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no doubt it will reach him safely.
Captain Russell, who was taken with him, stayed, I think, to take care of him. I feel the deepest sympathy with you all, and the greatest anxiety to get near Jim.
In great haste, very respectfully yours,
Again on the following day he wrote, but without having obtained further information.
Uncertainty was at last removed by the receipt of a letter from the
Surgeon dated August 18th, giving an account of his case and its chances, with a note also from
Mr. T. J. Randolph to his friend
Professor Rogers, the brother-in-law of
Major Savage, saying that he would endeavor to communicate once a week with his friends of his condition.
The last words written by dear James came at the bottom of the surgeon's letter, feebly traced by his left hand, to his brother,
Professor Rogers.
my dearest William,—Your friends here leave nothing to be desired.
I am pretty much broken up, but am sure of the best treatment.
Best love to all.
From your
Major.
Then there came a short message from his beloved friend,
Captain H. S. Russell, from the
Libby Prison in
Richmond:—
I was taken while tying a handkerchief round Jim Savage's leg. Write to his father that he was wounded in the arm and leg, and taken.
I have not seen him since I left Culpeper, as he was not well enough to march.
After some weeks, during which occasional letters were received from the surgeon and other friends, giving rise to alternate hopes and fears, a letter came, bearing on its envelope the words, ‘Announcing the death of a prisoner of war.’
It was from
Dr. J. S. Davis, stating that James had died of exhaustion, on the 22d of October, without acute suffering.
His mind had been perfectly clear till within a few hours of death, after which ‘the circumstances which surrounded him faded from his view, and he thought himself at home.’
So passed away the noble and earnest soldier, who had been the truest and most unselfish of sons, brothers, and
