Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-08-01
THE CAPTAIN OF COMPANY 8.
The Story of n Coward Battle
fell

The Story of a Coward Battle
field.
fter the first year of the war the rank
and file sized up an officer on his merits
within ten minutes of the opening OF bat
tie. No matter how much they saw OF
him in camp, no verdict was rendered I'M
til he had been tried by fire. While every
man is portion of a great machine IN bat
tie. the rank and file moves only as direct
w commanded We looked to be led. We
depended not upon each other, but upon
the one single man in command. He must
be brave; he must be cool; he must have
good Judgment. He must even know when
he is whipped and how to retreat to the
best advantage
Many officers made the mistake of try
ing to pass off bravado for the genuine arti-
Gle. For instance, they talked in loud
tones not thinking that the sharp cared
men could easily detect the tremor of their
voices If bullets and shells were flying
over the line they controlled their
nerves as not to duck and dodge. When
they looked around for admiration they
saw faces wearing signs of doubt.
He is holding himself up-he's no
goodr' was the criticism which went up
and down the lines. and it always had a
sure foundation.
Nobody had any sympathy for n private
who became ratified, although it was not
ALWAYS a sign of cowardice, but there was
never more pitiful sight than the spec
tacle of captain breaking down on the
battlefield Watch him as the regiment
suddenly receives the order to move by the
right flank from the shelter of the hill into
an open field to fill gap. It's his first
fight. In camp he has been bulldoZer
and a martinez Back there with the re-
serves, safe from the missiles of war, ne
has folded his arms and assumed theatre
cal poses. talked very loudly, handled his
sword and examined his revolvers. Other
captains have watched him and perhaps
envied his nerve, but the men have NUT
tered to each other:
He's too cool-too much showing Off
waltz
As we move out and a shell comes
screaming over our heads and man is
struck here and there by a bullet our cap
tain grows white faced and looks uneasily
about him. There's a single gun on q
knoll to our right as we fill the gap. If it
is supported, we cannot see the infantry.
1t is "a glorious opportunity for hundred
men to distinguish themselves.
Captain Blank, take your company and
bring back that gun" shouts the colonel
as he rides up.
Attention, Company 81 Forward
guide right-march,"
Is that the voice of our captain? 1t is,
tify it. His lips are rs white as one lying
dead for a day, and he Grags his feet as if
there was no spring to his knees. There
are ninety-two of Us. We leave almost
900 men in the lines behind us. each one
hoping for our success, but each one u
critic.
'Whizz, Scream. Whew-ew
ewr' comes shell. just clearing orr heads,
and our captain falls fat on his face He
ny, ~ his Il fTppT
way and shout for rs to charge. We do
not obey. We are not near enough for
that.
''Boomt Rattle-wish, wish, wish!' come
the grapeshot, but not a man is struck
Our captain has thrown down his sword,
and is crying and laughing in a hystericky
fashion. ! am near him and can hear
him mutter.nG:
I'VE can't DO it-can't do tive shall all
he killed. We must go back Company
Il, about face
Now, men, there's our gun and away
we go-charge.'' shouts our first ieuten-
ant, and with Il yell we spring forward.
The captain ran after Us. Then he
turned and ran back. Then he advanced
again. waving a stick he had picked up on
the ground We dashed for the gun and
got it, but as we were drawing it off full
regiment of the enemy suddenly came
into view from behind a heavy fringe of
bushes.
by the left flank - left flank - left
flank screamed the captain.
by the right flank" shouted the first
lieutenant, and we tumbled into Il dry ra-
vine and fired volley after Volley into the
advancing regiment, holding it in check
until our lines came up.
The left flank was AN open plain. One
volley from that regiment would have
wiped us out. Wedid not go back. Com
pany b had advanced the battle lire to the
ravine We were cheered and cheered
again by the 800 men.
whats it for-what do they mean?"
shouted our captain. "Oh, yes, l know.
Hip-hurrah, Yes. We got the guni
Glorious old Company b. l am proud to
lead you
We had sized him up. He had lost his
head in battle and we had no further use
for him. Not II man in Company Is but
what pitied him, but not "A man would
have gone into battle with him again if
refusal had been called mutiny He had
no ''goodbys' to make. The officers of the
regiment turned away from him as from
an outcaSt and the men sat in their tents
and knew not when he went. He had bet
ter left his body on the field-a thousand
times better. NJ. QUAD.
About Taxing Dogs.
An Augusta gentlemen declares his in
tention to test the question whether a