Daily Yellowstone journal., 1891-07-22
FELL WHILE CHARGING.

Death OF a Young Soldier Who Would
Have Been Dishonored Had He Lived
Toward tho close of the rebellion"
said a grizzled veteran Of the late war,
who, strangely enough. never fights his
battles over again unless he is pressed
to do so by friends who were not there,
Il saw a young mar die dishonored,
who. ! believe, was the victim of
wretehedly unfortunate circumstances
l 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 skirnishing that pre-
ceded the battle of Gettysburg. He
was Enthusiastically very much fright
ened. for he had been sent TO the front
with a batch Of raw recruits. and this
was the first engagement lac 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
1rmly. and. he and | being about the
Iame height, the point Of bis bayonet
was in am almost ~unwaveriug line with
mine As Z notice this ! remember
thinking This young fellow viii make
a good soldier yet if the bullets 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 a good deal Of attention by
his youth and evident u
" That fellows fear didn't deceive
him. muttered the man who closed
into his place. His fighting days are
over
I'VE carried the breastworks with
great loss. and there was no more Skin
mishing that day. In the evening. sit
ting at the campfire, watching the coffee
boil with the rest of us was the recruit
whom we had seen. as we supposed.
shot down in the morning Beyond
some scratches and bruises, caused by
the soldiers in the rear trampling him,
he was not hurt at all. He told US. in
a shamefaced way, that he had tripped
and fallen 20 the ground. and that he
was unable to get up in time to join in
the attack.
Not of as believed his story.
We were convinced hat he had pur-
posely dropped to get out Of the fire.
The officers of the regiment held the
SAME opinion when they heard Of the
matter. and the young man had a mar
row escape OF being tried by drumhead
cou martial and shot for rank COW
ardice that night. He pleaded his s
so earnestly. however. that he got :he
benefit Of hedoubt and another chance.
The other chance came the next
day We were advancing toward Get
tysburg, and again we were ordered 10
charge Oh some outlying sandworks.
from which the rebel marksmen were
harassing us. For the second time the
boy was at my side as we rushed on.
and again | noticed his pale face and
compressed lips. though l detected no
other Indication Of terror about him.
brace yourself up. my lad, I said.
1t will all be over in a minute.
"Ihad hardly spoken when be pitched
forward on his face. he fell exactly as
he had gone down the preceding day.
81 hope he has a bullet in him thls
time | said TO the man who filled the
gap he had made.
"'f he hasn't he will have before
shutdown. was the grim rejoinder.
"A couple of hours later the dRd
body OF the boy was found on the
cleared Geld. He had killed himself
Tbs shoe and stocking were of one of
his feet. and his bare toe was pressed
upon the trigger of his empty musket
The muzzle of the piece was in his
mouth, and the bullet had passed up
ward through his brain. Nearly all
the regiment believed that, in a frenzy
of terror. he had thrown himself down
escape the danger of the moment
and then. realizing the utter hopeless
ness of his position, had summoned
sufficient resolution to take his own
life. But | always fancied that he
may have tripped twice, and, despair
ing Of explaining the cause of his fall
ing the second time. blown out his
brains. Under any circumstances, that
was the wisest thing he could have
done. New York Recorder.