The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-05-11
SOLDIERS BUDGET.
War HOr, es.

at is remarkable how quickly horses
adapt themselves to the military SER
vic, said an old soldier "E cry ar
tilleryman knows that they learn the
blu L. calls and the evolutions quick
than the men, as a rule. They soon
acquire a uniform gait, which is about
the same as what we cal The route step
OF the usual marching etep. If the
horses did not acquire the same gait as
the infantry there would be varying
distances between the different arms Of
the service-that is, between the in
fantry and the cavalry, artillery and
the commanders and their escorts H.
the drills in the artillery service Il e
horses will pr, serve their ALI ument Ii.
well as the infantry rank.
81 shall always remember enc illus
tration of this trait which | noted at a
very exciting and critical moment of
battle during our civil war. In order
to save some of our infantry from being
surrounded and captured the command
er of one of our batteries quickly
mounted the cannoneers on the guns
and put the whole battery at a dead
gallop across a stretch of meadow about
half mile wide. / was quite accus-
toned to such sights; but when that
dashing company was half way across
the field l noticed the inspiring array,
and for moment was lost in rapt adj
miration of the magnificent picture.
Every driver was plying whip and spur,
the great guns were rocking and thun-
dering over The ground, and every
horse reeking with foam and full of
animation and excitement, was strain
ing every muscle as he galloped for
ward, yet a straight line drawn along
in front would have touched the noses
of the lead horses in front of the six
guns. That was an artillery charge,
one of the most thrilling sights in the
evolutions of the war.
alt is surprising how quickly horses
learn the bugle calls. Let the first
note of the feed or water call be sound
ed, and instantly there will be stamp
ing, kicking and neighing among the
horses. Once during terrible night
storm in camp, our horses were seized
with such terror that those of nearly
every battery broke loose and scattered
about. The next morning there was a
wild rush among the artillerymen to
catch the horses for use. All was ex-
element, AZ d the horses refused to be
caught. An officer ordered the bugler
to give the feed call. Horses from
every direction came dashing in to
thai battery, and the rush was 80 great
that it was with difficulty the men could
get out of the way of the eager horses.
when it comes to battle horse
seems to know everything that is going
on and the reason for it all, and does
his duty nobly. He enters into the
spirit OF battle like q human being.
He shows no fear of death, no sign of
being overcome by panic in al the wild
tumult of the battles roar. A horse in
one of our batteries during tie Muir
freesboro fight was hit by shell,
which split his skull so that one side
was loosened. The driver turned him
loose, but he walked up to the side of
the gun and watched the firing, and
when shot was fired follow it with his
gaze as if to note its effect on the ene-
my. When a shell would burst near
by be would turn his head and look at
it. When he saw the team he had
worked with being driven back for am
munition he ran to his old place and
galloped back with the rest. When an
officer,pushed.him aside to have another
horse put in, gazed at the new one with
most sorrowful expression in his
eyes. Then he seemed TO realize that
the glory of battle was no more for
him, and he walked away and lay down
and died. The officer declared that il
was q broken heart not the wound, that
killed him.
During a fierce charge of Confed-
crate cavalry at Murfreesboro an Of
ficer was killed and the cavalry driven
back. The horse the officer had ridden
was a magnificent animal and he had
not been taught to retreat. Riderless
he kept on his way and as he dashed
through our battery the sight of him
was indescribably grand. His nostrils
were extended wide, his eyes fairly
blazed and he clutched the bit deter
minedly, with his teeth as he came on
like the wind, with his saddle flaps fly.
ing until he looked as if he were him
self flying instead of wildly running
Every one gave him room as he dashed
toward US. An officer shouted that he
would give 800 to any one who would
capture that superb animal, but al
81 emed too much bound up in admira-
ton of the noble beast to make the eff
fort, and he sped on and disappeared
| in the blue distance"