Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-09-09
THE @CowARD" IN BATTLE.
He Is Forced by Responsibility Into
Showing HIS True Colors.


From the Dstyojt Free Prsss
Here is a regiment with it's right flank
resting on the woods-its lef, IN an open
field near group OF hay stacks. Three
pieces Of artillery in front have been play
ing into the pine thickets half a mile away
for the last ten minutes, but without pro-
yoking any reply.
Watch this man-ths Second LIeuten-
ant OF company "F." He is almost a
giant IN size lie has a fierce eye, a
roaring voice, and men have said that he
was rs brave as a lion. When the regi-
ment swung into position and the bat
terry opened, be said to himself:
How foolish in us to attack the enemy
when he was seeking to retreat! This
bunder Will cost us many lives. Our
fire VIII soon be returned. and II Will be
goodbye 10 half our regiment. ] shall be
one Of the first to tall. II ! was one Of
the rear rank priyates, I'd give all the
money ! nope to ever have.'
AS three-fye-ten minutes pass away
and the fire is not returned, the coward
begins 70 pluck up heart. He busters at
the men, tries 10 Joke with the officers on
his right and says to himself:
"Egad Dutit may turn out all right. We
are in nOdangcT thus far, and IL the enemy
retreats we shall share the credit. must
try and make every body believe that
am disappointed, because we have not
been ordered 10 ADVANCE
m-shriek-crash Now the enemy
open fire in reply. They have six guns 10
answer three. In two minutes they have
the range and a she'll kills or wounds tiye
or six men. The towards cheeks grow
pale again, and ne whispers:
"Great heaVensl but we shall ali be
slaughtered! Why doesn't the Colonel
order US 10 retire? Why are men kept
here TO be shot down in this way? What
a fool 1 was not 20 90 on the sick list last
night! If it wasn't that so many are
Looking at me, I'd lie down to escape the
frelu
Another shell-a -fourth-fth,
and thirty or forty men have been killed.
Men won't stand that long. They must
either retreat or advance.
I'VE shall advance" whispers the cow
ard. "The order will come to dash for
ward and take those guns. Shot and
shell and grape will leave none of us
alive. What folly to advance l hope /
may be slightly wounded, so that l shall
have an excuse for seeking cover in some
Of these ditcbes."
An aid rides up to the Colonel and gives
au order. The Colonel rides 10 the head
Of his line and orders the lines dressed
for an advance. The men dress under a
hot fire. and the coward groans aloud:
"lt is awful to die this way! How
idiotic in me To accept a commissioning
enter the service-to putNYseif in front
OF DEATH Oh, dear 1T | could only get
some excuse for tagging behindv"
The lines dash forward into the smoke
tine eremy's fire grows more rapid-the
dead and wounded strew the ground.
Where and what of the coward? Phree
days later the ColOne's report will read:
- desire to make special mention Of
the case Of Lieut.. --. AS the regi-
ment advanced the Captain and FIRST
Lieutenant of company + We're killed by
the same shell, leaving the Second Lieu
tenant of company f in command. He
was equal to the emergency. Springing
to the mead of the company, he encOur-
aged the men for moment and then led
them straight at the guns, two pieces Of
which were captured by the company"
A month later the coward was a Cap
tain.