The state republican. (Jefferson City, Mo.) 1871-1896, 1890-05-08
CAMPFIRE STORIES.
THE PRIVATE SOLDIER.
General Alger Says Ho was the Rea
Hero of the War.


Hero of the War.
General Russell A. Alger, Commander
ln-Chief Of the Grand Army of the Re-
public, in an interview with tho New
York Herald, said: ut would be unjust
to single out one or two soldiers in the
army, call them by name, and dilate at
length upon their bravery in any special
battle or skirmish, because all the SOL
diers who s%houldered their muskets and
went into action equally deserve men
ton. The real heroes of the war we're
The men who carried muskets. Ina bat
tie the men who stood in line and fought
were all brave.
81 have rttcn been asked how it feels
TO be under fire. 1t is an uncomfortable
feeling all the time, no POETRY Whatever
in it. In battle cne feels as if u demon
spirit had taken Possession of him, and
was rccklcssly carryinghim along. The
most trying ordeal is the beginning Of a
battle, and the sooner one gets in the
more relieved he feels. When a person
goes in bathing in cold water he does
not 20 in gradually, but Jumps in with a
plunge and the cold is soon gone.
My sensations aboutgetting Under fire
were similar to a plunge in cold water,
and although aware that danger was
everywhere, the anticipation ! found
was more dreadful and trying than tho
reality. There were few towards in the
army. Whenever n call was made for
volunteers to undertake some desperate
charge, or go upon an expedition which
meant death to nearly all, more soldiers
than were needed always came promptly
forward.
"War is n stern reality to those en-
gagged in 1t, After tho war. during the
session of an evangelical alliance at De-
troit, four preachers stopped at my
house. One evening we were chatting
about the war when one of the preachers
asked me if there was in reality the
poetry and glory in a battle that had
often been described in song. lie spoke
of Warren, who fell at Bunker Hill, and
repeated some beautiful lines on his
death. Did fame, glory ind the sweet
privilege of dying for ones country
artuatc and prompt the soldier to move
rccklcssly and %gallantly into battle?' he
continued
Il replied that the whole sentiment
and feeling that stirred within a sol
dicr's breast when he started in battle
could be summed up in three words:
Give them h-l!'
And this reminds me that noise
sometimes counts. / had rather face an
army of ten thousand mutes than an
army of five thousand yelling men. The
yell somehow puts life into the soldier
and d~iscouragcs his opponent. | had
rather charge than repcl an attack OF
fight at long range. The impetus thai
the charge gives is apt to carry things
before it. Then, the movement does
not give the soldiers time to think much
and speculate, but with a hurrah they
rush onward, some to death and manl
to victory.
thousands of brave men were killed
in the war whose names are not known
and in many instances they were no
buried. | remember riding over tn,
battlefield of Bull Run some months
after the engagement, and saw a skull
or two. In the cemeteries so man,
h~cad-boards have on them Unknown.
1t is sad to die for ones country and no
itdNt IL am W Dc lOlOreu III IUc roll
call of fame. The Unknown were he
roes. and died bravely fighting.
when General Lee began his retrea
from Monterey via Emmetsburg m
command was ordered to get in his rea
if possible and cut off his wagon train,
never Shall forget the time we started
1t was a dark night, and we had to &
rapidly. We could hear the rumbling {
the wagon trains going around tn
mountain road. Finally we came near
bridge which was guarded. If the rebel
had destroyed the bridge it would hav
been better for them, and kept us frol
in~tercepting them.
The bridge was guarded, and il
stantly | ordered my men to lie dowI