The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1855-11-14

tered like bees on the top sides of CeFat e
Gordo, kept up against us an lncessfy yo,n Suo
Gre of musketry. Our men now beg. IN
10 fall fast; and it was partly owing is,, ieD
the proverbial bad firing Of the Niche
cans that our small party of between rtsL
and seven huudred-for the united RIVER
iments of rifles and artillery did iil3f iot
number more-was rot annihilatedihel
As it was, our killed and wourded nuS, a, a
bered about two hundred The aft 70
lasted about two or three hours; 9eh
this was the first time of my meetrot
the foe face to face. ,o
found the meeting, after all, Inc
such terrible affair as had fanei' q; q;
To say that felt no fear on going lisa
action would be sers2less boast. 1 o. D
feel considerable appi ehension on tir
irst burst, and until heated to dogip
of perternatural excitement. After t.
irst few minutes, the fall OF q wound
comra3e would at TIE best cause it
be said, Poor fellow ! There's Smpa
Tor Thompson) down. The first VIII Eol
[ saw wounded in this action was S.
ieman. Just as we reached the top by
the hill, he dropped his rife with {,el
of anguish, staggering to the rear. err
nuskct- ball had entered his mouthet It's
The horror imprinted on his featuhe
made deep impression upon me at I'D
moment, and the recollection of it haul
ed me long aftcrwarl. p
After our return to the bottom of
hill, from which we had started in pl
suit of the enemy, the excitement of
tion having gradually passed away, T
all felt very tired, and were soon on
ground preparing our rest. The groa
of the poor wounded men, who were C
leoted on a plot of grass close by, a
over whom our scrgeons were busy q
ring the whole night, distressed US, a
prevented sleep for few hours.
length fatigue prevailed. I
Next m rning the regiment to viii
[ belonged, together with the rifles a
Sixth Ipfantfy, had the duty assign.
to US of charging the hill Of Corro G(l
do. While performing my share of ii
duty, I again felt tue Same intense e
eitement, swallowing up all psrcertio
of personal danger, and making me fe
as if the ground were mir. As on Il
former accession, this state gradual
wore off, and was succeeded by feeliu
of great lassitude. I also observe
both in myself and others, certain is.e
cations of fullness of the heart, and i
clination, not easily subdued, to sh'
tears, which lasted for some time aft
the action.
Goethe--in his campaign in Franc
after preliminary account of haril
ridden out to battery on which {
French we're then playing, for the e
press purpose of realizing in person t
effect said to be produced by comi
within range of the guns during eano
ade-has described his sensations (knoS
as the cannon fever) thus:
In the midst of these circums:anc
was soon able to remark that SON
thing unusual was taking place with
me; 1 paid close attention to it, a
still the sensation can only be describ
by similitude. 1t appeared as if 81
we're in some extremely hot place, a
at the same time quite penetrated by t
heat OF it, so that you felt yourself qui
one with the element in which y
, stood. The eyes lose nothing of Che
strength and clearness but it is as
; the world had a kind of brown-red til
which makes the situation as well as I
surrounding objects more impressive.
was unable to perceive any agitation
, the blood but everything seemed rat
i, er to be swallowed up in the glow
which L speak. From this, then, it
!, clear in what sense this condition c
be called a fever. 1t is remarkabI
however, that the horrible uneasy fe
ing from it is produced in US solely fro
n the ears"
! Most persons who have been in a 81
: liar situation will doubtless recogn
the general truth of this description
o Yet it is not complete account of t
f soldier in active participation of bait
There is. thea, an end of horrible, III
asy feeling; he is not shocked, b
). pleased-exhilerate Many a co
. rade tells me, for bis own part, what
!. always feel myself, that, in the day
, battle, war acts on the blood like vii
h Gaetbe's brown-red tint, apparently
3 veloping surrounding objects, | have
ten heard soldiers describe as a thi
they had remarked when in action; a
> I can confirm it from my own expe
= ence.
n The NEST trying situation for
% dier in front of an enemy occurs when
is placed with his corps in reserve at
the action has commenced. He Hstt
t, to the firing, and perhaps sees, now a
n then, a batch of wounded carried to
,s rear, while he is every moment anxio
:. ly expecting his own orders to move
. ward Then he is 6dgety and nervo
"a On these occasions have observed
lie many of those around me, as we'll as
i my own person, restless uneasines
1 IN amer. desire to be doing somethi
q. 1 e -.