The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1894-08-30
FOR VALOR.

How Johnny Cook, as Private Citizen,
Helped Battery Ii, 4th U. 5. Art.' ut
Bethesda Church.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: I have
read several communications in recent NUM-
beers on the subject of medals Of honor, and
among them one from dear old Jimmy
Maher, for many years Sergeant in Bat
terry B; another from Joe McGivern, also a
soldier in that battery. From them / learn
that the medal has been awarded to Johnny
Cook, our bugler. The face of this medal
says it is awarded for valor."
Johnny certainly is entitled TO the one he
has received. on the ground of one single act
of soldierly behavior, if he had never done
another brave act in his life.
His time was out May q, 1864, ard he had
been honorably discharged. The army was
moving across the country, however, at that
time and the base of communications was
being changed from the Rappahannock to
the York River, so that for few days there
was no transportation by which he could 60
home. He therefore remained with the
battery, and put in the time instructing, or
trying to instruct, a new bugler.
Charles Henry Moore, who had been bug
Ter during the Utah expedition, was then
uartermaster-Sergeant, and he used to
sound the bugle also when there was no one
else to do it.
Johnny, however had bad luck with his
pupil, who was likely to sound stable
call" when "boots and saddles" was re-
quired, OF doctors call when assembly !"
was wanted. When the battery was or
dered into action at Bethesda Church
Johnny concluded to go with it, though he
had been private citizen for about week.
He knew that there was wild work ahead,
and did not think the new bugler would be
equal TO the emergency.
So Johnny, though ordered to remain
with the artificers at the batterywagon and
forge, went into that action as private citl-
zen, and never did better or more efficient
bugle service than there, because there was
so much crash and hurrah that verbal orders
could not be heard. Most of the movements
had to be executed by bugle, and it goes
without saying that such situation re-
quires bugler who knows his business.
This was a service the value of which can
hardly be comprehended in these days, ex-
cept by veteran artilleryman, and be-
havior in description of which eloquence
would be wasted.
Johnny Cook, astride his white pony, and
with an honorable discharge a week old in
his pocket, was considerable factor in the
record of Battery at Bethesda Church,
private citizen as he was
Hence l say that this alone entities him
to the medal for valor," because if the inn
pulse that sends man into such battle
when he doesn't have 10 go unless he wants
to isn't "valor," l do not understand the
English language.
As for Uncle Jimmy Maher, | think he
ought to have the medal I" for valor" at all
times and under all circumstances. / do
not know of any one time or occasion when
he was Drawer than on any other, because
he was as brave as man could be at all
times and on all occasions
He served several years in the British
army before joining ours, including the
Crimean war, and 10 the best of my recol
lection he has the Sebastopol medal, and
possibly that of Inkermann or the Redan,
which the Queen gave him for about one
tenth of the war service and probably one
fiftieth of the actual battle-seryice he did in
our army.
/ was amused at Uncle Jimmys comment
on the award of medals to men who had
simply lost one of their arms! 1t wasn't
Jimmy's fault that he didn't lose his. He
gave the enemy as many chances to knock
off an arm or a leg, or both of each, or his
head, as any man / know of. / suppose his
Irish luck pulled him through. But that is
no reason why he should not have a medal
which says on its face that it is for valor."
-Tur a phiIadalrhia Do