The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1893-11-08
Conduct Of Men Under Fire.

A comrade near me is busily engag
ed in reading his Testament. This is
popularity of his. just before we
were going into the fight before this
one, we were marching along, when
the advance found the enemy and
skirmishing began. We were drawn
up by the side Of the road in readiness
to go promptly wherever we might be
wanted, and there we waited as the
FIRE grew hot and hotter. AS soon as
there was possibility that We might
be called upon, saw him reading his
Testament. He reads it now under
like circumstances, because he finds
some consolation in it and ii takes his
mind from what is going on around
lhim-from what is before him. He is
better soldier for this. When the
time comes for action he is as brave as
any one. He knows the danger, but
has the courage to face it; and this is
his way of Keeping up his courage
until the excitement Of action destroys
all thought of danger.
Other men have other ways of doing
this. Here is the captain. He is q
little apart from the others is saying
nothing, but is apparently thinking
deeply and is indusyiously whiting
twigs, which he puts into his mouth
as if they were toothpicks, throwing
one away every moment to put in
another one. Here is anosher COM
rade who has no desire for conversa-
tion; whose thoughts are evidently
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 balmjfor nervousness. Here is
man whose face is "white as a
sheet" He is afraid, but no more so
than 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, OF to meet
any danger nobly which may lie in the
path of duty.
Here is one who shows no sign Of
anxiety or fear, but he is no more
brave than the others. When we first
took this position he was very sick,
but he is now ready for any duty.
The excitement or the dread was too
much for him at first and event to his
stomach" but that is over. It 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 dis
turbance is no uncommon thing under
the first excitement of going into bat
tie; and oftimes in these circumstan-
ces the soldier fears that he is going
to prove to be coward, but this feel
ing overcome, he is as brave as he
could wish. Another comrade is
reading a letter-the last one he re-
ceived-and he is we'll aware that it
may be the last one he will receive.
All, we'll, we know where his thoug hts
are, and we sympathize with him, for
are not our thoughts all on our homes
and our loved ones there ?
Every man here understands to the
fullest extent the danger he is in;
but he is brave enough to remain here,
to go further, if need be-, for country
and flag; and, yet just now his
thoughts are with the loved ones and
from many heart goes up silent
prayer for Gods blessings upon them,
whatever may happen to him. His
thoughts are for their happiness, not
for his own welfare. Thus, in various
ways, do the comrades show their
peculiarities under this terrible artll-
lery fire. Some are trying to keep
their thoughts busy by conversation,
some by joking, some are silently
smoking, some are in deep meditation.