Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1872-10-11
THE BLAZE OF THE CAMP FIRE.
ARMY ANECDOTES, RECoLLEcTIoNS AND RENiN
cENCEs-BY ANEX-PRIvATE.

Good SHOTS IN the army were not numerous,
and strange a it may appear, were not al
ways popular. The men who thought they
must necessarily be good shots, because at
home they were successful in killing SPUR
rels, were not always so. This was not dis
covered until target practice was generally
introduced, or until some unusual case oc-
Cured.
On one occasion the company had been
driven from position on a mountain road
down into the valley that S.irted the river.
The retreat had not been a satisfactory per-
formance, a il had been made with consid-
cradle loss, and in not very dignifed man
ner. ExaSperated by defeat and by the sus-
pici0n that they might have made their run
ming fight III better order. the men were not
improved in temper by the appearance ON
the cliffs above, Of the men who waved a
Confederate flag in plain view, and who
called for and gave three cheers for e PreSi-
dent Davis" \ dozen men fired at the man
who stood prominently forward, but he mere
" bowed. The supposed crack shots fired
singly, but with no better effect. At this a
quiet man named kenser. a new recruit from
Virginia. stepped forward, measured the dis
lance carefully with his eye, considered the
mountain slope up toward the cliff. raised
his gun quickly, and fired almost the instant
his eve had glanced along the barrel. A
positive SILVER ran through the company as
they saw the daShing, Stalwart man on the
elf swing round, topple over, and come
crashing down the rocky. PERCEPTIONS. brush
clad mountain side They looked at Kenser
with dread. as it was a terrible thing then to
see a man killed by one deliberate shot
The quiet Nirginian accepted the tumble
of the man a matter of course. and was
neither cXultant or depressed. Dozens Of
times after that he was called upon to decide
a critical skirmish at long range, and he
rarely failed. In one battle he was called
upon t. fire at retreating artillerv-man. /
who was getting his gun off, with regiment
firing at him. kenser aimed as the gallant /.
rider made a magnificent turn. but he did 1
not fire. lie dropped hi, gun with =. Geew-
hizz-ile's a sumner and couldn't be per-
~uaded to shoot. lie said afterward /
e Sometime, in deer huntin. YOU come across
a fine old buck, that you don't care To- shoot /
at just because he is so splendid. You know /
just 50 with that rcb lie was one man in
q thousand.
One day down in the little quiet valley of
Cripple creek, deSerter was To Dee shot, by /
a detail from his own regiment The order
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NERVOUS NEN ~ BATTLE.
y,
nv 't'-i'7' man 'i '-o ians was ',ie
me- 'A'''l.' .I n'I' 'u9' Il we can Use 'iIe
IA ,a'''i ""'u - '"' Women S.i'''"'. c7' a.
ne i''' very many peculiar OK peri'nee'
y, men ni'de 'iie "g'' p'ahce "i lhe name
risky natural ana easy 'hlls 10 40 IN
camp 4 r'SAl was uloI anu sen H. ana
senerl1y master ol 'ne Sl'ua'ign- huef
'he i'ei''nl 81 an "''1oS' "r SAiri'isn' OF
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