Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1893-12-09
TROOPS UNDER FIRE.
Various Ways OF Keep ng Up the soIdiers
Courage.

Courage.
A comrade near me is busily engaged
in reading his Testament This is
popularity of his. just before we were
going into the fight before this one, we
wereo marching along, when the skir-
mishing began. We were drawn up by
the side of the road in readiness to go
promptly whenever and wherever we
might be wanted; and there we waited
as the fire grew hot and hotter. As
soon as there was a possibility that we
might be called upon, saw him read
ing his Testament. He reads it now,
under like circumstances, because he
finds some consolation in it and it takes
his mind from what is going on around
him-from what is before him. He is
better soldier, for this. When the
time comes for action he is as brave as
anyone. He knows the danger, but
has the courage to face it; and this is
his way of keeping up his courage un-
til the excitement of action destroys all
thought of danger. Other men have
other ways of doing this. Here is the
captain. He is n little apart from the
others; is saying nothing, but is ap-
parently thinking deeply, and is indus
triously whiting twigs, which he puts
into his mouth as if they were tooth
picks, throwing one away every mo-
ment to put in another one. Here is
another comrade who has no desire for
conversation; whose thoughts are eri-
IDENTIFY far away. He is busy picking
up twigs and breaking them into
bits. Like the captain, he is keeping
his fingers busy as relief to his
| thoughts-as a balm for nervousness.
Here is a man whose face is white as
a sheet" He is afraid but not more so
| than most of those around him. He
| knows that he may be killed at any
moment, but is possessed of that higher
kind of courage which enables him to go
calmly wherever duty calls, or to meet
any danger nobly which may lie in the
path of duty. Here is one who shows
no sign of anxiety or of fear. but he is
no moro brave than the others. When
we first took this position he was very
sick, but is now ready for any duty.
The excitement or the dread was too
much for him at first, and went to his
stomach" but that is over. 1t was
only physical, to be sure, but the cause
was mental, and the removal of the
physical disturbance has relieved the
mental cause. This internal disturb
ance is no uncommon thing under the
first excitement of going into battle,
and ofttilnes in these circumstances the
soldier fears that he is going to prove
to be u coward; but this feeling over,
come, he is as brave as he could wish
Another comrade is reading letter
the last one received-and he is wei
aware that it may be the last one he
will receive. All, well, we know where
his thoughts are; and we sympathiz,
with him, for are not our thoughts al
on our homes and our loved ones there,
Every man here understands to tn,
fullest extent the danger he is in, bu
he is brave enough to remain here; t,
go further, if need be, for country ant
flag, and yet just now his thoughts ar,
with the loved ones; and from many
heart goes up silent prayer for God'
blessings upon them, whatever ma,
happen to him. His thoughts are TO
their happiness, not for his own wei
fare. Thus, in various ways, do tn
comrades show their peculiarities un
der this terrible artillery fire. Son.
are trying to keep their thoughts bus
by conversation, some by joking, som
are silently smoking, some are in dee
meditation. Blue and Gray.