out and went to the
rear
yours Is a flesh wound in the calf
Of the leg and in 4 few days will be
all right" said the surgeon to Garfield.
Tell my parents l did not shirk my
| duty" pleaded the poor boy.
And he lay there without q word OF
complaint and died.
Near him was "kicker' Finch Of the
same company with a shattered knee.
q much worse wound than Garfield's.
Finch demanded attention. He forced
| the nurses to keep his wound bathed In
| cold water, and il they were ut all neg.
lectful he swore ut them. Finch lived
! 10 kick about poor bareback and salt
Junk cut from dead horses. but Garfield
is sleeping in the Bull Run cemetery.
Frank King was a rollicking young
fellow in the same company, generous.
brave and popular, a singer who always
| drew an audience. Like a hero he
| fought ut Gainesville, Second Bull
Rum South Mountain. Antietam. Fred.
e%ricksburg and Fitzhigh Crossing.
Lime. this finishes my fighting was
what Frank King said to Lime White.
a comrade, just us the Sixth Wisconsin
swung into line for a charge the first
! day at Gettysburg. '
KILLED IN battle" is what the orderly
| entered after Franks name that night.
Have all the fun with me you de.
| sire, gentlemen: it is your last chance"
vas what Major Phil plummer Of the
| Sixth Wisconsin said to II company OF
! officers who were chatting him about
| being so very SOBER the day before
Grant moved into the Wilderness III
1864. Forty-eight hours later they roll
ed his blanket about him and buried
| him where he fell. Nothing could con-
| vince him that he would not be killed
in that battle. though he had escaped
| in Il dozen other great battles.
Captain Rollin P. Converse, who had
won his way from the ranks and gone
| through n score Of great battles. went
into the first days fight Of the Wilder
ness. May S, 1864. confident that he
would do his last fighting that day. He
never fought more bravely. They left
| him on the field with q thigh cruelty
| torn and death looking him squarely In
the eye.
A Confederate surgeon told Converse
| that his leg would have to come OF.
That would not save my life. so let
it alone" was his quiet reply. But the
surgeon began to arrange for an ampu'
tatiOn.
LET that leg Alone" said Converse.
The surgeon paid no attention to the
/ wounded captain until Converse had
taken out his revolver and pointed it at
! him. There was no amputation, and
! the next day they buried Converse with
both legs.
| Lieutenant John Timmons of Com
many G was entitled to muster out July
1G. 1864. his three years having ended.
but red tape interviewed and delayed
the order. Days and weeks passed
without the word which would take
him out. Of the service. On the night OF
Aug. 1G. 1864. an order came for the
regiment to march. A march then, In
front of Petersburg. meant a battle.
''This is tough" said Tfmmons. II
ought to have been mustered out q
gone home a month ago. In a day or
two we shall have Il fight. and l shall
20 to my long home-be killed"
The; arst Of the Weldon railroad bat
ties. Aug. 49, John Timmons was killed
died Of red tape and a buliet.-Chl-
cago Record Herald.
His Conscience.
"Oh, yes. he's Il very fine alderman"
"Why I'm told he can be bribed."
~ ~ H1-A A. k~nH, NNvrp - ann