West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1914-01-15
Protected
BY a. d. WILDER


battle OF shiloh. We were In the same
company aud az the time he was shot
were rcpelling one OF those sle,i,ehnm.
mcr attacks General Johnston hurled
against us like blows upon an anvil.
| saw Tom turn around and fall ON his
face. There waS pang. aud then |
was like Il madman. The Confelcrates
were right on us, and we were lighting
them hand Ia hand. forgot danger
aud poked ami cluhbed with my mus.
ket. lighting for vengeance.
They said afterwnrd that my "brav.
cry held the others. and we drive
them OF. Then I took Tom I'm my
arms aud carried him 10 the rear. They
came at us again aud again. and every
time they came I fought them more
herrely. They did not give me time In
cool On. But when the sun set ON
the last day OF the fight lay on the
ground physically used up. and sorrow
took the pluce OF revenge
When the term OF enlistment for my
regiment expired we were mustered
out. Many OF the boys re-cnllstcd. but
] lid not thought had seen enough
OF war. But war fever * like any
other disense--it must run ItS course.
whenever ] heard n drum beat. n dis.
tant shot. the sound OF martial music.
] grew restless with desire In be
again trnmping. Fighting. I'm among the
living md the dend. I resisted ns long
as could. then gave I'm and enlisted
for another three years or during the
war"
During this enlistment | was with
the army marching TO the sen. One
evening soon after sunset wns march.
Ing with my company when | felt III
and was Obliged To drop out OF the
ranks. sat down beside the road.
aud after awhile. feeling better, | got
up and staggered on. In the west
above where the sun had set the twi.
light still fingered. but about me was
the verge OF darkness. Suddenly waa
conscious OF some one walking beside
me. | was too tired and I'll 10 he es-
pecially Interested I'm who was there
| supposed him To he some straggler
Ike myself who was trying tn get
somewhere. and that he would soon
20 nhend OF or drop behind me. But
ne uld neither. He kept Just So far
away from me and a little To my rear
l remember once or twice looking for
HIN. but either on account OF the dark.
ness or because he WAS at the time far.
ther away from me or for some Other
reason didn't see him. or. IL / did. It
was bui indiStinctly.
Hut somehow IL got into my head
that my irother Tom wns beside me.
IL had bcPn ns.prp l would have HIld
that the feeling waS something like n
dream. but waS awake. Moreover
didn't see Tom. | only felt biS pres.
eIce. felt ~ III aud So exhausted
that didn't concern myself nlOni this
presence of the dead. My senslbllitleS
were at very low ebb. and Il was
an could do to get on. doubt If
even J had seen Tom walking beside
me aud he had talked with me | would
have had amy ability to exercise the
faculty Of wonder.
However. my consciousness of the
presence of my brother rennined with
me I'LL | saw campfire To my left and
the Silhc"etteS Of some men etwpen
u ana ne ! Sheered on and az did
80 II seemed To me that thp figure he-
side me parted from me. I staggered
up tO the PERSONS nbuut the fire and
fell oD the ground.
They were making coffee. and one of
them held tin cup full Of II to my
mouth and poured what seemed like
q new life down my throat tried
both coffee and whisky for bracer
from fatigue. and found the coffee in
bnitely preferable. Under the stimu-
liant ] felt refreshed and lying fiat on
the ground with my head ON pile OF
dirt ] slept till morning. Then after
another cup Of coffee and some hard.
tack ! felt strong enough to hunt up
my command While doing 80 | pass-
cd some Confederate prisoners one
OF them accosted me.
81 say. young man. who was that
with you last nightT'
What do you mennT" ! asked.
had never seen the fellow before and
couldn't make ont what ne was driv.
ing at.
Just before dark some OF us were
hanging On the rear OF yOu uns. lay
ing 70 stragglers. saw you drop out.
and just thought I'd pick you OF.
But II wouldn't be- safe to do II till the
column got ont Of earshOt. When you
got up J shadowed you. and was dra,
ING ahead on you when another man
got IN bptween you and me. hadn't
calculated ON any one else being there
md dldn't Ike to shoot becnuse
didn't know who he was. for fear I
might XII one Of our boys
"He Kind o. fickered IN what little
light there was between you and me
specially whenever ! raised my gun =,
shoot. What made me curious about
him WAS that he Kept getting IN M
way whenever ! got you against the
sky where could get good aim
You. Who WIS he anywayT'
There wasn't anybody waking be
side me TINT I know Of" ] replied.
What else rould ! say7 felt as surely
ns n ! knew fhat Tom had protected
me. But ! had no Intention ~ telling
stranger who confessed that he had
tried to XIII me that had been saved
bY q ghost. TIE would have laughed
ut me or thought ! wns daft.
Que thing this experience did for
me during the rest Of the war. had
no feeling 81 fear. didn't believe I
could bp Killed