Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1886-02-11
The ssCoward,' in Battle.

Here is argument With its right flank
resting on the woods--its left in an
open field near a group OF hay-stacks.
Three pieces of artillery m front have
been playing into the pine thickets half
a mile away for the last ten minutes,
but without provoking any reply.
Watch this man-this Second Lieu
tenant of Company f. He is almost
a giant in size. He has a fierce eye, a
roaring voice, and men have said that
he was as brave as a lion. When the
regiment swung into position and the
battery opened he said to himself:
"How foolish in us to attack the
enemy when he was seeking to retreat
This blunder will cost us many lives.
Oar fire will soon be returned, anG. it
will be goodbye to half our regiment.
/ shall be one of the first to fall. II /
was one of the rear-rank prlvates, I'd
give all themoney Ihopeto ever have"
As three-fiye-ten minutes pass
away and the fire is not returned, the
coward begins to pluck up heart. He
busters OF the men, tries to Joke with
the officers on his right, and says to
himself:
"Egad! but this may turn out all
right. We are in no danger thus far,
and if the enemy retreats we shall
share the credit. Unjust try and make
everybody believe that / am disap-
pointed because we have not been or
dered to advance"
ACKNOWLEDGMENT Now the enc
my open fire in reply. They have six
guns to answer three. Intwo minutes
they had the range, and a shell kills or
wounds five o r six men. Thecoward's
checks grow pale again, End he whis-
pers:
"Great heavensi but We shall all be
slaughtered Why doesn't tt1scolonel
ordc~ us to retire? Why g. men kept
hcie to be shct dCwa in this way?
What a fool j waspot logo on the sick
list last night? If 1t wasn't that so
many are looking at me, I'd lie down
to escape the tire!'
Another shell-at hird-fourth-ffth
and thirty or forty men have been
killed. Men won't stand that long.
They must either retreat or advance.
1--WE shall advance" whispers the
coward. The order will come to
dash forward Ard lake those guns.
Shot and shell and grape will leave
none of us al.,e. What folly to ad-
vance! | hope InIay be slightly wound
ed, so that / shall have an excuse for
seekingcover in some ofthese bitches"
An aid rides up to the colonel and
gives an order. The colonel rides to
the head of his line and orders the lines
dressed for an advance. The men
dress under q hot fire, and the coward
groans aloud.
at is awful to die this wayl How
idiotic in me to accept a commission
to enter into servIce-to put myself
in front OF death! Oh dear! if | could
only get some excuse for tagging be-
hind!"
The lines dash forward into the
smoke-the enemy's fire grows more
rapid-the dead and wounded strew
the ground. Where and what of the
coward? Three days later the col
onel's report will read:
81 desire to make special mention OF
the east of Lieutenant -. As the
regiment advanced the captain and
first lieutenant of Company T were
killed by the same shell, leaving the
second lieutenant of Company + in
command. He was equalto the emer-
gency. Springins to the head of the
company, he encouraged the men for
a moment and then led them straight
at the guns, two pieces of which were
captured by the company"