The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1861-10-08
How a Man feels under Fire.

How a man feels when 10 battle is question
that our volunteers have doubtless frequently
asked themselves. W. yesterday stumbled upon
volunteer en- Through, who first s!nclt powder
at Bull Kun. During an hour chat with him
ne gave us very good general idea of the way
in which man feels when under an enemvs
gun. Our friend didn't claim to be especially
courageous. He placed due value upon the in
tegrity Of the American eagle, but enlisted
mainly because he had no other employment at
the time. He did camp duty faithfully, and
endured the hardships OF long marches without
any special grumbins, That he dreaded to con-
front the enemy he freely admits. While will
ling at any time to kick bigger man than him
self under justifable provocation, he dislked the
idea of the sudden sensation impaired by bay
onet thrust in the abdomen, while only second
to this was his horror Of being cut down with .
rifle ball like an unsuspecting SQUIRREL
When his reg iment was drawn up in line he
admits his teeth chattored and his knee pans
ratified like pot-closet in hurricane MANY
Of his comrades were similarly effected, and some
Of them would have laid down had they dared
to do SO. When the first vo ley had been inter
changed, our trend informs US, every trace of
these feelings passed away from him. A reac
ton took place, and ne became a!mo t savage
from excitement. Balls whistled all about him,
and cannon shot cut in half a companion at
bis side. Another was struck by some explosive
| that spattered the brains over the clothes of our
informant, but, SO far from intimidating, all
these things uerved up his resolution The
hitherto quaking civilian in half an hour became
veteran His record shows that he bayonet
ted two Of his rebel enemies and discharged eight
rounds of his piece with as decisive an aim as
though he had selected turkey for his mark.
Could the entire line of an army come at the
same time into collision, he says there would be
no running except 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 powder in the
manner above described, they would have been
abundantly victorious. In the roar Of musket-
ny and the laundering discharge of artillery
there is music that banishes even innate cow.
ardice. The sight OF men struggling together
the clash OF sabres, the tramp OF cavalry, The
gore-staned grass OF the sbattle field, and the
coming charge OF the enemy dimly visible thro
the battle smoke-all these, says our intelligent
informant, dispel every particle of fear, and thu
veriest coward in the ranks perhaps becomes hi
most tiger-like At the battle OF Bull Run tn,
chaplain OF one of the regiments, a man 0
small stature and delicate frame, personally Gu
down two six feet grenadiers in single combat
If these things are so--and we incline to thinl
they are-the best cure for cowaIdicc is to crow
Il man into fight and there keep him. Tn
iugitiycs from Bull Run were men who imbibo
panic before it could have reached them.-Phi
ddelphta North American.