The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1893-07-20
SAVED BY A BOMB.
dow Q Owl War Oourt-Martial
Was Suspended.

passing over tnem, was the. Dir OF q
fiery furnace. ltwas hot as the breath
of cannon and heavy with powdered
soil and whitening vaporA. 1t was the
oppressive, slmoSt intolerable atmos-
phere of \ siegesthat only. those who
experienced and endured can ,under-
stand. The shade Of the few isolated
pines that had here and there escaped
the Ak of the engineer and quarter.
master was welcome source of occa-
sional relief. Sheltered by hill or ris-
ing knoll sufficient to protect from the
death tempest that swirled above, it be-
came . veritable paradise to those priv.
LEGGED to bask in its comparative cool.
1t was to such retired spots that the
boys in blue repaired whenever they
received permission, in small groups, to
leave the trenches to refresh them
selves by q breathing spell. Here they
were wont to indulge in that seductive
and fascinating game, devoid OF moral
turpitude in the army, draw poker. 1t
was in such comparative safe shelter,
too, that the frequent courts-martial
and councils of officers were held.
1t Is = court-martlal incident this
story relates Courts.martial in the
terrible days Of the war were as fire.
.quent Is casualties and dire as the ele-
ments Of destruction. They were of the
.drumhead variety and their decisive
findings; were often made known to the
army only by the smothered report of
half q dozen rifles from some sunken
gulch ON IN isolated declivity. This
simultaneous detonation, carried its
own significant import, dire and yet
without: dread, so calloused had the
stern discipline of war made the true
and patriotic soldiery. To them q cow.
ard was even poor food for powder. A
'deserter' should suffer more disgraceful
execution. but shooting him like coy
Ote saved the time and trouble of hang
ing. No one who has had the expert
.ence will asseverate that officers de-
tailed for q drumhead court-martial
ever forgot the dictates of humanity,
the responsibility that rested upon
them or the gravity of the occasion.
Yet, doubtless, in those days of sharp
and peremptery action, when the ut
most exactions of discipline were requi-
site to preserve the morals of the army,
the victims of the grim auxiliary courts
often experienced injnstice-sometimes
~ suhessd death sundeservedly. .,7e. a.. .e. 81
1t happened At the place and time
mentioned. The writer, a mounted
officer of the line, had just ridden to
that point of the earthworks that coiled
about St. Petersburg like the folds of
q shining anaconda and was designated
rs Fort Hell. His errand was with a
general officer, whom he found sur
rounded by his staff directing the de-
tails of his command behind the COM
parative security of q redoubt. Over
their heads swept and whizzed the mis-
siles Of the enemy, whirling clouds of
dust mile beyond on the lower plains,
where they fell harmless. To this day
natives in the neighborhood find it
profitable t. pillow up and gather the
tons of leadikAt in those days turned
the red sdei& III tho vicinity of the
siege workA Into /. vast bank Of lead
While enGe1eds in conversation every
once in Amkjle one of those incendisry
projectiless known as mortar shells
would drop town from the clouds in un.
pleasant prosimity to this group Of off,
cerA One night shield himself behind
Observation-Disclosures musket shot, cam
non balls and shell, but only the recess
Of 2 gopher hole, or 2 heavily covered
bomb-proof was assurance against the
penetration of these deadly intruders.
Resting securely ~ might seem, in
the depths. Of. q valley. even be-
You'd reach Of the whiz and
whirr of shot and shell, the blue sky
above scarcely visible through the
mirky air. ones complacent revery was
liable to be rudely disturbed by one of
these tremendous bombs failing from
the serenity above without the least
premonition., If he escaped to tell of
the incident it. was related as mere,
ordinary. everyday affair, that was all.
What may seem to the civilian strange
and extravaganza narration, to the vet
eran is commonplace, without novelty
Or interest That is why, perhaps, old
soldiers who love to talk of the war to
their comrades find no enjoyment in re-
lating their experience to such as are
devoid Of che credulity begotten Of ex-
perience, who ares apt to manifest their
Apprehension that the narrator draws
the long bow with reckless disregard.
The canteen had just passed around.
For m instant there was one of those
momentous lulls that everyone remem-
bers who has experienced the operations
of siege or : battle. The soldiers
raised their heads to glance along the
trenches and. take survey Of the silent
camps far in the distance to the rear.
Men and officers moved hither and