The Colville examiner. [volume] (Colville, Wash.) 1907-1948, 1915-07-24
Protected
BY A. D. WILDER

My brother Tom was killed at tne
battle of Shiloh. We were In the same
company and at the time he was shot
were repelling one of those sledgeham-
mer attacks General Johnston hurled
against us like blows upon an anvil.
I saw Tom turn around and fall on bis
face. There was a pang. and then
was like a mailman. The Confederates
were right on us, and we were lighting
them hand to hand. | forgot danger
and poked and dubbed with my mus
ket. fighting for vengeance.
They said afterward that my "brav-
cry held the others, and we drove
them off Then took Tom In my
arms and carried him to the rear. They
came at us again and again. and every
time they came | fought them more
Hercely. They did not give me time to
cool off. But when the sun set on
the last day of the fight I lay on the
ground physically used up. and sorrow
took the place Of revenge
When the term Of enlistment for my
regiment expired we were mustered
out Many of the boys re-enlisted. but
/ did not thought l had seen enough
Of war, But a war fever Is like any
other disease-it must run Its course.
Whenever heard drum beat, dis
tant shot, the sound Of martial music,
I grew restless with a desire to be
again tramping, fighting, in among the
living and the dead. resisted as long
as | could, then gave in and enlisted
for another three years or during the
war"
During this enlistment l was with
the army marching to the sea. One
evening soon after sunset l was march
ing with my company when l felt Ill
and was obliged to drop out Of the
ranks. sat down beside the road,
and after awhile, feeling better, l got
up and staggered on. In the west.
above where the sun had set, the tw1-
light still fingered. but about me was
the verge Of darkness. Suddenly was
conscious of some one walking beside
me- | was too tired and Ill to be es-
pecially interested in who was there.
| supposed him to be some straggler
like myself who was trying to get
somewhere. and that he would soon
60 ahead of or drop behind me. But
he did neither. He kept just 30 far
away from me and little to my rear.
l remember once or twice looking for
him, but either on account Of the dark
ness or because he was at the time far
Their away from me or for some other
reason l didn't see him. or, IL did, 1t
was but indistinctly.
But somehow it got into my head
that my brother Tom was beside me.
If had been asleep would have said
that the feeling was something like a
dream. but was awake. Moreover,
didn't see Tom. | only felt his pres
ence. felt SO Ill and so exhausted
that didn't concern myself about this
presence of the dead. My senslbilities
were at a very low ebb, and 1t was
all l could do to get on. doubt If
even l had seen Tom walking beside
ME and he had talked with me would
have had any ability to exercise the
faculty of wonder.
AVWSNel, NY VI tuo
presence of my brother remained with
me till saw a campfire to my left and
the silhouettes of some men between
1t and me. l sheered off, and as ] did
80 1t seemed to me that the figure be-
side me parted from me. l staggered
up to the persons about the fire and
fell on the ground.
They were making coffee, and one Of
them held tin cup full Of 1t to my
mouth and poured what seemed like
new life down my throat. I tried
both coffee and whisky for a bracer
from fatigue, and found the coffee in
fnitely preferable. Under the stimu-
liant felt refreshed and lying fat ON
the ground with my head on pile Of
dirt l slept till morning. Then after
another cup Of coffee and some hard
tack l felt strong enough to hunt up
my command. While doing 80 I pass
ed some Confederate prisoners. One
Of them accosted me.
II say. young man. who was that
with you last night"
what do you meant" I asked.
had never seen the fellow before and
couldn't make out what he was driv-
ing at.
Just before dark some of Us were
hanging on the rear of you uns. lay
ing TO stragglers saw you drop out.
and I just thought I'd pick you of.
But It wouldn't be safe to do 1t till the
column got out Of earshot. When you
got up Swallowed you, and was draw
ing ahead on you when another man
got in between you and me. hadn't
calculated on any one else being there
and didn't like to shoot because
didn't know who he was. for fear
might kill one of our boys.
HE kind O. fickered in what little
light there was between you and me.
specially whenever I raised my gun to
shoot. What made me curious about
him was that he kept getting in my
way whenever ! got you against the
sky where I could get a good aim ut
you. Who was he anyway
There wasn't anybody walking be-
side me that ! know Of" replied.
What else could say? felt as surely
as IL I knew that Tom had protected
me. But had no intention of telling
q stranger who confessed that he had