Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-02-03
DEATH WARNINGS,
Soldiers Who ForeSaW Their Fate
on the Eve of Battle.

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 Il most unwelcome guest. In
the company | went out with there
We're two Garfield brothers. The young
er. quiet, modest fellow who spent
his leisure time writing letters ami
reading, never Joined in camp amuSe-
meuts. told Il few of his more intimate
friends while the regiment was in
camp opposite Fredericksburg. Va. in
1857, 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. IS. 1862. was the first
battle of the regiment. Young Gar
/ field was as brave as the brayest at
! Gainesville.
This is my first and last fight, boys.
aLsi l 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 Seventy sixth
New York, met "Stonewall' Jacksons
sixteen regiments and held them in
check for four hours. our brigade alone
losing 500 of its $500 men.
I'm 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 a few days will be
all right" said the surgeon to Garfield.
Tell my parents I did not shirk my
duty" pleaded the poor boy.
And he lay there without word of
complaint and died
Near him was Kicker" Finch of the
same company with a shattered knee,
p much worse wound than Garfeld's.
Finch demanded attention. He forced
the nurses to keep his wound bathed in
cold water. and if they were at all neg
iectful he swore at them. Finch lived
to kick about poor bareback and salt
junk cut from dead horses, but Garfield
Is sleeping in the Bull Run cemetery.
Frank King was rOllicking young
fellow in the same company, generous.
brave and popular, a singer who always
drew an audience. Like a hero he
i fought at Gainesville Second Bull
: Run, South Mountain. Antietam. Fred
erickSburg and Fitzhigh Crossing.
Lime. this finishes my fighting" was
i what Frank King said to Lime White.
a comrade. just as the Sixth Wisconsin
swung into line for charge the first
: day at Gettysburg,
! Killed in batt r is what the orderly
q entered after Franks name that night.
Have all the fun with me you de-
4 sire. gentlemen; it is your last chance
II was what Major Phil Plummer of the
g Sixth Wisconsin said to Il company of
officers who were chatting him about
being 50 very sober the day before
n Grant moved into the Wilderness in
: 1864. Forty-eight hours later they roll
II ed his blanket about him and buried
e him where he fell. Nothing could con.
y vince him that he would not be killed
in that battle. though he had escaped
V In dozen other great battles.
u Captain Rollin p. Converse. who had
IT won his way from the ranks and gone
Is through Score of great battles. went
g into the first days fight of the Wilder
e ness. May ;. 1864. confident that he
20 would do his last fighting that day He
II never fought more bravely. They left
him on the field with thigh cruelty
torn and death looking him Squarely il
the eye.
Confederate surgeon told Converse
!. that his leg would have to come off.
That would not save my life 50 lei
-, il alone" was his quiet reply. But tins
u surgeon began to arrange for an ampu
taton.
" Let that leg alone" said Converse
The surgeon paid no attention to th'
=. wounded captain until Converse haC
- taken out his revolver and pointed it n
:, him. There was no amputation, anC
the next day they buried Converse witt
both legs
Lieutenant John TimmonS of Com
: pany G was entitled 10 muster out July
,, Is. 1864. his three years having ended
= but red tape interviewed and delayed
the order DAYS and weeks passed
without the word which would tak'
. him out of the service on the night o
-. Aug 16. 1864, an order came for th'
regiment to march march then. il
front Of Petersburg, meant battle.
- This is tough said Timmons. ."
-. ought to have been mustered out anC
. gone home q month ago In day %
-. two we shall have % light. and | sinai
= go to my long houlr he killed
=, The first Of the Weldon railroad bat
"a ties. Aug Is. John Timmons was killed
10 died Of red tape and a buIet.-Cm
- saEO Record Herald