The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1898-06-30
"I-I can't shoot that mani"

adler.
you idiot, but why didn't you
shoot ?" shouted the indignant general,
as he stepped forward.
at is cold blood, sir-cold blood"
whispered Davis, who trembled in
every limb and was as pale-faced as a
dead man.
You poltroon-you coward" ragged
the general. Here, you man-cut the
stripes from his sleeves, and you, cap
tain, see that he is reduced to the ranks
on the company rolls! He ought to be
court-martialed and driven out of the
army in disgrace!"
\ soldier stepped forward, and with
his pocket-knife cut the chevrons from
the corporal's sleeves, and poor Davis
skunk away in disgrace. Here was
strange thing. A soldier who did not
hesitate to put himself in position to
be killed could not be induced to fire
upon the enemy. His soldierly qualities
were such that he had been taken out
of the ranks, and yet he refused to
carry out a soldiers first duty-to kill.
We could not call him a coward-no
man is a coward who will face death
but we called him strange and won
dered what was back of it all. The men
of the company fell away from him,
and in a few days he stood almost
alone. When we followed up the enemy
after Yorktown there was some heavy
diminishing with the rear guard. Am
brose Davis was with his company, and
upon one occasion, when the hunderd
charged and captured a gun, he led US
all in the rush, and was the first man to
put a hand on it. After that we said
it was a case of nerves" or that he
had hereditary fear of shedding blood,
and he was looked upon more favor.
ably.
We saw nothing more of the
strangeness" of Ambrose Davis until
the battle which drove Mcclellan to
make a change of base For half day
our regiment stood in battle line, wait
ing to attack or be attacked, and dur
ing this interval our company lost two
quired all the nerve the men could work
up to stand there and be shot at with
out firing a shot in return, but Davis
showed no more nervousness than any
of the rest. When at length we moved
by the left flank for quarter of a mile
and then dropped down toopen fire and
hold our ground, Davis was the man
on my left, and as loaded my musket
l noticed that he was firing high. Five
minutes later a lieutenant came creep
ing along in rear of us and warning
each man to aim low. l heard him
cursing Davis, and twice after that, ere
we fell back, l saw the man firing into
the tree tops.
The enemy crowded us back day by
day and mile by mile, and there was
fighting over every foot of the high
ways. We had fierce grapple at Fair
Oaks, and again at Savage Station, but
all | knew of Davis was that he was
with us. 1t was only when we turned
at bay at Malvern Hill that l found
myself beside him again. He had been
three times grazed by bullets, and that
was proof that he had stood up to a
soldiers work. Our regiment was sta
toned at the base of the HILL strung
along in the bed of dry creek, and the
banks gave US protection and a rest for
our muskets. AS the enemy came
swarming across the open every man
was a fair target. | had fired three or
four times when my musket fouled, and
as | waited to clear it | watched Davis.
He was firing over the heads of the
enemy by 30 feet. Our position was
one which could not be carried. The
enemy realized this at last, and the
battle began to die away. On our from
we had only dead and wounded men, as
far as we could see, and all firing had
ceased, when a man suddenly rose up
from the ground about pistol shot
away and stood staring at us. A thou
sand men shouted at him to come and
surrender, but after a moment he
turned his back and began moving
away. 1 do not know why any of the
hundreds of men who had him in range
did not fire, but they did not. Some
were even cheering the man, when an
officer of artillery jumped down among
us and shouted:
shoot him-shoot him-why don't
some of you bring him DOWN."
His words were heard by so men
but not gun was raised. The officer
was storming at us when Davis sud
| denly lifted his musket and fired, and
| the retreating man flung up his arms
whirled about and sank down. Curses
and groans followed, and Davis threw
down his gun and hid his face in his
| hands and sobbed.
"A splendid shot!" cried the officer
''and if | were your captain you would
be corporal tomorrow"
Davis had done strange thing. W.
| looked at him and wondered over it
| The heat of the battle was yet strong
upon us, but the killing of the mar
seemed little short of cold-blooded muir
der.
Did | kill-kill him?" asked Davis Of
man beside him when he could con
troll himself.
"Yes, you shot him dead, the poor
devil. Why didn't you let him gel
away?"
you have all been down on me be
cause | wouldn't kill" moaned the