Costly Battlefield Burial Services

There was something new. In the early days, after most battles or skirmishes, the ARMY would have us collect the DEAD. But we became demoralized picking up pieces of what was left of our comrades. So a new INDUSTRY was formed. They called it the COSTLY BATTLEFIELD BURIAL SERVICES. For $1.59 they would pick up your remains and bury them. Neat and quick. All you had to do was pin your name inside your tunic, next to $1.59 sewn in your right best pocket. You were pretty much guaranteed a good six feet deep of earth. The men were mostly made up of LIBERATED slaves who did the work. They followed us every place the ARMY went. No one of us would look at them, much less be friendly with them. They were a constant reminder that the GLORY of WAR was reduced to rotting flesh. Never the less, we were happy to know that someone would take care after we had the LIFE blasted out of us.

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