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

| Dattle. All men are not ahecteu alike
Some are cool, determined and coura
gcous some lose all judgment, and vii
single handed, rush upon hundreds
others are entirely UNNAMED, trOTnbl'
like aspcns, seem dead to every emotion
Of honor or feeling Of shame, and vii
slink into covcrts or run from the Geld
Lord Forth, IN the Crimoan waryis AT
instance. IF skirmishersi engage prior
to gcneral battle, aud n desultory fire
is kept up for awhile, ono becoiaes used
TO ii, and as the battle warns, ii fre'
quently becomes exciting, and men that
tremblc at tho FIRST few shots now rusl
on like heroes / remember well my
feelings during the FIRST battle ip which
I was engaged. The night before VIC
received orders to prepare to attack the
enemy early on the morrow
an was now hurry, hustle and pnx-
icty Guns were cleaned, ammunition
inspected, straps adj djustcd, cantcens allied
kuapsacks ligh,ened, letters Written
We had several men in our company
who had always boasted Of their bravery
aud prowess--mcn who had been
"spoiling for fight" as they said =
These were now still as nice; they
didn't peep. One Of them, who had Ia
ken a masters degree in all kinds Of
profanity, now borrowed Bible, sat
down and read il for some timc, aud in
/ tmatcl 10 his moss mates the proprieiy
Of praying before going to sleep that
night 1t is not your clustering, pro.
! fame bravado tha, Is the brave man on
the Geld Of ba;,Ic--it 10 your patient
retiring men.
/ | coufcss faolipg Of dread and aux.
icty stole over me. Battle was certain,
'he enemy was atrougly posted, and We
had desperate work before Us. | wan
tod to go into battle, yet ! dreaded it
Ike loagh slept bat little that night.
Tho morning came, and our columns
moved quietly aud stcrnly forward
I through a wood The Grst intimatiou
wc hal Of the enemy WIS the skirinish-
ing between his outposts and our van
guard the former falling back as the
latter advanced We passed oBt VI the
wood and rapidly drploycd into line Of
( battle, a general sloping hill hiding the
enemy from our yiew. 4 part Of our
/ force bad bccn seut round 10 make a
6ank and rear attack on tho enemy, and
while 80 doing il WIS Of the utmost i'm.
por,ancc that wo should hold his atien.
I ton in the front We marched stoadi-
| Is up the hin tin the whole line Of the
cuemy burst upon cur view there Ne
I halted, and lor some minutes not guu
vas cred on either side.
There stood tho two armies, each
waiting for the other 70 bogiu the work
Of death The faces Of our mon looked
| pale and determined some Of them
look ed Ike statues, Others nervous and
uneasy. II was the time to test thoii
courage 4 line Of cannon was bearing
1 directly upon us. Death 10 many of US
was certain. Who will it be thought
H. \ singular feeling came over ne
a confused Image Of "a mother and sister
appeared Gitliug aud floating before ms
imagination like dissolying shadows
/ while the tremendous reality ia front op
pressed mc with dreadful forebodings.
4 few moments passed, Ike thos,
that intervene between drawing the cal
over the criminals face aud letting ial
the trap whea pu6 ofsmokc shot op
from one u tie cannon followed by !
crash, and hell went sereaminS oyq
Us. Our mcn dpcSed their hcads l.ki
geese. Fire was now opened on II
along the cnemy's entire liue Thci
first shots were almod too high, The,
gradually lowered them, Every dis
charge brought their balls fearful,
nearer We were inpatient to returI
the fire, but dare not ill The commap,
was given. Our Colonel passed alopi
IN front of tie lae and urged us to STAN
firm ill the proper time, and the da.
would be ours. It is task to hold mel
exposed to an enemy's Gre without al
lowing them to return it, They vii
soon run one way or the other.
Tho enemy's shot began TO how
around us, plough through our ranks
and tear up the earth about our fcet.---
a x.pound ball cut of the bayouet o
my messmate on my left momcu
more and one struck him in the breast
seyering him almost in twain. The ho
blood from his heart spirited full in m
face. Great God, how / felt ! "a fain
sickoning sensation came over me. II
smiled family, spoke my name, gaspo
and expired. lie was rightly mauglet
| was maddened to desperation. A
thoughts of fear vanished; Icodld hay
fought thousands. The command (