The Bad Lands cow boy. [volume] (Little Missouri, Dakota [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-1886, 1884-12-11
Humors Of the Battlefield.

Humors Of the Battle-F Field
From The Century.
Many humorous incidents occurred
on battle7 aelds, a Confe derate colon
81 ran ahead Of his regiment at Malvern
Hill, and discovering that the.men,were
not following him J, closely as be
wished he uttered 8 fierce oath, and ex-
claimed II 5s;Esiz IS ;s
e.. Come y, onI Do You want to live for
ever ~ II 81 III;
The appeal was irresistible, and many
9 poor fellow who had laughed at The,
colonel's queer exhortation laid down
his lifesoon after. y .ESss:5. ;s
A shell struck the wheel Of a Federal
field piece toward the close Of the en-.
gagement at Fair Oaks, and, shiyering
the spokes, dismantled the cannon.
Well, isn't it lucky that didn't
happen before we used M al our am
munition, : remarked onesof the artil-
lerists as he crawled; from beneath the
gun. 5i;;ss
When General Pope was falling back
before Lees advance IN the Virginia
Valley, his own soldiers thought his
bulletins and orders. somewhat strained
in their rhetoric. At onefof the num-
erous. running engagements that marked
that disastrous campaign, a private in
one 1tof the Western regiments was
MORALLY wounded by 3 shell. it Seeing
the mans condition. a chaplain kneit
beside him.. and opening his Bible; at
random read out Samson's slaughter Of
the Philistines with the Jaw bone of an
ass. he had not quite finished when,
as the story runs, the poor fellow inter-
rupted the reading BY saying /. W. n
Hold on chaplain. Don't deceive dy-
ing man. Isn't the name Of John Pope
signed to that a. -. Z n
"a column Of troops was pushing for
ward over the long and winding road in
Thoroughfare Gap to head of Lee at
terShis retreat across the Potomac at
the close of the Gettysburg campaign.
Suddenly The signal officer who ac-
companied the general ine command
disco ered that some of, his men. posted
onsashigh hill in the rear, were report
ing the presence Of q considerable body
of Confed erate troops. on top Of the
bluffs to the RICH. a. halt was at once
sounded, and the leading brigade
ordered forward to uncover the enemy's
position. The regiments were soon
Escrambling up the steep incline, Of
ficara Ia.,H MON I'D Nv roo;,-. ! :,
who could reach the crest first. A
young lieutenant and some half dozen
men gained the ADVANCE but at the end
OF what they deemed "a perlious climb,
they were; thrown into commissions OF
laughter at. disc vering that what the
signal men took for Conf ederate troops
were only q tolerably large Hook oi
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 determined
faces Of their comrades, who; of course,
came up fully expecting o desperate
han Ito band struggle. 4.s
]. 1t is perhaps needless to say the
brigade supped on mutton that even
ing. Z. ;ss 55ssI|.5lF
As the army was crossing the South
Mountain the day before the battle 81
Antietam, General Clellan rode
along the side Of the moving column.
OYertaking q faYorite, Zouave regiment,
he reclaimed with bis natural bon
homie: i IT. q
Well and how is the Old Fifth this
evening e. sssl 55iE
First-rate, Genera, = replied one 81
the. Zouayes. But we be- better Of
i we weren't living SO much on supposi.
tion. ~ 555$s, 80.
supposition2 ~ said the, General, il
. puzzled tone. s W hat do you mean
by that Pr u;
It's easily explained, sir. You see
we e1pe&ed to get our rations yester-
day, but as we didn't we're living on
the superstition that we did. s
All, I understand; you shall have
your rations, ZouZous, tonight" re.
piled the general, putting spurs to his
horse to escape the cheers Of hiS regi-
ment. And he kept his promise.