The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-01-07
FIRST TIME UNDER FIRE.

FIRST TINE UNDER FIRE.
The memory of the soldiers first bat
tie will never be forgotten by him. The
impressions were burned so deeply into
the brain and spirit that a century Of
peace would not eHace 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 eve.
I want TO tell you something about it.
l shall not name the time nor the place
the living who were with me viii re-
member the facts-for the record I 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 I give is
not for the man who wore this or that
uniform. want a cameo that will out
last the passion that produced the bloody
struggle.
do not pretend to give 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 fercely 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 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 breakfast-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 a soldier had not long
TO wait the coming of the fight.
Night had enveloped the camp, and I
was dreaming of sunny fields, of smiling
meadows, Of a happy home-of mother,
and all that was near and dear to a hui
man heart. But the destroying angel
came, and all vanished into the realm Of
sweetened shadow.
For q comrade stood beside me with
hic hoD1 ,,,,y 1,pCv,, Ia l.,-,I
over toward my ear I heard him say
tremulously-the mans heart in a hut-
ter of emotion:
awake up! They are advancingw
Was there the hue on his lips that made
Lie think instantaneously Of the line:
Whispering with white lips, THE foe-they come!
they come
The first beams of the full morning
were penciling the orient sky, and the
Tays fell upon group Of half a dozen
anxious faces gathered around the ad-
lutant's tent. Two horses We're there
one with dropping head and limb at
1t rest; another was painting heavily and
reeking with smoke as the courier still
sat on him. The commanding officer
was reading 4 note, hastily scratched in
pencil, under starlight done.
The officer was ca disnabille. Yet l
heard him speak hurriedly and anxiously
70 the bugler just called up:
Sound reveille at once. and boots and
saddles Immediately afterward" Turn
ing around be added. addressing his serv-
ant, Saddle my horse at once, William"
Strange il is what a magnetic infiu-
ence, as it were. that viii 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 squadrous were forming.
Move the column down the road.
captain" said the commanding officer.
Il viii gallOp on and ascertain the real
situation"
Wepassed another and another courier,
and then we came TO "A body of men hold
ing horses behind a 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.
1t 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. Yes. 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
10 begin in earnest.
The olartering of horses hoofs siCnaled
another courier who dashed up. exclaim-
ing in tones of feeling:
General, our dismountcd men are
skirmishing with them" We had heard
the rife shots half mile away
Captain Ga,lop back. and hurry up
the infantry. Tell Capt. Hart we need
the artillery at once. de. TOO, is COM
ing"
Then there was another and another
ring of the clear voiced rifle. then a ter
rife yolley and a double shot or two.
and then the guns were hushed for a
moment. Men were seen hurrving from
the direction of the sound. They were
the dismounted slirmishers who We're
being driven back by the strong advance
ia front. The men rallied with our col
umn.