The times., 1898-08-11
DO VETERANS SCARE +?
A Wounded Man Thinks They Do
Every Time

Among the wounded soldiers in the hos
pitai at Governors Island is a veteran
regular. who talked freely with a repor-
ter for the Commercial Advertiser. How
do | feel under fire?'' he repeated. ssYou
take my word for it-and I know what
I'm saying-any man that tells you he
doesn't feel scared when he's under fire
is a liar I've seen some Of these fell
lows You've loads of time 10 notice
things between shots in the trenches and
on the march. and If they wasn't scared
they gave a blamed good imitation of it.
Say, now. is il natural not TO feel scared
with death and damnation foatin'
through the air and your mates dropping
dead all around you? Would you blame
anyone for being scared if he saw his
ehum or his officer wriggIin' and tvyistin'
on the ground beside him with his eyes
open and seein' nothIn'. and a clutchin'
at the air an a grabbin' his fingers into
the grass an all the time a gaspin' for
! breath with a bullet through his lungs?
| That's hghtin'. and when men see things
like that and know that they may be flop
pin round like a hen with its head off
the next minute, they feel scared-nOt
just nervous or excited. but scared I tell
yOu-Scared as hell
There was only one fellow 1 ever
knew who wasn't scared. and he came
from this town II was down in Arizona
and a dozen OF US was up against about
hundred Indians This fellow was
kneelin' behind big stone just punpin'
| lead at the eopperheads as fast as he
could load. The rest of Us was Iyin' fat
| and firm now and then. when we got a
/ chance. We told the New York fellow
| he was a fool and that the Injuns would
| pot him sure, but he only laughed at US.
1 We knew that we were in nasty hole,
| and so did he, for all he was a tender
| foot. He'd only been enlisted a month
| or two. When he couldn't see the In
juns kneelin' he'd stand up TO look for
| them-and he knew they could shoot.
| too. We buried him that night after re-
| endorsements came. Seems that his wife
and baby had died up North and he
wanted excitement TO make him stop
thinkin'- Well, he got IT. poor beggar.
| But that wasn't bravery. That was su-
| icide.
Another thing: The more fights you've
| been in the more you're scared cause
| the more you've seen and the more you
know 4 solder feels scared IN battle
| and volunteer feels nervous, and when
a man can learn 10 be scared instead of
| nervous he'll make a soldier.
''Soldierin's a hard life, and you mayn't
believe me. but it ia harder to get on
| comfortable in peace than when there's
war or an Injun risin'- Here the young
fellows can get out when they like and
| spark the girls and have high old time
| with nothin' to fear except a head in the
mornin'. That won't go in the army.
There it's C. 3. and extra drills-and
the head as well The soldiers stationed
at posts in the North have good enough
time. but way out in the West. with no
one round 'cep the men and the InjunS,
and the mems wives. it's tough. Some
| of the men gets married? SUrei There >
fools-welI / don't know-perhaps they're
| right i was married myself once. long
| ago, and 1 thought then 1t was all right.
| No. I amt a widower. think the wO-
man / married s hvin' yet. She was
| when 1 last heard. but it's an old story.
and what was il we was talkin' OF be-
| fore? On. yes, about these young felers-
| Well, they're all right, 1 guess, only IL
| they knew what / know they wouidn' {
be wantin' TO join the army for good