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THE DYING SOLDIER(Anonymous)Weary and worn to a skeleton form He lay on a couch of pain, And his wish at even, his prayer at morn Were to visit his home again. He talked of his mother far away, And he talked of his lonely wife, When the fever frenzied his burning head, And loosened his hold of life. He talked of his home, the fair free land, The home of his childhood's play; He talked of his babe, and the large tears fell And rolled from his cheeks away. We told him his feet might never again Walk over his native sod, But ere long they should tread the golden streets at home in the city of God. And we said though his eye should never behold The forms of his earth's deep love, He should wait for them there, by the life river fair, In the garden of beauty above. But he wept, and he talked of his burial lone In a stranger's unnoticed bed, That no rose by affection's hand would be trained To wave o'er his grave when dead. We told him that God would mark the spot Where all of his children lay, And not one of his loved ones be forgot On the resurrection day. But he sighed and whispered - "So long, so long, So many long weary years! And my lonely wife and little one Alone in a vale of tears." We told hm the Word of God had gone forth, In truth and in holiness, As the Friend of the widow's lonely life, The Guide of the fatherless. When death had stilled that loving heart, Kind hands with gentle care Had saved for her, that lonely wife, One tress of his long, bright hair. Then they wrapped the worn-out soldier's clothes Round the martyred hero's breast, And in his rude, unvarnished bed, Laid him sadly, away to rest. Not a hymn was sung, not a prayer was raised Not a word of counsel said, But the hireling's rude, uncareful hands Piled the damp mould o'er his head. |
The earliest purchases of horses delivered in Washington at the beginning of the war were
at $ 125. Subsequently, for a time, horses were delivered here as low as $ 100.
The price gradually advanced until the close of the war.
The prices of Cavalry horses during the last fiscal year have varied
from..........................$ 144 to $ 185.
Of Artillery horses.........................................................................$ 161 to $ 185.
Of mules.......................................................................................$ 170 to $ 195.
There have been sold at the depots since January 1, 1864,
of cavalry horses..................................................................................................40,070.
There have died at these depots.............................................................38,277.
Artillery horses reported as having died at the depots,
September 1, 1864, to June 30, 1865.................................... ................434.
Mules sold September 1, 1864, to June 30, 1865..................................13,479.
Died at the depots at the same time..........................................................7,336.
The deaths reported occurred at depots principally among animals sent in from the field as broken down and unservicable. The destruction in the field was greater, probably nearly equalling the number supplied by purchase and capture, as neither the trains nor the cavalry of the armies have been materially increased during the last year of the war and the purchases have been almost entirely to supply losses.
The issue of cavalry horses to the army of the Shenandoah, actively engaged under Major General Sheridan, have been at the rate of three remounts per annum. The service of a cavalry horse under an enterprising commander has therefore averaged only four months.
Of the animals which are sent to the depots for recuperation, about sixty percent, recovered, and becoming serviceable, have again been issued.
The reduction of the army has enabled the quartermasters department to dispense with large number of horses and mules, and to the 17th October 1865, the sales of animals are estimated to have produced $ 7,000,000.
The teams and animals of the armies have, as during previous fiscal years, averaged about one wagon to twenty four men in the field, and one horse or mule to every two men.
Another excerpt found in Sec of War Stanton's report: An officer, with material and men, to mark the graves of our bretheren who fell victims to rebel barbarity at Andersonville, was despatched from Washington as soon as the country was opened to us, and reports that he has enclose the cemetery and marked the graves of 12, 912 soldiers buried therein. Of these, the captured records of the prison hospital enabled him to identify 12, 461, and their names were recorded upon head-boards, painted white, and planted at the head of their graves. On 451 graves he was compelled to put the sad inscription, "Unknown U.S. soldier." The list of the names is in course of publication.