The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-07-01
BRAVERY IN BATTLE.
Courage Is an Uncertain Quantity
Soldiers FOOIhardy Deeds.
Pittsburg Dispatch.

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You can talk as you will about constant
bravery in battles" said old soldier yes
terday but man cannot tell at what mo-
ment his courage may forsake him. He may
enter battle with the greatest enthusiasm
and valor, but before much fighting has
taken place be running with the worst cow
ard. Courage is something that cannot be
counted upon. 1t will fail you sometimes
when you need IL most. / witnessed an In
cident during the war which well illus
trated this. There was captain leading
his company up a steep hill. The rebels
We're known to be coming up the other
side, and it was an important matter to
get to the top first. The captain was a
brave fellow and did all in his power to
urge his men forward, giving them encoJr-
one. the men not knowing what moment
they would receive a vOlley from the reb-
els from the top or the hill. They kept
well together under the encouragement of
their gallant captain, who with sword in
hand, was leading them nobly on. AS they
came near the brow of the hill wavering
realizing that retreat would be disastrous,
took sterner methods. He cried out in
loud voice: The first man that turns his
back I'll shoot down in his tracks With
this threat he was able TO reach the top
of the hill. where he found the rebels also
just arriving. Firing commenced, and al
most the first shot left its trail in the hair
of the gallant commander, parting it in
the middle. 1t did not injure him in the
least, but il killed his valOr. This brave
fellow who had led his company on that
perilOus ascent suddenly became one of the
worst towards. He threw down his sword
and ran TO the rear as fast as his feet
could take him. Just when he needed his
courage most il was found wanting. No one
would say that the man was anything but
brave, for his former war record and his
conduct in subsequent battles demonstrated
that he was a hero. But any one who had
seen him running to the rear that day
would have put him down for the veriest
coward.
Then, on the other hand, there was fire.
quently foolhardy courage took possession
al things which
frequently cost them their lives. l have
seen some Of the most foolhardy deeds
performed when there was not the least
occasion for them. Some soldiers seemed
TO be suddenly possessed by the impulse,
just as others were by fear and strange,
". too these men were never what could
be called brave men. II sort of an
attack of sDasmOdic bravery which per-
haDS never occurred more than once dur
ing their service While we were lying
along the Potomac, in peaceful guard over
our enemies on the other side, we frequent
" called over and held conversation with
them. There had been no shots fired, but
one day a rebel yelled to us that the
louisiana Tigers were coming, and they
would not guarantee that these fierce
fighters would be as peaceable as they had
been. His fears were realized. for the next
day while one OF our men was going down
To the river to I'LL his canteen he fired
upon. OF course, this provoked general
firing, and we protected ourselves behind
rocks. There was an old German next to
me who had difficulty in getting a sight
between the rocks. but after some trouble
ne IAldliS SeCuIeu OHe ne was just dDOul
10 fire when a ball from the enemy came
into the crevice through which he was
string. end sDlntered the. rock. knocking
the dust in the Germans eyes. He got
very angry. and after getting the sand out
of his eyes declared. with oath, that
he was going to get a good shot at the
Johnnies If he died in the attempt. There
vas a blackjack oak beside him. He no
sooner saw it than he swung himself into
its branches. and climbing up as high as
he could. took a comfortable position and
began firing. He was in plain view of the
enemy, who directed their fire upon him
with no success. The bullets cut the
leaves and twigs around him, but none
toGched him There ne sat during all the
firing paving no heed to his comrades be-
low who expected to him drop every
minute After the firing was over he was
surprised at his conduct and said he
wouldn't do il again for a thousand farms.
SO you can see that this mans bravery
was Just unnatural as the other mans
cowardice.''