Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1891-09-24
WAR "REMINISCENCES.
A DOUBTFUL CASE.


Court-MartiaL
ssToward the close of the struggle, .
said grzzled veteran of the late war,
/ who, strangely enough. never fights
his battles over again unless he is press
ed to do so by friends who were not
there, "a saw young man die dishon-
I ored, who, | believe, was the victim Of
wretchedly unfortunate circumstances.
don't know what his name was. and
! should not mention it if did, but he
was not more than seventeen years old,
and he was beside me as we charged
some confederate breastworks during
the preliminary skirmishing that pre-
coded the battle of Gettysburg. He
was, Enthusiastically, very much fright
ened. for he had been sent to the front
with batch of raw recruits, and this
was the first engagement he had par
ticipated in. His face was ashy pale,
and more than once saw him looking
back over his shoulder. But he held
his musket firmly, and, he and being
about the same height, the point of his
bayonet was in an almost unwavering
line with mine. As noticed this re
member thinking, This young fellow
will make a good soldier yet if the bull.
let's spare him.
THE fire was very heavy as we drew
up to the works. and our men went
down by scores Suddenly | saw the
lad beside me roll over, and several
others observed him falling, for he had
attracted good deal of attention by
his youth and evident nervousness.
"'That fellows fear didn't deceive
him, muttered the man who closed into
his place. His fighting dass are over
9We carried the breastworks with
great loss, and there was no more
skirmishing that day In the evening
sitting at the campfire watching the
coffee boil with the rest of us, was the
recruit which we had seen. as we sup,
posed. shot down in the morning. Be-
yond some scratches and bruises,
caused by the soldiers in the rear
trampling on him, he was not hurt at
all. He told us in a shamefaced way,
that he had tripped and fallen to the
ground, and that he was unable TO get
up in time to join in the attack
Not one of us believed his story.
We were convinced that he had pun
posely dropped to get out of the FIRE.
TIE officers of the regiment held the
opinion when they heard of the matter.
and the young man had a narrow es-
cape of being tried by drumhead court
martial. and shot for rank cowardies
that night He pleaded his case 50
earnestly, however that he got the
benefit of the doubt and another
chance.
''Ihe other chance came the next day.
We were advancing toward Gettys,
burg, and again we were ordered to
charge on some outlying sandworks
from which the confederate marksmen
were harassing us For the second
time the boy was by my side as we
rushed on, and again noticed his pale
face and compressed lips. though | de-
tected no other indication of terror
about him e
Brace yourself up. my lad. l said
IT will all be over in a minute
Il had hardly spoken when he pitched
on his face He fell exactly as
ne had gone down the preceding day.
= i hope he has a bullet in him this
.ime ] said to the man who filed the
rap he had made.
:" If he hasn't he viii have before sun,
Town, was the grim rejoinder
"A couple Of hours later the dead
BODY of the boy was found on the clear
d field. He had killed himself. The
hoe and stocking were off one of his |
Get, and his bare toe was pressed upon
he trigger Of his empty muslSet The
nuzzle Of the piece was in his mouth,
nd the bullet had passed toward his
rain. Nearly all the regiment believ-
d that. in frenzy of terror. he had
brown himself down to escape the I
anger of the moment, and then. real. !
King the utter hopeleSsness Of his POI I
ition, had summoned sufficient resolu-
ion to take his own life But al I
says fancied that he may have tripped l
vice, and, despairing of explaining Q
he cause of his falling the second time, c
lew out his brains Under any cir r
that was the wisest thing S
e could have done. IN. Y. Recorder. a