Two Hero-Stories of the Civil War
By Ben La Bree
I. Bravery Honored By a Foe
In a rifle-pit, on the brow of a hill near Fredericksburg,
were a number of Confederate soldiers who
had exhausted their ammunition in the vain attempt
to check the advancing column of Hooker's
finely equipped and disciplined army which was
crossing the river. To the relief of these few came
the brigade in double-quick time. But no sooner
were the soldiers intrenched than the firing on
the opposite side of the river became terrific.
A heavy mist obscured the scene. The Federal
soldiers poured a merciless fire into the trenches.
Soon many Confederates fell, and the agonized
cries of the wounded who lay there calling for
water, smote the hearts of their helpless comrades.
"Water! Water!" But
there was none to give,
the canteens were-empty.
"Boys," exclaimed Nathan
lad of eighteen, the color-bearer for his regiment,
"I can't stand this any more. They want water,
and water they must have. So let me have a few
canteens and I'll go for some."
Carefully laying the colors, which he had borne
on many a field, in a trench, he seized some
canteens, and, leaping into the mist, was soon out
Shortly after this the firing ceased for a while,
and an order came for the men to fall back to the
As the Confederates were retreating they met
Nathan Cunningham, his canteens full of water,
hurrying to relieve the thirst of the wounded men
in the trenches. He glanced over the passing
column and saw that the faded flag, which he had
carried so long, was not there. The men in their
haste to obey orders HAD FORGOTTEN OR OVERLOOKED
Quickly the lad sped to the trenches, intent
now not only on giving water to his comrades, but
on rescuing the flag and so to save the honor of
His mission of mercy was soon accomplished.
The wounded men drank freely. The lad then
found and seized his colors, and turned to rejoin
his regiment. Scarcely had he gone three paces
when a company of Federal soldiers appeared
ascending the hill.
"Halt and surrender," came
the stern command,
and a hundred rifles were leveled at the
"NEVER! while I hold the colors," was
The morning sun, piercing with a lurid glare
the dense mist, showed the lad proudly standing
with his head thrown back and his flag grasped
in his hand, while his unprotected breast was
exposed to the fire of his foe.
A moment's pause. Then the Federal
officer gave his command:
"Back with your pieces,
men, don't shoot that
And Nathan Cunningham, with colors flying
over his head, passed on and joined his regiment.
His comrades in arms still tell with pride of his
brave deed and of the generous act of a foe.
II. THE BRAVERY OF RICHARD KIRTLAND
Richard Kirtland was a sergeant in the Second
Regiment of South Carolina Volunteers. The
day after the great battle of Fredericksburg,
Kershaw's brigade occupied the road at the foot
of Marye's Hill.
One hundred and fifty yards in front of the
road, on the other side of a stone wall, lay Sykes's
division of the United States Army. Between
these troops and Kershaw's command a skirmish
fight was continued through the entire day. The
ground between the lines was literally covered
with dead and dying Federal soldiers.
All day long the wounded were
In the afternoon, Sergeant Kirtland, a
Confederate soldier, went to the headquarters of
General Kershaw, and said with deep emotion:
"General, all through last night and to-day - I
have been hearing those poor wounded Federal
soldiers out there cry for water. Let me go and
give them some."
"Don't you know," replied the general, "that
you would get a bullet through you the moment
you stepped over the wall?"
"Yes, sir," said the sergeant - "but
if you will
let me go I am willing to try it."
The general reflected a minute, then answered:
"Kirtland, I ought not to allow you to take this
risk, but the spirit that moves you is so noble I
cannot refuse. Go, and may God protect you!"
In the face of almost certain death the sergeant
climbed the wall, watched with anxiety by the
soldiers of his army. Under the curious gaze of
his foes, and exposed to their fire, he dropped to
the ground and hastened on his errand of mercy.
Unharmed, untouched, he reached the nearest
sufferer. He knelt beside him, tenderly raised his
drooping head, rested it gently on his breast, and
poured the cooling life-giving water down the
parched throat. This done he laid him carefully
down, placed the soldier's knapsack under his
head, straightened his broken limbs, spread his
coat over him, replaced the empty canteen with
a full one, then turned to another sufferer.
By this time his conduct was understood by
friend and foe alike and the firing ceased on both
For an hour and a half did he pursue his noble
mission, until he had relieved the wounded on all
parts of the battlefield. Then he returned to his
Surely such a noble deed is worthy of the
admiration of men and angels.