The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1866-07-05
Feelings in Battle.

I Z
| geous some lose all judgment, and will
single handed, rush upon hundreds !;
others are entirely unnamed, tremble
like aspens, seem dead to every emotion
of honor or feeling of shame, and will
slink into coverts or run from the field.
Lord Forth, in the Crimean war, is an
instance. IF skirmishers engage prior
to a general battle, and a desultory fire
is kept up for awhile, one becomes used
to it, and, as the battle warns, it fire.
quently becomes exciting, and men that
tremble at the first few shots now rush
on like heroes. | remember well my
feelings during the first battle in which
I was engaged. The night before we
received orders to prepare to attack. the
enemy early on the morrow. i.7id a6v
All was now hurry, hustle and anx-
iety Guns were cleaned, ammunition
inspected, straps adjusted, canteens filed
knapsacks lightened, letters written
We had several men in our company
who had always boasted of their bravery
and prowess- men who had been
"spoiling for fight" as they said
These were now still as mice; they
didn't peep. One of them, who had ta-
ken masters degree in all kinds, Of
| profanity, now borrowed a Bible, sat
down and read it for some time, and in
t;mated to his mess-mates the propriety
of praying before going to sleep that
night 1t is not your clustering, pro-
fame bravado that is the brave man on
the field of battle-it is your patient,
retiring men. F
I confess feeling of dread and anx-
iety stole over me- Battle was certain,
the enemy was strongly posted; and we
had desperate work before US. / wan
ted to go into battle, Yeti dreaded it
like death. Islept but little that night.
The morning came, and our columns
moved quietly and sternly forward
through wood. The first intimation
we had of the enemy was the skirmish-
ing between his outposts and our van
! guard, the former falling back as the
latter advanced. We passed out of the
wood and rapidly deployed into line of
battle, general sloping hill hiding the
enemy from our view. A part Of our
force had been sent round to make a
flank and rear attack on the enemy, and
while so doing it was Of the utmost i'm
| portance that we should hold his atten-
tion in the front. We marched steadi.
| ly up the hill till the whole line of the
enemy burst upon our view there We
halted, and for some minutes not gun
was fired on either side. 81 18t f
| There. stood the two armies, each
waiting for the other to begin the work
of death. The faces Of our men looked
pale and determined some of then
looked like statues, others nervous and
uneasy. 1t was the time. to test theil
courage. A line Of cannon was bearing
directly upon US. Death to many of us
was certain. Who will it be? though
. [. A singular feeling came over me
confused image of mother and sister
appeared fitting and floating before my
imagination like dissolving shadows
while the tremendous reality in front ep
pressed me with dreadful forebodinas.
| A few moments passed, like those
that intervene between drawing the cal
over the criminals face and letting fal
the trap, when puff ofsmoke shot ou
from one of the cannon, followed by
crash, aud she'll went screaming owe
us. Our men ducked their heads lik,
geese. Fire, was now opened on II
| along the enemy's entire line. Thei
t frstshots were aimed too high. TheJ
t gradually lowered them, Every dis
charge brought their balls fearful.
: nearer. We were impatient to return
: the fire, but dare not till the commant
! was given. Our Colonel passed alons
in front of the line and urged us to stan,
1 firm till the proper time, and the da,
4 would be ours 1t is a task to hold mel
/ exposed to an enemy's fire without al
: lowing them to return it. They vii
!, soon run one way or the otherad s
S The enemy's shot began to how
around us, plough through our ranks
and tear up the earth about our feet.
A six pound ball cut off the bayonet 0
! my messmate on my left; momen
/. more and one struck him in the breast
severing him almost in twain. The he
I blood from his heart spirited full in m
! face. Great God, how I felt A fain
) sickening sensation came over me. III