The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1886-01-07
BRAVERY IN BATTLE.
how 1T Feels to Stand up and be Shot At
From Washington Republican.

DaC EIolu NY poioohoi
can only say that it depends upon cir
cumstances. The feeling of vengeance
is utterly absent in close contest be
tween opposing regiments. AS a rule
during our civil war the men never ap
preached within twenty yards of each
other-one side or the other giving way
When it is considered that our rifles car
ried ball nearly mile, and that the
tactics we're to advance firing, it may be
seen that great loas Of life might hap
pen before the actual grapple of the
contending forces.
don't mean to say that there were nc
bayouet fghts.or actual personal encoun'
ters, but they were few and far between
When they did occur it was with blind
fury (for instance, on the occasion o1
I. Pickett's charge at Gettysburg), where
crossed bayonets and clubbed muskets
were brought into play. There neither
side asked quarter nor gave it. 1t was
simple knock down and drag out fight,
in which the Virginians had to give way
because of the overpowering numbers
and artillery brought against them.
A NEW EXPERIENCE.
Now, recollect distinctly without
naming the battles) that during theseye
days. battles in front of Richmond in
1862 we were on the offensive. Before
that we had been strictly on the defen.
sive. 1t was a new experience, too, to
US, because before that period we had
always been on the defensive. That
country (he Chickahominy and its
af1luents) was densely wooded with scrub
underbrush, and in marching in battle
order regiments, and even companies,
would be separated from each other in
avoiding the obstacles to an advance.
That sort of thing was very trying to
the nerves of the men, because the skir.
mishers were out of sight of the main
advance, and even when they met the
outlying posts of the enemy the infantry
line was not notified. Now, there was
a situation in which the best troops
might be tried.
1t is of the subsequent battles, includ-
ing all the battles of the army of North.
ern Virginia up to the campaign of 1864
that I can deal with. l recollect the
preliminaries of two or three battles as
distinctly as 1 do the events ofyesterday,
and I recollect moreover how l felt when
the order to strip for battle was given.
But what wish to give an idea of is the
conduct of regiment when in actual
battle. There are three battles in which
l was engaged that especially recur to
my memory, for the reason that the
fighting was fierce and the loss on both
sides heavy-those were Frazier's Farm,
second Manassas and Seven Pines-I
mean to state that in these battles our
regiment lost most heavily. Before the
latter of these battles some of my COM
rades were Immediately behind the fight.
ing line, and before they could roll up
their blankets they were called into the
fight by their officers.
THE PASSION OF BATTLE.
The old story to the effect that the
boys learn in the columns of the
"Eneid"-when speaking of the soldier
element-"turor iraque maentem precipi-
tant," had no exhibition in the contest of
the war between the States, or between
these men in line of battle. The men
as rule stood off and shot at long range
at each other. When they got to close
quarters, and they were fighting body to
body and man to man, then of course, as
I have above stated, there were angry
passions developed by the contestants
which did not apply to the body proper
of the armies on both sides in any occa-
sional engagement. In the old days it
was shield to shield, and spear to spear,
and sword to sword. The best man was
be who was the strongest and most skill
full. Now, we can kill each other 1000
yards range. don't know that l can
better give an idea of the improved
methods of modern warfare than when /
state that in the charge of Pickett's
division at Gettysburg the entire force
was decimated long before they got
within reach of the opposing batteries.
wish to give instances of the pecu.
liar bearing of the men in the battles
wherein my regiment was engaged. For
instance: When after the battle oi
Gaines Mill (the second day of the
seven days fight in front Of Richmond)
there were numbers Of the Union dead
and wounded around aud about oul
bivouac, we did what we could for them
in the way of giving water and medi.
cines, etc., but, as far as can recall my
sensations, we paid no more attention 10
them than is usually done by spectators
to herd of slaughtered bullocks.
recollect we'll the bushing and crowd.
ing attendant upon an advance over
rough ground. It was almost impossible
to keep the alignment of dress parade.
and under the fire of the artillery gaps
were constantly being made in the ranks
Friend and foe we pushed over, disre.
gardiug all appeals for help until we bad
attained the summit of that which we
had been ordered to drive at by our
generals. 1t is certainly fact that, as q
rule, the men on the other side when
they were drawn up to fight had pretty
good iukling of the work mapped out
for them.
PRorANIrY-DIsoRDER-vALoR.
Finally, as for troops in actual battle
I have this much to say, that neye,
saw more profanity than in the standing
up Of a regiment anywhere. a mission
ary would have but small chance for g