The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1891-02-27
FIRST TIME UNDER FIRE.

The memory of the soldiers first bat
tie will never be forgotten by him. Thu
impressions were burned so deeply into
the brain and spirit that a century of
peace would not efface or even dimthem.
Twenty-nine years have passed since l
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 eve.
l 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 l give
is historic, is real, not ideal or fanciful,
and I wish to have the recital so worded
that any man in the world can read 1t
without a feeling of bitterness in any
known direction. The picture l give is
not for the man who wore this or that
uniform. I want o cameo that will out
last the passion that produced the bloody
struggle.
do not pretend to give a history of
an entire battle; no one man can do this
unless he draws upon 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.
A soldiers first battle in wal 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 breakfast-then to
return home crowned with immortal
honors. But with thousands many
weary months elapsed before the oppor-
tunity of meeting tho foe came in real
earnest, and when it did come countless
thousands were not expecting it. After
my enlistment as Z soldier I had not long
to wait the coming of the fight.
y = = n y
Night had enveloped the camp, and l
was dreaming of sunny fields, of smiling
meadows, of u happy home-of mother,
and all that was near and dear to a hui
mar heart. But tho destroying angel
came, and all vanished into the realm Of
sweetened shadow.
For q comradc stood beside me with
his hand on my bosom. AS he leaned
over toward my car l heard him say
tremulously-the mans heart in a hut-
ter of emotion:
"Wake up! They are advancing!"
Was there the hue on his lips that made
me think instantaneously of the line:
Whispering with white lips, '"rhe ~foc-they comet
they come"
The first beams of the full morning
were penciling the orient sky, and the
rays fell upon a group of half a dozen
anxious faces gathered around the ad-
j~utant'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 commandin., officer
was reading a note, hastily scratched in
pencil, under starlight alone.
The officer was en- dishabille. Yet l
heard him speak hurriedly and anxiously
to the bugler just called up:
"Sound ~reveille at once, and boots and
Go4uANo lihiiCNiabCiS oltCi Ndio.
ing around he added, addressing his serv-
ant, Saddle my Eorse at once, William"
Strange it is what a magnetic influ-
ence, as it were, that will pervade a 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 camptill the squadrons were forming.
Move the column down the road,
captain" said the commanding officer.
II will gallop on and ascertain the real
situation"
We passed another and another courier,
and then we came to a body of men hold
ing horses behind q clump of trees.
Just then there seemed to be an awful
stiffness in the morning air, suddenly
broken by a noise that sounded strange
to me.
What is that" I asked.
sit is the rumbling of their artillery, -
said Gen. S. Then he turned around,
looking us all squarely in the face, and
added in a confident tone, Eyes, they are
advancing, and in force"
There was no installing the sound that
next greeted the ears, there was a 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
diminishing with them" We had heard
the rifle shots half a mile away.
Captain, gallop back, and hurry up
the infantry. Tell Capt. Hart we need
the artillery at once. He, too, is com.
ing"
Then there was another and another
ring of the clear voiced rife, then a ter
rife volley and a double shot or two,
and then the guns were hushed for a
moment. Men were seen hurrying from
the direction Of the sound. They were
the dismounted skirnishers who were
being driven back by the strong advance
in front. The men rallied with our COL
umn.
'Fall il, men," cried a sergeant near