St. Landry democrat., 1879-10-25
4 Volunteer Soldier.
HIS ENTHUSIASM FOR BATTLE, AND HIS
CONDUCT I'CElNCi AND AFTER.
VIaIOSs or GLORY MD STERN RESOLVE
THE BATTLEFIELD - Y TEST Or EN-
DCRANCE--El!AT 1!E Sells AND
kEnN&
Speech by t:rfs. Thuln;la Ewin-

Speech BY Gen. Thutlaa E7riN%.t
.ie career Of a volunteer soldier ir
an epitomc OF life. lie ,ushe6 to arms
with the ardur o! youth, ignorant, but
eager and hopeful. His mind filled
with visions OF glory and stern resolve,
ignores the weary march Ivy day ana
watch by light. He secs before liim,
or thinks he secs, & holiday campaign
crowned with victory, and a Speedy
march home TO the sound o. triumphant
the future is mercitullv ytlir,i from
view, and the ina cination is allowed to
paint it in its own cOiurs We're il
otherwise could TIE lintlcGgcd soldier
feel it in advance how heavy h" KNAPP
sack would become. and how sore the
feet, manv WOuld be 10th t. enlist.
Tie march in the ht'-inn!nG-, even by
.iaE. on good roads, was hare; work.. hui
in the mud and litllj, and in the night,
it was tUllsOme III thu extreme. lie
want OF sleep, together with the quite
frequent blocking uf the road, thrr"
neil into lnceSSant eat r1pS,' from
which they Wcr" lucca>antlT Weakened
to "move on Night, under these cir
cumstancc3, lenEtElcptd Out utcrn
natly, and lifc toward morning became
almost uncomfortable; and when Al lat
day broke il disclosed many and many
4 straEglcr lar behind th" column,
, stretched out hF Tin, Tuadsltt" sound
asleep. When these no~tuln"l move
lncntS occurred iii winter attachments
OF the sick poured into ths hospitals
! from every quarter, Urtl they oTr!-
: flowed. They were as disastrous to the
column a. q battle. Til" match, too,
+ ). ! i, F,.f,r
! its rising To its 81 ting, and often nlo-
{ lon-ei into the night, amid clouds ri
sitting dust and lortuliu., fhil~'. mU~t
! be expericnc"H to be understood. The
! uui,litiatrtj think the greatest danger
j the soldier is exposed 10 is on he bat
; ti"ficld. OG I'll" contrary, il Is The least.
! Tni~ popular apprehension is carstd
! by the consolidated report sent ont ii
! ter an Get iou Of Tie thousands, SHOT
! down in a day; bul the defamation
! from EXPOSURE and disease that SLOW y
>Wtli~ into tens Of thousands p1>>"~ by
. without notice. But We, WHO nave
! closed oar ohl-nh rtnks ~ our COM
ladcs dropped nut by the WaTs!hr,
: know il, and our surgeons reports at
test it.
The battlefield as a test Of endurance
! is oycrratrd. The fatigue = not t&-
pericnced until after the light il over,
and comes chiefly, not from the hattie
itself, but frou the toilsnmc an't hlohen
! nii.vche, that prcrcdc it. Ii troops
could be brought into battle fresh and
rested, after good breakfast, We light
concentrate Onr attention on the battle.
! But III point of fact they are not 80
| brought on. The supply trains have
often been unavoidably left far III The
! rear. the haycrsacks are nearly empty,
and the. night before has been III part
consumed i'll getting the troops IN place.
! The excitement OF battle supplies for
! that the actual discomfort largely pre-
ccdes the following tight. The opening
/ Of the battle with artillery at long
range, and the bursting OF shell, Is
rather dramatic than dangerous. Can
non bali and fragments OF shell when
they strike do execution, but they cOni-
parativeI, seldom hit the marx. They
are chiefly effective in disturbing the,
nerve OF advancing columns by their
sound aud fury and occasionally. gtAst-
! " work. The artillery does it's real
work at closer range, with grape and
canister; and when the action extends
into night the bulstlng Of L shower OF
shells at Nllort'vaugc lends to the scene
q peculiarly wicked and yindictivc
spirit. The first heavy loss in a battle
falls upon the shilmish line, VII ich,
! however it may protect itself by inter-
yeuing objects, is necessarily constant
~ exposed in advancing TO L steady lire
at rest. The advance Of the Sklrmls!i-
ers IL a beautiful and brave sight. 1t
would be painful! to see them 20 down,
had one time at snch a moment to in
dnIgc in sympathetia feelings. ! re-
mcnber nothing more touching than
the narrative of q brother officer Of the
sight, as be hchcll 1t. of Il line OF Skin
Ridge, perfectly aligned, at regular in
centlt, sword in i,an,i-all killed. They
moved into the jaw, OF death IN per
feet order, and offered, as they lay on
the field in tie cold gray OF that No.
vcmber twilight, Il tribute to discipline
and manhood such as the world has
seldom seen equa!eh.
When troops come TO close quarters
and the battle begins in earnest, no one
can see much more than which occurs
on bis immediate front. He can hear
in the nauses of the action before aim
the roar Of The mus.lct:y 20 his right
and left, rolling lar Off until it seems
like distant thuut;cr, broken by pcelS Of
artillery that alike grow, fainter as they
reccuc; he can see, too, at times, adj
vancing lines of infantry, with barriers
unlimbered in tho rear, hurting over
head ut the enemy il tempest of she'll to
disturb, and distract him; he can sec
the artillery suddenly ceasc fire, Timber
up and gallop after their infantry, take
a nearer position and in thrice unllu
Der and thunder away again. llc can
see the infantry touch a stone wall, and
halt and open ire from the shelter; or,
! if no impeachment be in the way, he
! will see them sweep on to the charge
and close with the adversary. Scoop,
however, the fight reopens on biz 5vn
front, and he sees no 1un"o 81 the bat
tie on his right or lett; hIs faculties are
absorbed il the combat before him.
The wounded, when in reach, are car
! rie0 TO the rear as they fall, Or to con-
venient sheltered spots in the field,
! where the surgeon awaits them knife
| in hand. Many disabled men receive
their death wound as they are carried
off and where they lie between 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