The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1894-02-22
A TIME OF TRIAL.
The Kind of Service that Made Men of
Striplings.


Striplings.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: Speaking
of brave deeds, could recall many indi-
vidual ones of comrades in my own regi-
ment that would rank well up among the
! bravest.
was at Fredericksburg, and took part in
the advance of the Fifth Corps across the
plains at the foot of Marye's flights, and well
remember the action Of Gen. A A Humphrey
and his staff as they rode up the little emil
nence in front of his brigade; he took off his
chapeau, and, swinging it around, cheered
his men on. 1t certainly was bravery of the
highest order. But Maj. Kirkland is in error
| when he says the General and his staff came
off unframed; for / saw his guard fall like
leaves around him, and many of his staff
went down never to rise again. / was
wonderfully impressed with the scene, and,
being so near him at the time, ] could not
help noting the result, as bullets rained
about them like hail; it was simply miracu-
lous that he escaped unhurt.
But to return to my story. A soldier of
my regiment, barely II years old, was
placed on an outpost at Newbridge, in the
Chickahominy Swamp. 1t was in the season
of the year when Nature was most lavish
with her beauties and at the time of the
month when the moon was in the full; Just
the time, you will say, for the bushwhacker
to meander out and take in the beauties of
both Nature and the moon, and perhaps the
| recruit on the outpost. Many stories had
been circulated during the day among the
vets, as to the number of bushwhackers that
the swamp contained, and the talk was
| always timed SO that the recruits could
learn all about them. 1t was all right so
j L. L. o1 l. L. i i
| light; nothing seemed easier, and no dis
coveries of the enemy had been made; but
| as the night came on, and the great round
moon appeared above the horizon, making
queer-shaped shadows behind everv tree,
stump and bush, things took solemn and
decided change Standing picket at night
is not so fascinating as it has been pic
tured, the recruit thinks. He is sure he
hears some one stealing through the brush
| behind him. He turns slowly around and
carefully scrutinizes each tree, stump, and
| bush notes the shadows to each thinks he
can make out the form of bushwhacker
creeping up; he carefully cocks his gun,
| but waits for further developments, expect
| ing each moment to hear the sharp crack of
a rife, and perhaps feel the sting of a ball.
A whippOorwili that had been singing close
by suddenly stops, utters it cluck, cluck, and
flies away, which means that it has been
disturbed. Surely a bushwhacker startled
the bird, for he knew its note of alarm as
well as though it was a call from one of his
comrades
Again he peers into the brush, and thinks
he can see the cause of the birds disturb
ance. He raises his rife, but does not shoot.
The thought that it will call out the relief
| who are only some so rods away, and if he
has made mistake the ridicule that will
follow keeps him in check for time But
as the moon gets higher in the heavens the
shadows shorten up; he sees behind each
bush and stump the forms of those dreaded
bushwhackers. He feels that they have
surrounded him, and it would be useless TO
shoot at one, as it would bring the whole
band upon him. His air has been standing
on end for some minutes, and had he been
one of the darkest of Africa's race he believes
| he would have turned white within the two
hours that be has stood upon that outpost.
| II is not until he heard the tramp of the
| relief coming out that he realized the exact
state of affairs, and never did the world seem
! brighter or comrades more welcome than at
| that particular time. 1t seems as though
years had been crowded into few short
hours, and the recruit is changed from boy
to man.
1t is possible that there was not a bush
whaeker within miles of the outpost, but
am safe in asserting that in the three long
years of active service that followed, when
weary, trying scenes and hazardous under
takings were realized, none tried the nerves
of the soldier as did that night on picket
in the Chickahominy Swamp. 1t is a wonder
that he did not shoot himself by mistake,
and be credited to the bushwhackers.
Comrades, that recruit was myself "A. II.
BoIEs, Co. F, 4th Mich, Hudson, Mich.