Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-10-03
The Cannon Fever.

The celebrated German poet, Goethe, was
present as spectator at the Battle of Vslmy
in 1892, between the armies Of the French
Republic, under Dumeuriez and Kellerman,
and the allied armies under the Duke Of
Brunswick, and gives his first impressions of
an artillery battle as follows
had heard so much of the cannon fever
that wanted to know what kind Of thing
il was. Ennui and spirit which every kind
of danger excites to daring, nay, even to
1ashness, induced me to ride up quite ceolly
to the outwork of La Lune. This was again
occupied by our people; but it presented the
widest aspect The roofs were shot to
pieces, the corn-shocks scattered about, the
bodies of men mortally wounded stretched
upon them here and there, and occasionally
q spent cannon ball fell and ratified among
the ruins of the tile roofs. Quite alone, and
left to myself | rode away on the nights TO
the left, and could plainly survey the favor
able position of the French; they were stand
ing in the form of semieircle in the great
est quiet and security; Kellerman then on
the left wing being the easiest TO reach.
fell in with good company on the way,
officers of my acquaintance belonging to the
general staff and the regiment, greatly sur
prised to find me here. They wanted to take
me back again with them, but l spoke to
them of particular objects had in view, and
they left me without further discussion to
my well.know singular caprice. had now
arrived quite in the region where the balls
were playing across me; the sound of them
is curious enough, as if it were composed of
the humming of tops, the gurgling of water,
ami the whistling Of birds. They were less
dangerous by reason of the wetness of the
eround-whenever one fell it stuck fast
and thus my foolish experimental ride was
nat 4ha OF Of tha
balls tebounding. In the midst of these cir
cumstsnces, was soon able to remark that
something unusual was taking place within
me. paid close attention to it, and still the
sensation can only be described by similitude.
1t appeared as if you were in some extremely
hot place, and at the same time quite pene-
trated by the heat of it, SO that you feel
yourself, as it were, quite one with the ele-
ment in which you are. The eyes lose 1oth-
ing of their strength or clearness, but ii is as
if the world had kind of brown-red tint,
which makes the situation, as we'll as the
surrounding objects, more impressive.
was unable to perceive any agitation of
the blood but every thing seemed rather to
be swallowed up in the glow of which |
speak. From this, then, it is clear in what
sense this condition can be called fever. 1t
is remarkable, however, that the horrible
uneasy feeling arising from it is produced
in us solely through the ears; for the cannon
thunder. the howiing and crushing of the
balls through the air, is the real cause of
these sensations.
After had ridden back, and was in per-
pect security, l remarked with surprise that
the glow was completely extinguished, and
| not the slightest feverish agitation was left
| behind. On the whole, this condition is one
of the least enyiable; as, indeed, among my
| dear and noble comrades found scarcely one
who expressed really passionate desire to
| trv IL