The morning call., 1891-05-11
HE ONLY DID HIS DUTY.

a Patriotic Sergeant Drags Skulk1ng
Recruit to His Death.
Did ] ever have q feeling of remorse
after / had shot a Confederate" said
Grand Army veteran. in reply to question
the other day.
Well, no. 1t may seem brutal to say so.
but while the war was on and my blood
was up, enjoyed shooting at the enemy as
sportsman enjoys killing big game. The
thought Of the possible widows and orphans
| was making never entered my head, or if
it did, was driven out at once by the knowl-
edge that my own wife might be a widow
the next moment.
"On one occasion, though, I really felt
like murderer for a time. The feeling
passed away with cool reflection, but re-
member, still, how strongly the grewsome
impressions took hold on me then.
Il had been promoted from the ranks to
be Sergeant, not for any special merit so
much as because our officers were being
killed off fast and vacancies for old soldiers
were plentiful. Many raw recruit OF a
month ago was looked on by his officers and
his comrades as an old soldier after he had
been in one or two engagements with our
regiment. One of the most common greet
ingS between comrades who had not met for
a day or two was, 'Hellol Are you alive
yetP Well, as | was saying, had just
been made a-Sergeant and felt very proud
OF my chevrons.
"A young recruit had just joined us,
whom | had known at home. His fathers
farm adjoined mine, and he brought me
package of underclothiDg from my own vile
when he set out for the front. My first fight
as Sergeant was the first engagement he
was ever in, and when the bullets began to
sing past the lads ears his cheeks blanched
and his knees knocked together. lie had
never been far from his mother and sisters,
and when the brains of man at his side
were dashed out by cannon ball and spjat-
tered over the youngsters breast aud face be
turned sick with horror
-" We were sheltered somewhat from the
enemy's fire in little clump of trees and
underbush while this happened, but pretty
soon the order came to charge right over an
open field down on to company OF artll-
lery that threatened to blow lis and the trees
into splinters if we did not dislodge them
from their position and silence the guns.
''As we gathered ourselves together for
the charge right in the teeth of that shower
of round shot and canister, | noticed that
my yOungSter remained crushed down be-
biud fallen tree, and showed every sign
of that panic which has often made men run
away from action and cover themselves
with disgrace which they found even
worse than death.
81 knew that if he got over his first funk
be would be all right and as brave as any Of
them. so | grabbed him by the coat collar
and shouted in his ear: Come, my boy, up
with you. No skulking! Face your fate
like man, and don't think Of anything but
capturing those gunsP
HE was so dumb and paralyZed with
terror that he could hardly have moved,
even if he had wanted to. and he evidently
did not want to very badly, so l grabbed
him with both hands and bauled him up to
his knees, telling him that | would sooner
shoot him myself for deserter than see
him disgrace himself and his friends.
AS / held him there in my grip. his
white face looking appealing up into mine,
/ felt ike laughing at him, but just then
piece of exploding shell struck him in the
temple, and, with shudder, he died in my
hands.
81 felt like murderer. The fact that
was exposing myself to the same danger
into which had dragged him did not afford
ME any relief until long afterward. IN. 7.
Tribune.