Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1897-08-27
IN THE MOONLIGHT,

IN THE MOONLIGHT.
One day 1t was whispered in our camp
before Petersburg that Sergeant Jacks
wife had died. Sergeant Jack was re-
served and rather morose. and none Of
us knew whether he had wife or not
until the rumor came. The sergeant's
demeanor told us that the story was
true.
The soldiers mental suffering was
plain to all who looked into his face.
HE had loved her we'll, and the blow
had come suddenly. In a weeks time
he grew so old and haggard that one
could hardly identify him as the same
man. Some Of the men whisperingly
declared that he would do some desper-
ate thing-others that he would bear
1t like man and get the best of it
after while. We loved Sergeant Jack
every man Of us in B company, and
he had the sympathy Of all his COM
rades.
Things were thus when it came our
turn to 60 into the rife pits on the line
nearest the Confederates. We had to
march down from camp by covered
ways and crawl into the pits like so
many serpents. Death was there
waiting for any man who but showed
his head above pit. Not a finger
could be held up without dozen bull
let's being fired at it. On this night
1t was bright moonlight-so bright that
one could see every leaf and blade Of
grass and every insect moving about.
The great guns were silent after a
hot days work, but there was a Spite
full and murderous fire OF musketry
along the rife pits. The bullets whizzed
above our heads in vengeful way and
the officers kept crying, Look out, men
keep down" as we neared the pits.
Men dropped of here and there until
only six OF us were left, and Sergeant
Jack had charge Of placing us. The
men in the pits had to come out first,
and as soon as they got the signal they
began the movement.
We were watching them as they
wormed themselves along the ground,
when Sergeant Jack suddenly uttered a
groan. 1t was not a groan Of pain,
but OF anguish-such a sound as a
strong man might make when he felt
his heart breaking over his grief. All
of us turned to look at him, and as we
did SO he stepped out from under shell
ter into the opening and the moonlight.
and was face to face with death.
Down, sergeant-come back-look
out!' We shouted at him, but he drew
himself up and walked straight toward
the Confederate lines. His appearance
amazed the sharpshooters for half a
minute. So bright was the moonlight
that they could look right into his eyes
1t was not the act of brave man; none
OF them would put it down to bravado
He was not deserter seeking admis-
sion to their lines. We shouted to them
not to shoot, that our sergeant had lost
his mind. and those directly in front
heard us and withheld their fire.
Those on the tanks, however, could
not catch our words, and probably be-
lieved that some hostile movement was
contemplated; score of muskets
blazed away at the target in the moon
light. We saw Sergeant Jack halt.
totter, throw up his hands and sink
down, and we knew that he was dead.
had courted death because there was
nothing in life for him. We crept out
and rescued his body for a soldiers
burial. More than a dozen bullets had
struck him, and on his face was a look
Of relief-a look which came there in
his dying moment as he realized that
death would end all.-Detroit Free
Press.