The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1897-09-22
SOLDIERS BUDGET.
GOOd-Natured Tommy.

him, and as far as L COulu make out, ne
loved everybody; but most of all his
affections were centered upon my own
unworthy self. We were like brothers;
and l cannot think of him even now
of his many acts of kindness, his SIM
plicity, his generosity, his self-sacrifice
without the tears yelling up in my
eyes.
When there was sickness in camp
and there was lots of it, when we lay in
the swampy lowlands of Virginia
Tommy went about among the men
like ministering angel.
Many and many time have seen
him hold cup of water to the lips of a
sick comrade when his own were parch-
ed and his hand shook so with the
ague that he could hardly steady it.
Alb, Tommy was dear ladl and if it
had required nothing more than faith
fulness, endurance and whole cate.
CORY of sterling virtues to make good
soldier, be would have been right gal
liant one, indeed,
But be lacked one essential quality
courage 10 face the foe with moder-
ate amount of equanimity; to shoot
down, and to be shot at. We all Sc
cretly admitted that "Tommy was no
fighter" but l think there was not one
of the boys who would have tainted
him with his want of valor.
He made no secret of it himself, as a
less nobe-hearled fellow might have
done, but owned up frankly that he
was afraid, 'confoundedly afraid of
killing anybody or of being killed."
Knowing all this of Tommy, l have
always wondered that he should have
done as he did at last.
1t was near the close of one of these
memorable battles of Virginia, in the
summer of '62. The weather was in
tolerabe, and for the many hours we
had been out on the open plain, with
the burning sun pouring down upon
our heads and the hot earth scorching
our feet. Our Threats were parched
and dry and between the dust aud the
smoke, breathing was difficult opera
ton.
remember, Tommy, who was beside
me, insisted that l should take his
handkerchief, poor lad, and tie it about
my neck, which was blistered and raw
from the sur.
Not 400 yards away lay the advance
guard of the confederate troops. We
had charged and been charged, without
the position of either side being much
changed, and the men were half mad
with impotent rage.
AS we stood there, cycling the enemy,
Tommy pulled my sleeve and said,
hoarsely, MY God, Ned, look at the
boysl"
l glanced about. The frenzied, bes-
tial faces of my comrades startled me-
my own, no doubt, was as bad-and in
stinctively l pulled myself together
and tried to look and feel less like
brute and more like man. just then
the word of command WAS given and
we charged.
The confused tread of our hurrying
feet, the mingled roar of our hoarse
cries and CALCULATIONS as we swept
down upon the foe, sounded to me as
the footsteps and voice of one man
and that man myself. And this sensa-
ton stayed with me until we found our
selves repulsed and driven back to our
old position.
retreat that followed, the color guard
had become separated from the main
body of men, and remained in the field,
clustered about the banner and fighting
desperately.
One by one the gallant fellows
dropped. The last one had sunk upon
his knees, the shattered flagstaff slip
ping from his nervous hands, just as
our broken lines, reformed into some
kind of order, poured down deadly
volume upon the foe, who withdrew
precipitately.
AS the smoke lifted we saw the flag
lying on little mound midway be-
tween the confederate lines and our
own; and, to our excited Imagination,
it's folds, which the hot air idly lifted,
seemed to beckon and wave to US.
We CRASHED our teeth and howled
with mad rage, and the howl was an
swered by yells and derision from the
enemy. After awhile that bit of red,
white and blue bunting, futtering like
a live thing, began to exercise strange
fascination for me, and l felt drawn
toward il, with an almost irresistible
force. l covered my eyes, to shut out
the sight.
Somebody touched my arm. 1t was
Tommy.
"Well, how goes it, Tommy" My
voice sounded queer and unnatural in
my ears.
II don't think I can stand it much
longer, Ned"
''Stand whatp" l asked.
"Why, this awful inaction. It's
fairly killing me-"
This was rather surprising from
Tommy, who, as 1 have said, had an
instructive dread of battle, and looked
at him attentively. There was some
thing in his face had never seen there
before, and his blue eyes cleaned
strangely.
~ don't like it myself" said 1. 1.-THE
sight of that flag drives me Wild"
"Yes-the flag. Doesn't it look as il
it beckoned? And yet" as if trying to
restrain his excitement, "what is it,
Ned, but bit of bunting? What a
to-do we make about It'll I've had my
eyes on it ever since it fell. Why,
Ned, the fellows over there" pointing
to group of haggard, desperate men,
"are drawing lots which of them shall
take the chances and-and try to get
back, you know. must do some
thing"
"Those fellows over there are mad .,
Tommy If thew want tn on LET Jam