The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1898-03-17

- Tucker. coward sud Hero
sBs 10 command OF Fort Lsmkln. !
mortar earthsork 10 tear Of Gen Bushrot
/ } 5neon's hnCs at Petersburg in 1864
fuys George Gary Eggleston 10 bis boob
1 Of Southern soldier stores that will b,
ISSUED by tie Mscmilans in few days
| The iort was named for our immediate
commander from whose command We hsd
been detached Tor this service,
Oue day Lamkin himself osmo to mt
when Was at his headq uarttrs, He ws'
10 trouble
THIS boy, 81 Tucker, be said, Is the son
Of Que Of the best friends | ever had in
the world. TIE boy Is coward, He
literally lives in a rat hole. have re
peatedly pulled him ont by the legs, only
10 have him crawl back again the moment
| let 90 Of bis ankles dont know what
to do. It's my duty, Of course TO prefer
charges Of cowsrdice against him, aud II
| 10 he will certainly be shot, and bis
fstber is my best friend
He paused and then said with eagerness
in lis voice; Why cant You take him2
agreed at once. told him ! would
take the 10y with me to my pits and make
either a soldier or u stiff ont OF him with
in the next twenty.four honrs, | was 10
der no obligations to biz father. had
never even met any OF his relatives, and
had seen too many years OF service to
have much patience with eOwarlioe
The boy was sent for aud ordered to go
with me. We walked down toward
Blandiord Church. At the proper point
We turned ont Of the jerusalem plank
road uoro.s the fields toward Fort Lam
kin. Half way there, and on top OF =
little bill, which was especially exposed
to the gtze Of the shsrpshoOters, ! r.sde
81 Tucker ft down by my side, There
we came to sn understanding, | told
him be bad been assigned to me TO be
sho' out OF manu. " 10 oe court 'ii'''i'''o'
'ot 'o"Sfuioe' Nh''n' ~ 'nA' p"''''',''
!uuo'u'e oi 'no N'', neAu' 'o'' h''' '"'
same thing. | explained TO him that be
"'' 'oou' ~ !o'n '''oH'H'"' ''"poso'
eto'ue''e'y VI ne" Sp0''a''y eo'eo'ou 'o'
theif courage every Que u 'nein 'o'u"
Voer ioi HhA' "'' oee'no" Poou"''J
uA"s e'"u' so'''"e' eAp'''n'a '"''uoi
'n"' l shou'u "fui'e p'"' W Nv "'' '''9
~ they n'n 'helfn'
l'n nave m"h'st' 20 MAKE 'of your
SELL s'ii' Tue reputation OF q coward
lou have no" one laSt ehsnoe 70 redeem
yonfseli foa must DO that or you must
die
The thafpthcotets were mtenwhile
picking at Us most uncomior'Soiy ~ We
sat there. My experience as sn old sol
der strongly suReetted to me thst We
oaght to move. The position was oi tbsl
kind that military men call uhtens6le.
NevertbelesT, ! th0uRh' 1t beet 10 Keep 81
Tucker ihsro minute longer, for pnf
posos OF observation II nothing else.
A onr pits, esid, we have one unlfofm
rule ~ procedure. When bombsrdment
begin he men 60 to their enns, take
my ststd ou top Of tue msgFzlne mound
10 watch the enemyh hte and direct our
own. II | see that mortar shell Is sbou
to fall iuto one of the gun pits call out
the PIT number sad the men run into the
homhproot until the explosion IL over |
No msn tvet gets into bombprooi TILL
tits orderis given. fou must do 81 the
rest 90 II Jou run 10 to q bombprooi
before ! haVe given The order 1t will be
my imperative duty 10 shoot you then
and there, and shall certainly discbsrse
that duty DO you folly understand that
5if
lie thon2Lt be di ], aud "a The shsrp- |
'hoo'ers were ty this time becoming |
pesIIIently personal IN their attentions,
We resumed our ~alk Hall sn bour after
our srrival .. Fort Limkin lombard |
nent begsn. | diint want to shoot that
boy. distinctly preferred to make q
soldier rather than a 'sth out Of him. 10