Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1893-12-27
WIPED OFF THE ROSTER.
better Dss II che DlseA Thaa Be Callsa
Coward.

Coward.
It happened that way somctimes-a mis-
understanding OF ortlers-meetfnR with
unlocked for obstructicns-the officer In
command losing his head just at the crit
icnl moment. We had charged mp the
highway TO find most Of the plankS re-
moved from n bridge crossing q run. Two
OF three army wagons he'd broken down
and been turned across the road. There
were dead men and dead horses, and lIefOrc
VIC reached the hill our formation was
broken, and VIC were driven back like n
mob. There was no fighting on our part,
and vet We lost Is men Of our 100. Later
On in the war some one would have been
court martialed for ordering such n move
mcnt, bu: ms we came galloping back to
reform behind the regiment the colonel
rode furio:sly down upon us and shouted:
"You towards! You skulks! You have
disgraced the regiment, and I'll have you
drummed out of it! Where Is Captain
Starks.''
The captains check had been grazed by
n bullet, and there was blood on his face.
A second bullet had entered his shoulder,
md his LEFT arm hung helpless. His first
lieutenant lay dead back there, and his
second fell from his saddle with the pain
OF the wound in the hip AS we came back.
"They were too strong for us!' reported
Captain Starks rs he saluted the colonel,
who rode close up to him with white face
and blazing eyes.
''Too strong for YOU" thundercd the
officer. alt was no charge, sir! Your men
were not properly LED! Retire your COM
pany and consider yourself under arrest''
The charge of cOwardicc against N pri-
vatc soldier meant ridicu!c, insult, con-
tempt. Only another coward would share
his blanket or eat of his rations. Against
n commissioned officer it meant such cs-
iracism and degradation that he had bet
ter have been found out to he m escaped
convict. We had been driven hack. We
had been called towards. Our captain was
under arrest. No one gave the order. We
formed by forrs. the wounded captain rode
tn the head If the line, and with the colo
mel shouting and storming and the rcgi-
mcnt cheering Fad applauding we moved
forward.
The enemy has been reinforced. More
rlanks have been removed from the bridge
fence rails piled across the road--dcad
horses rolled UP to make n breaStwork. \
regiment If infantry could not break
through nov. -gallop-chargc. Some
/,
The fences on either side are lined with
the cncmy's infantry. who show no pity.
and from the turn in the road ahead two
pieces of artillery are belchjng grape and
canister. There arc no orders. We have
been called towards. and we are pushing
forward 80 death. Men Shrek and curse
NJ they throw up their arms and fall from,
the saddle. Horses scream out in pain and
terror ~ iron or lead enters their flesh.
Over the bridgc-ovcr the harricadcs-
over the dead and wounded we follow oul
captain. who has no bride arm and waves
his sabcr around his head ns his horse car
rics him forward. Now we lose sight q,
him In the snoke-now we catch sight al
him n a puff Of wind creates rift. How
far il il To the guns, How long is this
wild rush to last! No one asks himself
these questions. II it were n thousand
miles. aud il il would take us year. W,
would reach those gunsl Forward-for
ward--and Row We sec the CJ;nncrs-now
sheet 81 flame leaps into our faces-now
we have reached the goal, and the gun.
are ours,
a hundred men rode in the first charge
and the dead were Is. Eighty five rode il
the second. and five returned. The other.
were dead or prisoners-more than hal
! dead-cvery prisoner wounded. They wers
left at the bridge-in the ditchcs-at tn,
barricades. Across one Of the guns. jus,
| M he had fallen from his horse when hal
n dozen bullets pierced him at once wa.
the body ri our captain. and in the dus
beneath three of his followcrs-cripplet
/, for life with their wounds. 1t were bette
| to he wiped off the roster of the regiment
than to bear the stigma Of cowardicc.
NJ QUAD,