Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1891-02-19
KILLING MEN IN BATTLE.
Unpleasant Sensations Experienced by an
Army officer.

Army officer.
''When man goes into battle it is
presumably with the intention of doing
some killing" saiu an ex-army officer.
"And yet ] never knew "A soldier yet
who liked to feel that he had himself
with his own hands actually slain an
individual foe There is an intoxica-
ton in the melee of conflict. but no man
likes 10 feel that his own pistol shot or
bayonct thrust has taken away the life
of fellow being.
Perhaps | should except from this
general statement the typical sharp
shooter. who cultivates an instinct OF
warfare that approaches the murderous.
] have never been able to see how a
man could deliberately take up sta
ton in a tree top or rifle pit and mark
down for death. one after another. iadi-
vjduals whose lives were wholly at the
mercy of his scientific aim. OF course
war is always savagery, but there is an
element Of certainty in the sharpshoot-
ing business that, to my notion, APP
proaches very near to murder.
Il wildly recall to mind one expert
ence Of my own while with a sllirmish
party at the second battle of Bull Run
The fight had just begun and a rebel
scout approached without knowing it
very close to clump Of trees behind
which my little detachment was con-
cealed. Catching sight OF rs suddenly
he wheeled his horse like flash and
was off. On the spur Of the moment I
MET ttit itrl9f ny 4
ond later he wheeled in his saddle and
fell out Of it. The fight swept over in
our direction and | saw no more for the
time being Of my victim; but. though |
was in the thick Of the fray for most of
the time for the next few hours. could
not get out of my mind the horror of
the idea that had killed that man. Not
only had taken away his life, but very
likely had ! made his wife widow and
his children fatherless. That night
when we went into camp ! had this OPP
pressive feeling still on my mind, when,
to my great delight, | saw the man that
/ had killed. evidently prisoner, sit
ting on the stump of a tree with his
arm in sling
" My dear fellow, | exclaimed with
much cordiality, approaching him, I
trust you are not seriously hurt.
E." Nav, replied the Confederate dry
", When you fred at me my horst
SHE'D and broke my arm against tree
Your bullet didn't hit me at all
Il do assure you never was more re-
Heved in all my life.
But the most painful experience that
| met with during the warwas at Chan
celorsville. / found one Of our men,
when the fire was pretty hot, skulking
behind big log
" 'Thisll never do, man. | shouted in
his ear. Get up there and take your
place in the line.
Il took him by the scruff Of the neck
for he was seized with panic-and
showed him forward As | did so, with
my hand on his collar, chance bullet
struck him on the forehead and he fell
dead without cry
The shock that incident gave me have
never entirely recovered from. felt
that had killed that man. The fact that
| was in position of equal danger with
himself did not effect my moral impress
sion as to the occurrence. 1t seemed as
If | had deliberately forced him into
the path of the bullet, and that was
responsible for his death. Such, in one
sense, was true, and yet, of course.
was not in any just way responsible
b. shall never get over the haunting
recollection. Washington Star.