Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1896-06-25
HIS FIRST FIGHT.


in Greece Of fever some years since, de-
scribed to me one day his first engage
ment His story so impressed me that
wrote it down from memory. 1t was as
follows:
joined my regiment on Sept A. 1t
was evening. found the colonel III the
camp. He received me rather brusque-
ly, but having read the generals intro
ductory letter he changed his manner
and addressed me courteously.
BY him | was presented to my cap
tain, who had just come i'll from recon
noitering This captain, whose acquaint-
ance had scarcely time TO make, was
a tall. dark man of harsh repelling as
pect He had been private soldier and
had won his cross and epaulets upon
the field Of battle. His voice, which was
hoarse and feeble, contrasted strangely
with his gigantic stature. This voice of
his he owed, as I was told, to bullet
which had passed completely through
his body at the battle Of jena.
On learning that | had just come from
college at Fontainebleau, he remarked
with wry face, lily lieutenant died
last night.
understood what he implicit is
for you to take his place, and you are
good for nothing"
A sharp retort was ON my tongue, but
restrained it.
The neon was rising behind the re
doubt of Cheverino, which stood two
cannon shots from our encampment.
The moon was large and red, as is com
mon at her rising. but that night she
seemed to me of extraordinary size. For
an instant the redoubt stood out coal
black against the glittering disk 1t re-
sembled the cone of a volcano at the mo-
ment Of eruption.
An old soldier at whose side / found
myself observed the color Of the moon.
"She is very red, +" he said. 1T is a
sign that it Will cost us dear to win this
wonderful redoubt.
was always superstitious, and this
piece Of augury, coming at that mo
ment, troubled me. l sought my couch,
but could not sleep. 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, went back
to the fire l rolled my mantle round
me, and 1 shut my eyes, Trusting not to
open them till daybreak But sleep re-
fused to visit me. Insensibly my
thoughts grew dolefuL l told myself
that had not friend among the 100, :
600 men who filled that plain. If
We're wounded, | should be placed in
hospital in the hands of ignorant and
careless surgeons. called to mind what
| had heard Of operations My heart
beat violently, and mechanically ar
ranged as kind Of rude cuirass my
handkerchief and pocketbook upon my
breast. Then, oveTpowered with weari-
ness, my eyes closed drowsily, only to
open the next instant with start at
some new thought Of horror.
Fatigue, however, at last gained the
day When the drums beat at daybreak,
I was fast asleep. We were drawn up in
ranks. The roll was called, then we
stacked our arms, and everything an
nounced that we should pass another
uneventful day.
But about 8 O'clock an aid-de-camp
arrived with orders. We were com
manded to take arms.
Our sharpshooters marched into the
plain. We followed slowly, and i'll 20
minutes we saw the outposts of the
Russians falling back and entering the
redoubt We had battery Of artillery
on our right, another on oar left, but
both some distance i'll advance Of us.
They opened a sharp fire upon the enc
my, who returned it briskly, and the
redOubt of Cheverino was soon conceal
ed by volumes of thick smoke. Our regi-
ment was almost covered from the Rus
slams fire by piece Of rising ground.
Their bullets (which besides were rarely
aimed at US, for they preferred to fire
upon our cannoncers) whistled over us
or at worst knocked up shower of
earth and stones.
Just as the order to advance was Civ
Ell the captain locked at me intently.
stroked my sprouting mustache with an
air Of uncouccrn Ia truth. was not
frightened and only dreaded lest might
be thought > These passing bullets
aided my heroii eoolness. while my self
respect assured me that the danger was
a real one, since / was veritably under
fire | was delighted at my self posses
sion and already looked forward to the
pleasure OF describing in Partisan draw
ing rooms tile capture Of the redoubt Of
Cheyerino.
The colonel passed before our com
pany. "Wcl," he said to me, you are
going to sec warm work in your first ac-
ton.
| gave martial smile and brushed
off my cuff, on which bullet which
had struck the earth at 80 PAGES distant
had cast little dust.
1t appeared that the Russians had dis.