Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-01-10

soldier on It. bore him out for burial.
They came several times near to the
cot where j lay for men who had died.
and gave me good opportunity TO OBJ
serve their method and To see how :hcy
would perform for me In case the issue
Of my wound called for their services.
NEGROES SUNt: HYMNS
WHILE: SOLDIER DIES
One OF the fatal cases which oc-
Cured near me and called for the
strctchcr had an Inspiring preliminary
service The dying soldier ut a late
hour Of the night called for these. and
some other negroes and they came and
stood beside his cot/ and sang at his
request Il number OF hymns. He knew
that he was dying. and manifcstly
wished that from his rude couch his
spirit might be waited away on the
wings of holy songs that he loved.
While the sympathetic negroes were
singing, their v0fccszbcgan 10 sink n
subduinE pathos came over them, and
presently the singing ceased The SOL
dicr was gone.
Another patient, a man beyond the
middle of life, lay on the cot next to
my own. He was all the while either
hot with fever, dellrious or in a
comatOsc state. No words passed be-
tween us. yellow card on his cot
over his head was sign that his death
was deemed certain. One night far on
towards the morning head some sound
as or rafting among the bottles near
my cot t"Can 1t be the surgeon get
ting medicine?' 7 asked myself Can
II be nurse?" ! qucried.s On looking
saw my delirious comrade from the
adjoining cot. sprang up and took
hold Of him, and led him back TO his
couch and spread the cover over him
What draught. il any, he had swal-
lowed from bottle / never knew
Non he at !
morning. | suggested that she look at
him. She went near his head. raised
the cover, drew IL up over his face
again and then took the death card
from Its place and went her way. The
four negro men came ere long. laid him
on their stretcher and bore him away
for burial
Perhaps it was the day following
this incident that, looking up, my eye
rested on that ominous yellow card
placed over my head. II very little
affected me. When DR.. Riddick the
Ing rounds ] asked him if he really
deemed my case so serious. He replied
Yes" and added that the sloughing of
the wound had reached the femoral
artery and when II sloughetl again |
would go. Soon afterwards Mr. Gould
man came to take leave of me. saying
that his son Jesse had sufficiently re-
covered to be removed. and that he
would leave with him for Bowling
Green at l o'clock lie expressed re-
greet that he couldn't secure permission
to take me also. For an hour or SO
not of ar enthusiastic or joyous char
acter.
PERMISSION SECURED
FROM GENERAL LEE:
Shortly after the leavetaking with
Mr.. Gouldman, my brother Bob. the
late Judge Bealc. came to see me on
his way with dispatches from the field
to General Lees headquarters. 4 shade
passed over his features as he saw my
changed and wasted condition, and the
yellow card over my bead. You ought
phasis, and | told him of Mr Gauld
mans offer TO take me. and the sur
gcons want OF authority, or willing
ness TO let me go. iii bring YOU Gen
eral Lees permit by - o'clock" he
answered. AS he FASTENED out to his
horse. II seemed scarcely possible TO
me that such an application. without
official Endorsement of any kind and
without being in regular course. would
receive the generals approval. Never
the!ess. a few minutes before - o'clock
my good brother returned. and. with n
smile, placed In my hand a leave-of-
absence on certificate of disability,
signed ''By order of General Lee, w.
II. Taylor. \. 4. General" and n few
minutes later / entered hack with
the Gouldrnans. and saw the door close
behind me on the Confederate Hospital.
its gloom and horrors. Very precious
and sacred to me among the mcmentoes
OF the war has been that permit from
General Lee. and very precious the
memory OF the brother who obtained
II for me. G. w. BEALE