The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1879-10-17
War as 1t Really Is.

epitome of life. He rushes to arms with
the ardor of youth, ignorant, but eager
and hopeful. His mind, filed with
visions of glory and stern resolve, ignores
the weary march by day and night. He
sees before him, or thinks he sees, holi
day campaign crowned with victory, and
"a speedy march home to the sound oi
llnmphant music. Here, as in all other
pursuits, the future is mercifully yelled
with view ,and the imagination is allowed
to paint it in its own colors. We're il
otherwise, could the unfedged soldier
feel in advance how heavy the knapsack
wonld become, and how sore the feet,
many would be 10th to enlist.
The march in the beginning, even by
| day on good roads, was hard work, but in
the mud and rain, and in the night, it
was toilsome in the extreme. The want
| of sleep, together with the frequent halts
from the blockading of the road in front,
threw men into incessant sscat-naps, u
from which they necessarily wakened to
| ''move on" Night, under these circum-
stances, heightened out interminably
unendurable; and when at last day broke
it disclosed many and many a straggler
| far behind the column, stretched out by
nocturnal movements occurred in winter,
detachments of the sick poured into the
hospitals from every quarter until they
overdowed. They were as disastrous to
the column as battle. The march, toe,
| under hot August sun, kept up from
it's rising to its setting, and often pro-
longed into the night, amid clouds of
sitting dust and torturing thirst, must be
experienced to be understood. The un-
initiated think the greatest danger the
soldier is exposed to is on the battle field.
On the contrary it is the least This popu-
lar misapprehension is causedby the con-
solidated report sent out after an action of
the thousands shot down in day; but
the decimation from exposure and dis
ease that slowly swells into tens of thou
sands pass without notice. But we, who
have closed our shrunk ranks as our
comrades dropped out by the wayside
know it, our surgeons reports attest it.
The battlefield as test of endurance is
overrated. The fatigue is not expert
enced until after the fight is over, and
comes chiefly not from the battle itself,
but from the toilsome and broken
marches that precede it. If troops
rested, after good breakfast, we might
concentrate our attention on the battle
But, in point of fact, they are not SO
brought on. The supply trains have
often been left far in the rear, and haver-
sacks are nearly empty, and the night
before has been in part consumed in get
ting the troops in place. The excitement
of battle supplies for the time the want
of food and rest, SO that the actual dis
comfort largely precedes the fight
The opening of the battle with artillery
at low range and the bursting of shell is
rather dramatic and dangerous. Cannon
balls and fragments of shell, when they
strike, do execution, but they compare
lively seldom hit the mark They are
chiefly effective in disturbing the nerve
of advancing columns by their sound
and fury and occasionally CHASTITY work.
The artillery does its real work at closer
range, with grape and canister; and when
the action extends into the night the
bursting of shower of shells at short
range lends to the scene peculiarly
wicked and indicative spirit. The first
heavy loss in battle falls upon the
skirmish line, which, however, it may
protect itself by intervening objects, is
necessarily constantly exposed in advanc-
ing to steady fire at rest. The advance
of the skirmishers is beautiful and
them go down, had one at such moment
to indulge in sympathetic feeling. I re-
member nothing more touching than the
narrative of brother officer of the sight as
he beheld it, of a line of skirmishers of
the Irish legion at Mission Ridge per-
fectly aligned, at regular intervals, with
an officer in rear of the center, sword in
hand-all killed. They moved into the
jaws of death in perfect order, and offer
ed, as they lay on the field in the cold
gray of that November twilight, tribute
to discipline and manhood such as the
world has seldom equalled.
When troops come to close quarters
and the battle begins in earnest, no one
can see much more than what occurs in
his immediate front. He can hear in the
pauses of the action before him the roar
of musketry to his right and left, rolling
far off until it seems like distanH thunder.
broken by peals of artillery that alike
grow fainter as they recede; he can see,
too, at times, advancing lines of infantry,
with batteries unlimbered in the rear,
hurting overhead at the enemy tempest
of shell to disturb and distract him; he
can see the artillery suddenly cease fire,
timber up and gallop after their infantry,
take near position, and in thrice un-
timber and thunder away again. He can
see the infantry reach a stone wall, and
| halt and open fire from the shelter; or, it
no impediment be in the way, he will
see them sweep on the charge and close
with the adversary. Soon, however, the
fire reopens on his own front, and he
sees no more of the battle on his right or
| left; his faculties are absorbed in the
combat before him. The wounded,
| when in reach are carried to the rear as
they fall, or to convenient sheltered
spots. in the field, where the surgeon
awaits them, knife in hand. Many dis
| abled men receive their death as they
J are carried of, and where they lie be-
tween two fires and cannot be promptly
reached, often die for want of attention,
1t is doubtless trying position for one
to lie for hours, wounded and helpless,
on field swept by an enemy's fire; but
to lie on debatable ground, as many
poor fellow has done, and see the dust
puffs raised about him by bullets from
friends and foes, and listen to the hiss OF
crossing missiles, is perhaps the crownlne
horror of war.
i The day after the night, if the enemy
4 is not pursued, is passed in burylng the
dead, in getting up trains from the rear
and in much needed rest Lost comrades
if the action has taken place in the sum