The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1893-07-20
The canteen had lust passed around.

The canteen had just passed around
| For an instant there was one of those
momentous lGlls that everyone remem-
bers who has experienced the operations
I of asiege or a battle. The soldiers
raised their heads to glance along the
/ fenches and take survey of the silent
tcamps far in the distance to the reaE
| Men and officers moved hither-an
| thither secure for the moment in the
silence. Death in the air rested to
I catch its breath. Then from gulch at
| some distance came dull, muffied eX-
p1esion and a cloud of smoke and dust
Lrising showed that a mortar shell from
| the siege batteries of the enemy had
fallen and exploded; That was all,
and that was all anyone thought about
it. But it happened at that spot and at
that moment drum head court-martial
was sitting. A poor devil had somehow
impressed his commanding officer with
the belief that he was a coward. donot
remember, If ever heard, the particu-
lars. At any rate, he was being tried
by drumhead court-martial IN thisou
of-the-way place on the charge of cow
",
convicted, was death A few minutes
had passed since the explosion Of the
artificial aerolite. 1t had been forgot
ten. IL it had been made matter Of
even passing remark The general was
debating to his adjutant general. Aids
and clerks were all busy, when sudden.
ly an apparition appeared before them.
was n 1.,,A H..
headed, his hair and face begrimed
with powder and so covered With thick
dust that, saturated with reeling per
spiration, 1t ran into mud and gave
him the appearance of wild Indian.
The hue of his clothing had evidently
once been blue, but it was. covered
with dirt and to all appearances fresh
ly torn into shreds. His audacity in
appearing in such plight before the
general and his. staff without even ask
ing permission was the first wonder
but when he did SO with, the exclama-
ton: ~ am no coward, generalv', sur
prise gave way to the indulgent i'm
preston. another poor fellow gone
daft, perhaps affected by the heat" 20
well. who said you were? What do
You want here? See to him, adjutAnt,'"
quickly spoke the general and again
turned to his work. ooe o133niou
What, is the matter, sir? ,Dontfyop
know better than to intrude yourself
this, way in the presence Of the gem
erai?" asked the aid. a"Speak up at
once, SIR flH iOc &. 81. nA
as'Iam no coward, Ldon't want to be
shot for a cowardr the ,poor.fellow con-
tinued pleadiingly. What am j, to, do?"
he asked, wiping the trickling CRIME
and mud from his face and forehead
with the remnants of the sleeve Of his
old WOODEN shirt Then, more compos- ,
edly, he related how he was being tried
for cowardice by acourt-martial ''down,
the gulch over there" how a itremen-
dous mortar she'll had dropped, explod-
ing and interrupting the proceedings,
knocking him over, tearing his cloth
ing, mutilating his body to some extent,
and had left him half dead and half
buried; how he had come to, and, look
ing about, could see no one of the Off
GERS before whom he was at the
time being tried for his life; and
SO he had come to the general to ask
what he should do and to tell
him he was no coward. A hurried in
vcstigation proved the truth of the poor
fellows story. The shell had exploded
in close proximity to the court, but the
accused was the only one who had suf-
fered other Inconvenience than des-
perate shock of the nerves Every men,
Der of the court had excitedly taken
himself to a more secure place and be-
fore they had recovered their compla-
cency sufficiently to remember that they
had left the prisoner on the ground, the
latter had reported to the general by
whose order he was being tried. 1t was
a lucky fail for the soldier. The COM
mander thought he had shown more in
trepidity than the officers who were try
ing him. He ordered him to report to
the captain of his company for duty,
The hour that, had it not been for the
interposition of the enemy, might have
marked his death as craven saw him
restored to the confidence of his com
rades. A few days afterwards he gave
proof that this confidence had not been
misplaced. He fell with his face to the
foe, in the assault that followed the
famous mine explosion, hero. Omaha
Bee. ,tH4 10