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The Wounded Brigade

The Wounded Brigade image
Parent Issue
Day
13
Month
November
Year
1863
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

B. F Taylor, the army correspondent of the Chicago Journal, writes from the Army of the Oumberland of a night's ride of the wounded brigade, after the battle of Chickamauga : They were loaded upon the train ; two platform cars were loaded with them, forty on a car. Seven bozes were so paoked you could not set your foot down umong thom as they lay.- The roofs of the cara were tiled with them, and away we pounded, all day,all night, into the next morning, and then Nashville. Half of the boys had not a shred of a olanket, and it rained steadily, piteously. What do you think of platform cars lor a triumphal procession, wherein to bear wounded héroes to the tune of' "The Soldier's Return from the War?" Well, what I would come at is this ; the stores of the Sanitary Commission and the gifta of such ladies as aro now, 1 believe, making yonr city a Bethel - a place of angels - kept the boys' hearts up thro' all those weary, drizzling hours. It is midnight, and tho attendunts are going through the train with cofiFeo, graced ith milk and sugar - think of that - ,wo fresh, white, crisp cracker apiece, nd a little taste of fruit. Did your lands prepare it dear lady? I hope so, for the little balance in your favor is set down in the ledger of' God. But here they come with a canteen ; will you go vith them ? climb througli that window into a car as black as the Hole of Calcutta. But mind where you step ; the floor is ono layer deep with wounded soldiers. As you swing the lantern round, bandages show white and ghastly every where; bandages, bandages, and now -and then a rusty spot of blood. What worn-out faded faces look up at you? They rouse like wounded creatures hunted down to their lairs ag you come. The tin clips extended in all sorts of handa but plump, strong oncp, tinkle all around you. You are lanly girded wtth a lm cup horizon. How the dull, palé faces )righten as those cups aro fiiled ! Ou we go, out atonc window, in at another, stepping gingerly among mingled imbs. We reach the platiorm cara, creaking with the'r drenched, chilled, iruieed burdens, and I must teil you - ts a shame though - tbat one poor ielow among them lay with a tattered ilanket pinned around him; he was iterally sans culotle. "How is this?" [ said. " Haven't got my descriptiva iet - tbat's what's the matter," was the reply. Doublé allowance all around to the occupants of the platform, and we retrace our steps to the rear of the ;rain. You should have heard the ïhost of a cheer that fluttered like a íeeble bird, as we went back. It was the most touching vote of thanks ever ofiered ; there was a little flash up of talk for a minute, and all subsided into silence and daikness again. Wearily were the hours and heavily hammered the train. At intervals the guards traversed the rooi oí the cars, and pulled in the worn-out boys that had jurred down to the edges - pulled them in toward the middle of the cars without waking them ! Occasionally one slips over the eaves, I am told, and is miserably crushed. Wh:it a homeward march is all this to Ret a tune to! By Rome error in apportionment there was not quito cofíee enough lor all on deck, and two slips of boys on the roof of the car where I occupied a corner, were left without a drop. - Wherever we stopped, and that was two hours here and three hours there, waiting for this and for that - there was no hurry, you know - and the side dnor was slided back, in its groove, I saw two hungry faces, stretched down over the car's edge and heard two feeble voices crying: "We have had nothing up here since yeïterday noon, we too - there are oniy us two boys - please give us something. Haven't you got any hard tack ?" I heard that pitlful appeal to the ofljcers in charge, and s:iw those faces tul they haunted me, and to-day I remember those plaintiff tones as if I were hearing a dirge. I feit in my pockets and haversack for a cracker, but found nothing. I really hated rnyself for having eaten my dinner, and not saved it lor them. A further search was rewarded with six crackers frora the Chicago Mechanical Bakery, and watching my chance when Pete's back was turned - the cook and a srnutty autocrat was Pete in his way - I took a sly dip with a basiu into the coflee boiler. Asthe car gave a lurch in the right direcuon, I called from the window, "Boysl" I heurd them crawling to the edge, handed up the midnight suppor. "Bully for you," they said, and I saw them no more. When the train reached Nashvillo, and clambering down to solid ground again, I looked up to the roof; it was bare. God grant the boya are witb their mothers to night. And how do you like the ride oí the Wounded Brigade ? JZ3T A witty fellow happening to step in at a little ale-house one doy, called for a glass of the refreshing beverage. Af'ter drinking it, ho said to the landlady, with the air of one who has some groat secret to commuoicate - "Mrs. D. T'll teil you how you can sell a great deal more than you do," "How is that?" sho aaked. "Don't sell eo muoh froth was the reply. KST" I 's reported that aftor the holidays Mra. Lincoln intends to open the White House to the festivites of the season. She will lay asido her mourning and give several dress receptiones. A brilliaut winter ie looked for in WashÍDgton.

Article

Subjects
Old News
Michigan Argus