Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1896-08-03
HIS FIRST FIGHT.


first engagement. His story SO i'm
pressed me that I wrote it down from
memory. 1t was as follows:
joined my regiment on Sept. 4. It
was evening. found the colonel in
the camp. He received me rather
brusquely, but having read the gem
erals Introductory letter he changed
his manner and addressed me very
courteously.
By him was presented to 10y cap
tain, who had just come in from re-
connoitering. This captain, whose
acquaintance [ had scarcely time to
make, was tall, dark man of harsh,
repelling aspect. He had been a pri-
vate soldier and had won his cross
and epaulets upon the field of battle.
His voice, which was hoarse and
feeble, c6ntrasted strangely with his
gigantic stature. This voice of his he
owed, as was told, to bullet which
had passed completely through his
body at the battle of jena
On learning that I had just come
from college at Fontainebleau, he re-
marked with wry face, ssMy lieuteu-
ant died last night"
I understood what ne implied-sIt
is for you to take his place, and you
are good for nothing
A sharp retort was on my tongue,
but / restrained it.
The moon was rising behind the re-
doubt of Cheverino, which stood two
cannon shots from our encampment
The moon was large and red, as is
common at her rising, but that night
she seemed to me of extraordinary
size. For an instant the redoubt
stood out coal black against the gilt
tering disk. It resembled the cone Of
a volcano at the moment of eruption.
An old soldier at whose side found
myself observed the color of the
She is very red," he said. cit is a
sign that it will cost us dear to win
this wonderful redoubt.n
was always superstitious, and this
piece of augury, coming at that mo-
ment, troubled me. | sought my
couch, but could not sleep. I rose
and walked about awhile, watching
the long line of fires upon the heights
beyond the village of Cheverino.
When the sharp night air had thor
oughly refreshed my blood, I went
back to the fire. I rolled my mantle
round me, and [ shut my eyes, trust
ing not to open them until daybreak.
But sleep refused to visit me. Insen-
sibly my thoughts grew doleful.
told myself that I had not a friend
the 100,O 900 men who filed that
plain. If | were wounded, I should
be placed in hospital in the hands of
ignorant and careless surgeons I
called TO mind what I had heard of
operations. My heart beat violently,
and l mechanically arranged as kind
of rude cuirass my handkerchief and
pocketbook upon my breast. Then
overpowered with WEAKNESS, my eyes
closed drowsily, only to open the
next instant with a start at some new
thought of horror.
Fatigue, however, at last gained
the day. When the drums beat at
was fast asleep. We were
drawn up in ranks. The roll was
called, then we stacked our arms, and
every thing announced that we should
pass another uneventful day.
But about O'Clock an aid de- camp
arrived with orders. We were COM
to take arms.
Our sharpshooters marched into the
plain. We followed slowly, and in 20
we saw the outposts OF the
Russian falling back and entering the
redoubt. We had a battery of artil-
lery on our right, another on our left,
but both some distance in advance of
US. They opened a sharp fire upon
the enemy, who returned it briskly,
and the redoubt of Cneverino was
soon concealed by Volumes of thick
smoke. Our regiment was almost
covered from the Russians fire by a
piece of rising ground. Their bullets
(Which were rarely aimed at US, for
they preferred to fire upon our can
noneers) whistled over us or at worst
knocked up a shower of earth and
stones.
Just as the order to advance was
given the captain looked at me in
tently. stroked my sprouting NOUS
tache with an air of unconcern. In
truth, I was not frightened and only
dreaded lest I might be thought so.
These passing bullets aided my heroic
GOODNESS, while my selfrespect assur-
ed me that the danger was real one,
since I was vertically under fire. I