Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1879-03-19
SHAKING HANDS WITH FATE.

SHAKING HANDS WITH FATE.
An Incident Of the War Of tho Rebel
lion.
Chris. Amman, Jr., contributes the fol-
lowing to the Detroit Free Pres: / read
some time ago Signor Max's able article
on the heroic manner with which many
accept their fate in the providence Of
earthly dispensationa. | was at the time
reminded Of the incident / am about to
relate, the occurrence of which was in.
dellibly fixed in my memory.
We were making q detOur from the
Wilderness battles in 1864, in the effort
of the army of the Potomac to seize
Petersburg, and our marches were rapid,
with occasionally an unexpected contact
with the enemy. One morning we came
to the banks of the Rapidan where ford
in low water was possible, and to cross
this and gain the opposite side was the
intent Of our commander. With COM
mendable rapidity the troops forded the
river and gained the opposite side. A
rail fence skirting a dense piece OF woods
was speedily converted into a breastwork
and the advance force was in position to
meet the enemy and hold them in check
till the reserves came up to support the
position obtained.
But l anticipate. On the march there
were in our regiment a number of
veterans, whose three.year term of SER
vice soon expired. The regiment had
been veteranized under an act of con
gress, and had gone into service again
for another three years, unless sooner
discharged. Those who had not accept
ed the privileges of the act, therefore,
looked with some concern on the many
battles then progressing on the eve Of
their going out Of service.
Among those wal VIM. Hickok, a
brave young man who had seer in his
three years Of field service nearly all the
important battles in which the army of
the Potomac had been engaged. He was
generally beloved by his comrades for his
genial qualities and bravery. He had
very cheerfully accepted the various
duties of a soldier up to the last march
which brought us across Jericho Ford, as
it was named. While his comrades were
radiant with hope he was dispirited. and
as the march was made it was with re-
lu4ance that he pushed his weary feet
over the road. "I'm not going to pass
through the next battle" he would say,
and it was a hard task to cheer him.
He continually talked of his mother
(she was a widow and of his sister, and
his unspeakable regret that he would not
see them again.
One would think that in this frame of
mind he would have invented some ex-
cuse-sickness for instance-and escaped
the pending battle. He seemed to know
his fate; he even communicated his
comrades respecting his effects and what
they should say to his poor mother. OF
course the boys laughed it off and assured
him that he would yet have the pleasure
of going home. At the crossing he
remarked that his feet touched water for
the last time, and then as the troops
were double. quicked up the embank.
ment he ~resignedly shouldered his mus
ket and literally "shook hands with
fate"
The lines which had been formed were
not permitted to remain long in suspense.
A distant crack of musketry told plainly
that the pickets had met the enemy. In
q few minutes they came back on a
sharp run, followed by a heavy line of
grays. In a moment it was a hand to
hand conflict, and our line was pushed
back by the overpowering columns. As
we retreated the reserves hurried up to
the support, and, but for the placing of
two batteries in commanding positions
near the ford, the position would have
been lost. Grape and canister from the
batteries did more effective work than
the muskets of the troops, and the posi-
ton was held and the crossing made a
success. When the grays gave way the
Union forces followed, and so strongly
fortified their position that they were
enabled to continue the march on to
Petersburg on the succeeding day.
After the battle search was made for
the dead and wounded. William was
found with his face upturned and dy-
ing. One of his own company found
him. "Tell my mother" and what
ever he desired to communicate was lost
a dying gasp. His comrades buried
him, and his prediction of his own death
made a deep impression. Veterans who
had seen a score of battles talked
gloemily over the incident for days
afterwards.
In q few days the forces came upon
Petersburg. There was one of the COM
pany upon whose mind this incident
had cast a melancholy gloom. He could
not cheer up, and when the charge was
about to be made on the Notifications
face was deathly white. He had
seen many a battle before, but this had a
terror to him. When the COM
mand came to charge he fell from the
ranks, Frustrated by nervous excitement.
He could not "shake hands with fate"