Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-01-25
The Feelings that Soldiers Have When
Engaged in Fighting.

The Pail Mall Gazette speaks as
follows concerning the sensations and
conduct of soldiers in battle:
Soldiers are agreed that, however
brave a man may be, his feelings dur
ing the first quarter of an hour under
FIRE are extremely ~disagreeable. Much
of the reputation which Frenchmen
won for that reckless valor called
furia francese came from the utter in
ability Of their young troops to stand
steady during that first quarter of an
hour under a rain Of bullets, so that
they would charge forward impetu-
Ously and break through the enemy
lines with their bayonets. This was
all very well in the days of fighting at
close range but in these times, when
regiments advance in open order,
throwing out skirmishers by twos over
a line which mag extend for miles, a
man has only TO fire and obey the
bugle about advancing or retreatingl
Ten minutes after the engagement has
begun the field is generally so clouded
with smoke that the soldiers cannot
see to take aim, and commence firing
at random. Then it is that the men
of good grit settle down to their work
cody. The first attack of nervous
ness caused by the whistle Of
bullets passes off, the shock occasiOned
by the fall of a comrade close to ones
side is mastered, and that " tightnessl
of heart and dryness of the throat
which are but physical symptoms Of
the instinct Of sell preservation give
place to a buoyancy Of spirits and a
desire to nov forward. The bugle
soon gratifes this wish by sounding an
advance, and officers loom through the
fog with an encouraging cry Of For
wardl' Probably a similar encour-
agement IS being VOuehsafed 10 the
opposite forces at the self-same mo
ment. for the tendency Of two armies.
during the first hour Of a battle, is
always to march upon each other
Meanwhile the artillery batteries.
placed at some distance behind the
infantry lines. pound away ceaselessk.
and the shells fy with a shnekina
noise over the heads Of the skirmish-
ers. This is rather encouraging. for II (
hmiiari1ss the men with that abom
liable WhiEL which resembles nOthing
80 much az the voice Of a screeeh-owl
and il makes them think that tho
enemy have not at clever gunner
The tug0f war begins when the infant
y columns get within full range OH
the artillery. This may happen b.
accident through the Temporary NOV
ing Up d 3 brigade or regiment %
part o. the fed where the iron hail
Is pouring OF il may be the result Of.
precise aiming. when the artillery. be-
ing stationed on an emineBee com
mand q full view Of the enemy : p0si
tion. In such a ease, the infsntry
which Is exposed must Be marched
out Of range with al possible eKpedi
ton for a single shell falling into tn
midst Of a massed company Is enough
TO knock 1t into disorder. But If six
ten, twenty shells fall In rapid succeg
sion, blowing mp the earth with 4
sloshing noise. throwing M clouds Of
choking, binding dust, and strewing
the ground with dead. then tho meo
are apt to take fright. and viii b.
pretty ure to do 50 if they see thai
their officers are Disconnected. And
now may occur one Of the most crit.
cal moments Of a battle; for it NAV
chance that two regiments-or. what
is worse, two b~rigades-get entanqled
that is to say, a body Of men movingof
one part of the field to get out Of FIRE.
and to turn the enemy's positions If
they can, may encounter another
body coming in the opposite direction
Both corps are acting under orders
from their respective generals. and
these generals may be two or three
miles off. while the commandment
chief is even further away. So the
men come to a standstill, and cot
"clubbed," while their coloncls mr.
b~rigadiers are hastily comforting as 10
what had best be done; and II gun.
ners on the other side take a prompt
advantage of the situation to Timber
their pieces round and fire away. there
is nothing for it but TO charge forward
at a double (if there are reserves be.
hind or to retreat, which always dis.
heartens the men. Many a battle has
been lost or won on such a touch as
this. That of Gravelette, for in.
stance. was carried by sheer force oil
intrepid numbers-regiment after
regiment being sent up the slope.
through a raking fire Of mitrailleuse,
and artillery, till the French gunner.
were fairly overwhelmed and driver
from their pieces by German rife.
stocks. 1t was splendid fighting, but
the carnage was horrible.
A grand moment in a battle is tina
when the infantry, after moving for
ward continuously, find themselves Oh
= part of the ground occupied by The
enemy in the early part Of the day
This does not always mean that The
enemy have been routed, for they may
have taken up new positions from
s~trategical reasons; but the former