The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1861-10-16

The Philadelphia North American says
"How man feels when in battle is aues
ton that our volunteers have doubtless fre.
quently asked themselves. We yesterday
stumbled upon volunteer on furlough, who
first smelt powder at Bull Run. During an
hours chat with him he gave us very good
general idea of the way in which man feels
when under an enemy's gun. Our friend
didn't claim to be especially courageous. -
He placed due value upon the integrity Of
the American eagle, but enlisted mainly be-
cause he had no other employment at the
time. He did camp duty faithfully, and en-
dured the hardships of long marches without
any special grumblng. That he dreaded to
confront the enemy he freely admits. While
willing at any time to kick bigger man than
himself under justifiablc provocaton, he dis
liked the idea of the sudden sensation i'm
parted by bayonet thrust in the abdomen.
while only second to this was his horror Of
being cut down with rife ball like an un-
suspectng squirrel.
When his regiment was drawn up in line
he admits bis teeth chattcred and his knee
pans ratified like pot-closet in hurricane.
Man, Of his comrades were similarly affec.-
ed, and some Of them would have lain down
had they dared to do so. When the first
volley had been interchanged, our friend in
forms us, every trace Of these feelings passed
away from him. reaction took place, and
he became almost savage from excitement.
Balls whistled all about him, and cannon
shot cut in half companion at his side
Another was struck by some explosive that
spattcred his brains over the clothes OF our
informant, but, 50 far from intimidating, all
these things nerved up his resolution. The
hitherto quaking civilian in half an hour be.
came a veteran. His record shows that he
bayoneted two Of his rebel enemies and dis
charged eight rounds of his piece with as de.
ciSive an aim as though he had selected
turkey for his mark. Could the entire line
of an army come at the same time into COLI
sion, re says there would be no running ex-
cept after hopeless defeat
The men who played the runaway at Bull
Run were men who had not participated in
the action to any extent, and who became
panic stricken where, if once smelling pow.
der in The manner above described, they
would have been abundantly victorious. In
the roar of musketry and the laundering
discharge Of artillery there is music that
banishes even innate cowardicc. The sight
Of men struggling together, the clash of sa-
bers, the tramp of cavalry, the gore stained
grass of the battlefield. and the coming
charge of the enemy dimly visible through
the battle smoke-all these, says our intelli-
gent informant, dispel every particle of fear,
and the vcriest coward in the ranks perhaps
becomes the most tiger-likc. At the battle
Of Bull Run the chaplain of one of the regi.
ments, man of small stature and delicate
frame, personally cut down two six feet gren-
adiers IN single combat If these things
are so and we incline to think they are
the best cure for cowardice is to crowd a
man into fight and there keep him. The
fugtives from Bull run were men who i'm
bibed panic before it could have reached
fham