The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-10-12
HUMoKs OF THE BArrLE-FrELD.
A CoIonePs Queer Exh"rtation-Living OF
Superstition.

Century Magazine.
Many humorous Incidents occurred on battle
fields. A confederate colonel ran ahead of his
regiment at Malvern Hill, and, discovering
that the men were not following him as closely
as he wished, he uttered fierce oath, and ex-
claimed:
Come on! Do you wish to live Iorever?" d
The appeal was irresistible, and many poor
fellow who had laughed at the colonels queer
eXhOrtation laid down his life soon after.
A shell struck the wheel of a federal field piece
toward the close of the engagement at Fair
Oaks, and, shivering the spokes, dismantled the
cannon
well, isn't it lucky that didn't happen before
used up all our ammunition remarked cue
of the drtillelists as he crawled from beneath
the gun.
When General Pope was falling back before
Lees advance in the Virginia valley his own
soldiers thought his bulletins and orders some
what strained in their rhetoric. At one Of the
numerous running engagements that marked
that disastrous campaign private IN one Of the
Western regiments was mortally wounded by
shell. Seeing the mans condition, a chaplain
knet beside him. and opening his Bible at ran
dern, read about Samsons slaughter of the Phil
istnes with the jaw bone of ass. He had not
quite finished, when, as the story runs the poor
fellow interrupted the reading by saying
Hold ON, chaplain Don't deceive dying
man. Isn't the name of John Pope signed 10
til 81"
A column Of troops were pushing forward over
the long and winding road on Thoroughfare gap
to head off Lee after his retreat across the
Potomac at the close of the Gettysburg cam
paign. Suddenly the signal officer who accom-
panied the general in command discovered
that some of his men, posted on high
hill IN the rear, reporting the presence OF
considerable body of confederate troops on top of
the bluffs to the right A hatwas at once sounded,
and the leading brigade ordered forward to I'M
cover the enemy's position. The regiments weTe
soon scrambling up the steep incline, officers and
men calamity racing to see who could reach tho
crest first A young lieutenant and some half
dozen men gained the advance, but at the end Of
what they deemed perilous climb, they were
thrown into convulsions of laughter at discover
ing that what the signal men took for confeder-
ate troops were only a tolerably large flock of
sheep. As the leaders in this forlorn hope rolled
ON the grass in a paroxysm of merriment they
laughed all the louder at seeing the pale but de-
termed faces of their comrades, who, of course,
came up fully expecting a desperate hand to-
hand struggle
1t is perhaps, needless to say the brigade
supped on mutton that evening.
AS the army was crossing South Mountain the
day before the battle of Antetam, General
Mcclellan rode along the side of the moving
column, Overtaking favorite -zouave reCi-
ment, he exclaimed with his natural honhomie
well, and how is the old Fifth this evening"
First rate General" replied one of the zOu-
ayes; but we'd be better off if we weren't living
so much supposition."
''Supposition,a said the General, in puzzled
tone; what do you mean by thatP
Its easily explained, sir. You see we eX-
pected to get our rations yesterday, but as We
didn't, we're living on the supposition that We
did"
''Ah, understand; you shall have your IA
ton, you zous tonight" replied the General
putting spurs to the horse, to escape the CHEERS
of his regiment And he kept his promise.