Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1892-07-23
THE BAPTISM OF FIRE.
EASY DEATH WITH A BULLET
THROUGH THE HEART.
The First Experience In Battle and
right In a ylrglnla wood-Iiow II
Feels 10 stand Face 70
Face with Death.

1 III every sOlultF ; uenQt9 tl6 ~ -
experience Of battle is impressed with
a viyidness not equaled By any othOr
event in life writes Colonel + v.
SemPle. We OF the Seventh Ohio
/ Infantry received our first baptism Of
tire 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 IL II
occurred AZ place called Cross Lanes
| and our antagonist was General Floyd,
OF Georgia. | shalt never forget the
strange sensation when | saw long
line OF men in gray march out OF the
woods and realized that they were
the enemy; nor shall forget the
thrill Of excitement whea fash Of
/ ire 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 sullea and despond-
ent for two days across mountain
wilderness to our base OF operations
at Charleston.
Our next taste Of the wild excite
mHnt Of battle was al Winchester. In
Virginia wher1 three br!gades Of
northern troops fought stabbornly
with Stonewall Jackson's army all
one afternoon and nc 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 % hill supporting
two OF our batteries which were
pounding away at the enemys guns
half concealed in the woods across a
narrow valley.
II was beautiful spring day the
leaves were pushing out on the
branches and the grass Was green ana
remember that the robins sang ia
the intervals o. the thunder o. the
cannon. Our general came riding up
and shouted. We're ordered 10 take
the rebel battery; men. will YOU do
it2' OF course we all yelled. We
will although ! doubt II there we're
many IN the brigade that felt any
strong desire for that sort o. business
We made a long detoar through the
woods dumped our blankets and hay-
cracks Ia field keeping oaly our
cartridge boxes aud canteens: then We
moved forward again in column by
divisions Of two companies front
keeping az still as possible but the
tramping Of 2 900 men among the drv
leaves and twigs o. the forest made 4
great subdued roaring noise.
My company, with the Oberlin com
pany formed the front line. Suddenly
there came cracking OF muskstry
from among the trees the fire Of tho
euemy's picket guard The ORDERLY
sergeant OF the Oberlin company. n
noble young man 70 whom was deep.
" attached. fell dead shot through
tho forehead. We were ordered 10
take the quicSstep Before we could
sec what was III our front We drew the
hre Of the battery aud the grapesh1t
and canister passing over our heads
brought down the leaves and limbs ~
the trees in q green shower Soon Mi
order was lost and the men were
huddled together Ia rayins some
firing at the dash OF the guns ANA
some taking shelter behind trees Ii
took perhaps half al hour for tho ~.
tcers to form ragged line and yst
the men down 70 the steady work OF
loading and firing.
There vas a stone walk across the
open field IN tile front Of Us ana from
this wall came Jets Of fire. lav IN
my back behind little knoll loaded
my gun. raised myself on my elbows
Just far enough to soc the aashe.
from the stone wall, and cred al Thorn
After awhile ! observed that tho man
next to me in the line was lving
motionIcss and having .ust been pro.
noted 70 the rank OF sergeant I
thought i my duty to reprove him
ior not attending TO hi,,husiuess. % /
said 70 him why 1on't Won load
and freq He made no reDly lila
face had the flush OF battle upon 4
and his eyes were wide open. Then /
noticed that my hand was vet Win
blood. and looking down. saw that r.
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 n
change the expression Of the fnc,, ~.
fore life is blottcd out.