The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1892-05-26
THE BAPTISM OF FIRE.
EASY DEATH WITH "A BULLET
THROUGH THE HEART.
The First Experience in Battle and q
Fight in a Virginia Wood-How Tt
Feels to Stand Face to
Face With Death.

Face With Death.
In every soldiers memory the first
experience Of battle is impressed with
q vividness not equaled by any other
event in life. writes Colonel E. V.
Semrle. We of the Seventh Ohio
Infantry received our first baptism of
fire in West Virginia in an affair
which was scarcely more than a Skin
mish. and is long since forgotten by
all except the men engaged in it. 1t
occurred at place called Cross Lanes
and our antagonist was General Floyd
of Georgia. shall never forget the
strange sensation when I saw a long
line of men in gray march out of the
woods and realized that they were
the enemy; nor shall I forget the
thrill of excitement when flash of
fire swept along the gray line and
the bullets rang about our ears. cut
the grass about our feet and Clipped
splinters from the rails of the old
fence behind which we lay.
In that fight the captain of my COM
pany was killed at my side, says
writer in the Northwest Magazine.
We were outnumbered and defeated.
and we reiterated sullen and despond-
ent for two days across a mountain,
wilderness to our base of operations
at Charleston.
Our next taste of the wild excite
ment of battle was at Winchester; in
Virginia, where three brigades Of
northern troops fought stubbornly
with Stonewa1 Jackson's army all
one afternoon, and at last drove the
enemy from the field. That was my
first experience OF charging battery
Our brigade had been lying for some
time on the slope of a hill. supporting
two of our batteries which were
pounding away at the enemys guns
half concealed in the woods across a
narrow valley.
1t was beautiful spring day, the
leaves were pushing out on the
branches and the grass was green, and
I remember that the robins sang in
the intervals of the thunder of the
cannon. Our general came riding up
and shouted: We're ordered to take
the rebel battery; men, will you do
it," OF course we all yelled, I'VE
will. although I doubt if there were
many in the brigade that fel. any
strong desire for that sort of business
We made long detour through the
woods, dumped our blankets and hav-
ersacks in a field keeping only our
cartridge boxes and canteens; then we
moved forward again in column by
divisions of two companies front
keeping as still as possible but the
tramping of 2. 900 men among the dry
leaves and twigs Of the forest made a
great subdued roaring noise.
My company. with the Oberlin COM
pany. formed the front line. Suddenly
there came a cracking of musketry
from among the trees the fire of the
enemy's picket guard. The orderly
sergeant of the Oberlin company, a
noble young man to whom was Deep
" attached. fell dead. shot through
the forehead. We were ordered to
take the quickstep Before we could
see what was in our front we drew the
fire of the battery. and the grapeshot
and canister passing over our heads
brought down the leaves and limbs of
the trees in a green shower Soon all
order was lost and the men were
huddled together ia a ravine some
firing at the flash Of the guns and
some taking shelter behind trees. It
took perhaps half an hour for the Of
fcers to form a ragged line and get
the men down to the steady work of
loading and firing
There was stone walk across the
open field in the front of US. and from
this wall came jets of fire. l lay on
my back behind little knoll loaded
my gun, raised myself on my elbows
just far enough to see the flashes
from the stone wall, and fred at them.
After awhile I observed that the man
next to me in the line was lying
motionless. and having just been pro-
NOTED to the rank of sergeant I
thought it my duty to reprove him
for not attending to his business; so
said to him: why don't you load
and ire?" He made no reply. His
face had the flush of battle upon it
and his eyes were wide open. Then i
noticed that my hand was vet with
blood. and looking down, saw that he
had been shot through the heart |
thought how easy ana pleasant death
must be to come in this way, with
not even conscious pain enough to
change the expression of the face be-
fore life is blotted out. @-...