| Show JIB DIED FOR ME An Incident of Chicknmanga For The Herald 1 was after Chifkamauga we were standing by the graves Of the nobly fallen thousands heaped in ridges like the waves Ranged In columns stood the headboards sawn from mighty forest tree Carved upon a walnut tablet were the words He died for me Mongst the congregated soldiers officers and enlisted mel In a well worn suit of homespun stood a solemn citizen Who beholding keau i inquiry on our faces in our eyes For it s eemingly uncaring answered us in rustic wise Id a homestead or Lost River with a mortgage nearly due An was drafted from our deeslrick in the fall of sixtytew With a wife and saven children oldest twelve the youngest three Soldiers wages but n pittance it was sartain bankruptcy tAs I figgered on the problem should I go or should I stay An try to raise the commertation top of what Id got to pay Neighbor Boyntons son Alonzo come and leaned agin the gate Sayin Howdy Carter howdy thought Id just drap in to state That Id Jin the army fur ye Ive no wife nor chicks to cry Fer me though I m hero or yander whether I should live or die Then my heart ris up and choked me I could make no answer then Lonz was better suited with it fact he didnt seem to care Without waitln my poor thank yo way ho rid to Marshalltown As my substitute enlisted under Capn Alvin Brown Alters skirmishin an fightin was the gallant TwentyFourth Never braver soldiers listed east er west er south or north Springfield Belmont Shiloh Vicksburg Donelon an many a fray The old Eleventh corps sometimes lost an sometimes won the da > Last of all come Chickcimogger when the thrillin news I heard How our rigiment was battered with the Ninth and Fortythird An amongst the Killed an wounded Lonzo Boynton was the llrst Of all the days Jepressin in my lie that autumn day was wust Soon as ever Id secured iny crap I tuk the southern train Come to Chattcrnooger out among the rows of Union slain I had parched each grave an headboard till I found this one you see That is why Ive cut upon I neath his nameHe died fur meAn me-An stranger it reminds me of the words of Passon Faught Ofts the time Ive heard pm spoken tme scarcely ijiven em n thought Greater lov no creatur ever for a mortal mor-tal showed than this SufCIn showel him then 1 dyin willingly fer him an his Many an hour I lay a thinkin cyperin out the meanin trjie Of that sayin of the passons Sinner Jesus died fer you An tryin to thinK how Christ wonlu meet Lonz fer the boy was raythur rough Yet aneath the crusty outside lay the raal generwinc stuff I am sure hed greet him kindly con Alonzo dont yot see Had truly follod his ixarnple willinly he died fer mp Yet somehow I feel mal an mcaohin here alive with Loose deal Knowin1 twas fer DIP an mine din pore fellers blood was shed But I trust tvas riot in ail for now I truly SEnse an s I ThE meanin of tin > issons sayin Jesus died fer you an mae X ALB 2r S11ERUAX Salt Lake City August 3S05 |
