Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-05-12
A SOLDIER TELLS HIS WAR EN-
"a APERTENC E.
How It Feels to Enter Battle-''Bomb
Ague''-TwO Heroic Soldiers Laughing
Amid Danger

From the Athens fGa.l Banner WdtchmGn.
A few evenings since we CHANGED, to-
gether with Charlie Baldwin and Ed.
Smith, to drift into an old soldiers office,
and after rambling discussion of some
little time the conversation turned on
war times, and by series of questions,
our host unlim bered himself as follows:
"You ask if man is afraid on entering
battle! Of course it is a very serious mat
ter, and even the braVest soldier, until
the excitement Of the conflict makes him
forget the danger, feels and appreciates
the risk he is about to enter. But after
a man receives the first volley, and he es-
capes unframed, he argues that 1T is not
so bad as he thought, and as the firing
increases he becomes recklessly cOur-
ageous, and gives not thought to HE
danger. 1t is very trying on soldier,
however, to be exposed to fire and not
allowed to return it. He has then moth
ing to do but think over his situation, and
it requires steady to unhinchingly
face the leaden ram.
There is no sensation more inspiring
than preparation for battle. The move
ments of the troops, the nelghing OF the
hOrses-rattling OF artillery-@aving
standards-the music-the guns of the
pickets-all serve to bring into play the
grandest emotions of the heart. l have
often thought, Perhaps this Will be my
last battle; but | always have 80 much
to do arranging my men and guns that |
soon forget all danger. When once
engaged IN the fight, of course there Is no
time for any thought except the work be-
fore you.
"'BOmb ague' is well-knOwn ailment
in the army, and some of the bravest
soldiers had it at their first battle. L
knew one man that had to be tied on his
horse to make him face bullets, but after
receiving the first fire and getting slight
wound, there was not more valiant
soldier in the service. But there are men,
natural towards, and they never could be
cured. They just cannot help it.
1.-The most recklessly brave man l ever
knew was Notes, the Atlanta photo
grapher. He knew not the meaning of
the word fear, and 1t seems a mystery
that he was not killed a thousand times.
| remember at Dam No. we had one of
the hottest fights [ ever saw, and my bat
terry had received charge after charge
from the Yankees, until the dead were
piled IN great heaps before us. The
enemy came right up TO the guns, and we
fought them hand to hand. / killed
sixteen at one ire by turning a gun
down the trench that was filed with the
Yankees.
"During a hull in the fighting, Notes
and were sitting behind the battery.
surrounded by the dead and dying, sop1
ping some bacon grease out of a frying
pan, being nearly starved and having
cooked our meal on the spot. The battery
was supported by regiment of infantry,
and Just as we were in the middle of ouB
meal the Federals made another charge,
came over the guns, and the regiment
supporting us fed in confusion. Notes
sword had been shot in two, but without
moments hesitation he seized the fry
ing pan, waved it aloft, and with it
rallied the retreating men, brought them
saturated with the bacon grease during
the fight and presented most cOmical
figure.
"Motes seemed to bear a charmed life,
and boosted that the Yankee bullet had
not been moulded to touch his skin. At
the battle of SharDsburg, one of the hot
test fights Of the war, Notes came to me.
his arm dangling by his side and covered
| with blood and exclaimed: Capt. Carl
ton! what do you think? The Internal
scOundrels have shot mep ordered him
to the rear, but it seems he did not go, but
continued at his post. In few minutes
l heard, Capt. Carlton! what do you
think? Them internal Yankees have shot
me againP This time Notes was badly
wounded in the hip, and 1 had him taken
to the rear on a caisson but | afterwards
found the brave fellow stretched out on
the ground, as pale as death and covered
with blood, waving his hand and hurrah-
ing for the Confederates.
Frank Pope, of OglethOrpe county, was
another OF the braVest men in our army,
and he was as cool and deliberate in the
heat of battle as you see him on the street.
AT one fight, when the Yankees charged
his guns and a band-tO-hand cOnfiict
ensued in the trenches, Capt. Pope tried
to borrow a musket, but failing to get
one seized hand spike that was lying
near, and with it Drained two or three OF
the enemy. He was as modest and
retiring in manner as he was brave in
battle.
Often during the heat of battle, when
blood was flowing like water and the pas
siOns of men wrought up to the highest
pitch of excitement, some amusing in
cident would occur, and | have often
stopped amid a hail Of lead and iron to al
most conyulse my sides with laughter at a
ridiculous act or cOmical sight of some
soldier.
Il remember at one of our Virginia
| fights to have occasion to pass from one
portion of the field to another. and dis
covered, behind large poplar, one fellow
| hugging the tree and reading aloud the
/ Bible, while his com panlOn was on his
/ knees, 'cOoning' up to his friends back.
putting up most hum BILE prayer. Idrew
my sword and ordered the two towards to
the front, and thus broke up a most peni-
! tent meeting. The figure cut by these
| two men was so ridicu0usly amusing
that l had to laugh whenever the scene
required TO me.
"But the safest place in battle for man
| is his post of duty. 1t is a singular fact
that the coward and skulker is generally
| killed before the soldier that seems fear
| less OF danger. | have seen men stand on
! breastworks, with bullets and shells
whistling all around them, while others
hiding In bOmb-proofs excaVated under
| the embankment were killed.
Nv hich was the closest place / ever
was in? you ask. 1t is hard to say. A
Yankee officer once saved my life. !. to-
gether with a companion, was sent by
Gen. Lee to locate a bridge, the Federals
occupying one side Of the river and our
troops the other. rode into the bottoms,
where grew a luxuriant crop OF rag
weeds higher than my head on borse-
back, and without knowing it passed
through our picket line. Suddenly |
heard my friend say, Look out Captainp
and turning my head 70 the right, found
that ] was on the bank of the rivera
stream not wider than Broad strickland
] lust on the other side gQuatted a Yankee