San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-02-12
FIRST TIME UNDER FIRE

impressions We're burned so deeply into
the brain and spirit that century of
peace would not efface or even dim them.
Twenty-nine years have passed since I
went through the first baptism of fire."
and yet the scenes and events are as
fresh and as vivid in the soul vision as
IS the storm of yesterday eyS
want to tell you something about it.
shall not name the time nor the place
the living who were with me will re-
member the facts-fOr the record | give
is historic, is real, not ideal or fanciful,
and / wish to have the recital so worded
that any man in the world can read it
without feeling Of bitterness in any
known direction. The picture give is
not for the man who wore this or that
uniform. want q cameo that will out
last the passion that produced the bloody
struggle.
do not pretend to give history of
IN entire battle; no one man can do this
unless he draws llpon the experience and
observation of others, for each actor in
any great battle sees the struggle differ
emily from what it appears to others. l
shall relate my own individual expert
enCe and ObservatiOn-whatI personally
saw and heard Of one fiercely fought bat
tle-one memorable in the history of the
Warmly first passing into and through
its fame of fire.
4 soldiers first battle in war does not
always come at the appointed looked for
hour. Many of the volunteers went to
the front, expecting to whip out the
fight the next morning after arrival
either before or after bre&kfast-then to
return home crowned with immortal
honors. But with thousands many
weary months elapsed before the oppor-
tunity of meeting the foe came in real
earnest, and when it did come countless
thousands were not expecting it. After
my enlistment as soldier had not long
to wait the coming of the fight.
4 X = 4 =
Night had cnveloDed the camp, and l
was dreaming Of sunny fields, Of smiling
meadows, of happy hone-of mother,
and all that was near and dear to Il hu-
man heart. But the destroying angel
came, and all vanished into the realm of
sweetened shadow.
For comrado stood beside me with
lis hand on my bosom. AS he leaned
over toward my ear heard him say
tremulously-the mans heart in flut-
ter Of emotion:
Wake up! They are advmcingr
Was there the hue on his lips that made
l. NJ, ~, hn
Whispering with white lips, 1.-The foe-they come:
they come"
The first beams Of the full morning
were penciling the orient sky, and the
rays fell upon group of half dozen
anxious faces gathered around the ad-
jutant's tent. Two horses were there
one with dropping head and limb at
at rest; another was painting heavily and
reeking with smoke as the courier still
sat on him. The commando; officer
was reading a note, hastily scratched in
pencil, under starlight lone.
The officer was en- dishabille. Yet
heard him speak hurriedly and anxiously
to the bugler just called up:
Sound reveille at once, and boots and
saddles Immediately afterward." Turn
ing around he added, addressing his serv-
ant, Saddle my horse at once, William"
Strange it is what magnetic infu.
ence, as it were, that will pervade mass
of men in the hour of danger and duty.
Three minutes had not elapsed after the
sounds of the last bugle blow had thrilled
the camp till the Sqaadrons were forming
Move the column down the road,
captain" said the commanding officer.
Il will gallop on and ascertain the real
situation"
Wepassed another and another courier,
and then we came to body of men hold
ing horses behind clump of trees.
Just then there seemed to be an awful
stiffness in the morning air. suddenly
broken by noise that sounded strange
to me.
What is that" asked.
at is the rumbling of their artillery"
said Gen. S. Then he turned around,
looking us all squarely in the face, and
added in confident tone, Eyes, they are
advan ing, and in force
There was no mistaking the sound that
next greeted the ears, there was clear,
ringing report that punctuated the still
ness, then there was another and an
other and the rifle cracks died away.
They were the prelude of the battle soon
to begin in earnest.
The gathering of horses hoofs signaled
another courier who dashed up, exclaim.
ing in tones of feeling:
General, our dismounted men are
skirmishing with them" We had heard
the rifle shots half mile away.
Captain, gallop back, and hurry up