The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1890-12-25

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"The first fight was in / saw a man who
was standing beside his Captain when the latter
was shot in the head. This was in a skirmsh
mp in West Virginia in 1851. When l came up
nc was down on one knee, his hands up, and
his eyes popping out like saucers. He was
chastity pale, his mouth was open, and / sup
posed he was wounded. asked:
Shoemaker, are you hit.' He stammered:
Dead, Captain! C-a-p-ta-i-n!'
What is the matter with the Captain7'
"K-i-l-l.e-d!'
o. told him he had better get up and come
along, or he would be killed. That man got
out OF the fight, how, don't know, but that
was on the 18th of July. and from that until
about the 5th or 9th OF August he was in the
hospital. We didn't expect him TO live. Our
term Of service had expired. and We were ex-
pecting TO 60 home, but they wanted us to con-
Time longer in the campaign, and we agreed
10 do so for a certain number Of days. Shoe
maker collapsed at once when he heard that we
We're not to 20 home and went down and down,
until he was so weak and emaeiated that he
could hardly speak. Then We got our discharge
and started back to Colunbns, when he rallied.
At the battle of the Little Big Horn there
was a man in my company who had been in the
service from the beginning Of the war: had
served in the volunteers, and then in the Regu-
lars, until 1876. During the morning of the
second day he became utterly worthless, and
control over himself at all. When the order
was given to go out, every man left the camp
except him. but he could not be induced to
move, and lay in his tent. Not one who went
out in this particular charge was hit, but when
we got back into the lines We found that this
man had been shot in the head and killed. lie
had premoniton that he was going to be shot,
and for that reason kept his tent, but he was
the only man in my company that was killed
that day"
3" knew a man Ofexcelient education" con-
tinued Capt. Godfrey, who, at the
OUTBREAK OF THE WAR,
desiring TO serve his country in some capacity,
secured an appointment az Commissary Of
Rhode Island regiment. He knew that his
duties would not call him into active service in
the line Of battle, and for that reason he made
his choice, because he dreaded the idea Of fac
ing fire, as he was a notorious coward. For
considerable time he held his position in the
train, but one day during 4 hot engagement an
officer was killed, and it was imperatively nee
Cssary that his position should be filed i'm
mediately. We rendered the position to the
Commissary officer, and by dint Of earnest pur-
suasiOn induced him 10 take IL. After a while
be became warm under the fire. and was finally
thoroughly enthused with excitement. He
carried himself with commendable courage and
GOODNESS through the battle. After that day all
his cOwardice left him, and he was an excellent
officer, ever ready 10 do his duty, and never
known 10 shirk under fire"
Miss Clara Barton, the famous Army Nurse
and Director of the Red Cross Society, said:
" don't think j ever knew anyone who was
frightened 10 DEATH One hears a great many
things of that kind, but cannot name any in
stances. j remember a man who had chronic
rheumatism in the right shoulder. believe,
and for some years had not been able to move
his shoulder at all. Some one said something
that angered him, and without thinking what
he was about he raised that lame arm and
struck him with his fist. The arm was never
lame afterwards. He said he felt something
give way in il when he struck the blow; a
peculiar sensation. lie supposed, of course,
that there was a tension, or something OF that
kind, but IL was chronic rheumatism. The pe-
euliarity Of il was that he was a man Of even
temper, very slow 10 wrath and il must have
been something very extraordinarily insulting
or no would not have been aroused. 1t is
perhaps one Of the few times in his life he ever
struck anyone.
4" | should judge that more women would die
Of fright than men. feW.years ago romem-
Der reading in the newspapers case of a
woman being found dead in bed one morning.
General suspicion pointed 20 her husband as
the murderer and he was placed under sur
veillance. w. s. Balch. connected with New
York City newspaper undertook to solve the
arrest Of a negro in Boston, who was convicted
and hung The negro's statement was that
being discharged servant Of the family he
knew the plan Of the house, and also was
aware OF the fact that the murdered lady had
several valuable ornaments, among them a dia-
mond ring, which she wore upon her hand.
He broke into the house, with only the iuten-
tion Of committing robbery. and going to the
lady's CHAMBER, entered. While he was in the
act OF wrcnching the ring from her finger the
woman awOke, and discovering the negro at
her bedside swooned. The next morning she
WAS
FOUND DEAD.
"This statement the negro adhered to from
first o. last and even in the shadow Of the gal
lows declared that no force was used except
that required 10 take the ring of the finger.
Her death was evidently caused by fright.
7" My grandmother on the maternal side"
continued Miss Barton, lived ia the city of
NewbUrypOrt aud was perhaps only one or
two generations after the Salem witchcraft ex-
element. She used 10 tell us children this
story as a kind Of warning: One evening a
party Of young gentlemen and lsdies-they
were OF the best families, and genteel young
people--had been 10 an evening entertainments
and were walking home by moonlight. They
passed through little forest in the suburbs OF
the city about midnight, a good hour for
ghosts. They had all been brought mp in the
shadow of witchcraft, and the legends had
made al impression upon them. They were
moro liable 20 be frightened under any circum-
stances than the people of this day There
were either six or seven Of them, and when
they got along into the darkest place in the
little forest, shadowy aud rather dense, a tall
white figure, taller than a human being slender.
and draped in white from head to foot came
out and crossed the path, disappearing on the
other side. One of the young ladies screamed.
and fell TO the ground. She died there, and
they hao TO carry her home. The ghost was
one OF the young men Of the party who ought
to have been with the rest
" Ny experience with our soldiers was that
they were not very easily frightened, and i
never knew Of any among the foreigners who
died Of fright. They were pretty good fighters
Cases might have happened, but didn't know
OF them. IL is a great wonder where the cool
courage Of men Is found; where common,
ordinary men, trained TO nothing like war, get
their nerve; where strangers 10 firearms,
strangers 10 foes, strangers 10 everything war
like, found the courage 10 face death as brayey
rs they did in our war Is a great mystery.
The temperament. Of men is very different.
There were men, perhaps, no more cOwardiy
than Others, who, from some sens!tiveness in
their temperament, suffered more. j don't
know that mere brute daring could be called
the highest sort Of courage. but anyone who
occupied the place did among men would get
some experience, ] think. 1t was my privilege
aud my custom when l needed help 10 call il
from the troops. For instance, if had with
me six or eight men before a battle began after
IL commenced and the wounded came in /
might bo very glad TO use 80 or 40 or so, as you
a l. A. L Al.