Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1895-03-16
CEN. JOE HooKER's BRAVERY.
An Old Soldier Recalls An Incident in tha
Crossing of Peach Tree Creek.

An old soldier was telling war stories
a few days ago in one Of the large no.
tells. and the theme was bravery under
fire. He was not trying TO set himself
up rs a hero, nor was he one who be-
lieyed that heroes filled the ranks of
either army. lie said:
! nave often wondered why il was in
battle that some men would carelcs4iy
expose themselves TO danger and take
risks of losing their lives that were to-
tally unnecessary, and really could be
called criminal. | never claimed to be
brave, and on several occasions | felt
that | could be called a coward with
justice. On II occasion | tried 10 be
brave, but il was useless. | could not
keep it up, and | gave up irving. But
am alive, and many Of those who
were noted for their bravery are not;
SO, perhaps, ] am a gamer.
On the morning OF july 20. 1864. we
had marched down the road 10 a bridge
crossing Peach Tree creek. When we
reached the bridge we found that two
rebel batteries were stationed there, one
on The right and the other on the left Of
the ,tructure. Both had complete range
of the bridge and were shelling it tor
all they were worth. Several regi-
ments had passed over and were skir-
mi,hing. Where we halted the road
ran through IN emSankmeut, protect
Ing us from the shells. Several had
struck The bridge and knocked holes in
the planking, making jumps necessary
TO cross il.
\ few minutes after we halted Gen.
Joe Hooker and his staff came down
the road. He rode in the open to the
bridge, held up his hand TO halt his
stan, and slowly walked his horse
across till he came to a place in the
~planking where the animal was forced
to Jump, landing him safely on the
othkr side. As soon as he appeared in
the Apen, before he crossed. the batter
les both sides opened on him. This
apparently did not disturb him in the
LEAST. Several shots hit the bridge and
they exploded on all sides Of him, but
he rode as slowly as though on review.
His face was of It's usual red hue, and
no sign of fear could be detected in it.
After he had crossed he motioned for
ais staff, and they rode over in quick
order. One officers horse was struck
by n shell, and horse and rider went off
into the water.
/ watched all Of this with admiration.
and made up my mind that | could be
as brave and careless of danger as Gen.
Hooker, even if he was a general and |
q private. SO when the order was
given for us to double quick" across
the bridge, and jump the holes, | was
determined to take it Is coolly as the
general. Shells were flying over, I'M
der, and around us, and before | got to
the center of the bridge a volley of
shells came hunting for Us.
l could stand it no longer. and started
and ran as fast as | could, jumped the
holes, and got over about the first one.
Several were killed going over, but |
never got a scratch. | concluded that
| was never cut out for a brave
hero-and that if Gen. Joe Hooker
wanted 10 be one, | had no objections.
However, when we got where those
batteries were and they demanded our
attention, they got it, aud we got them.
Since that day | have often wondered
why Gen. Joe Hooker was cooler under
tire than / was.