The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1898-08-18
FEELINGS UNDER FIRE.
Statements of a Couple of Men who
Have Had Experience in the
Present War.

Men on the Yankee have had to an
swer a dozen times the question::
"How does it feel to be under fire."
Every friend who climbs aboard the
trim little auxiliary cruiser to see a
former chum shakes grimy hand and
bombards the able seaman with the
question. AS a matter of fact, only
few of the boys are able to explain
their feelings, and say: "Oh, I don't
know. You get used to it's
Gen. Furlong, who was member of
Grants staff and participated in bat
ties from Arkansas to Appomattox.
says any man who says he isn't afraid
under fire tells an untruth.
"You don't get used to it; or at least
I never did," said the general few
nights ago. "Sheridan said he never
got used to it, and don't believe any
body ever does. It isn't courage that
keeps man at the front; it's pride.
I've seen the time that I would have
liked to leave the front, but couldn't
afford to do so. It wasn't courage that
kept me where I stood; it was pride:
and the knowledge of the fact that if
1 ran I'd be disgraced.
"When the boys come back from the
front they will tell the same story. l
was on old Gen. A. j. Smiths, staff in
the Red river campaign. There was
an opening in our lines, and the two
lines of battle were about 500 wards
apart.
Gen. Smith gave me dispatch to
carry to the right of the line. could
have ridden behind our own lines and
delivered it. AS I started to do so he
said: That way, SIR pointing to the
opening. To 60 out and ride to our
right was to>pass between the fire OF
our own men and the confederates.
My heart went up into my throat. ]
expected to be killed. I started with
two orderlies, and they were shot dead
before we had gone 200 feet. was
shot in the leg and got through. It
wasn't courage that kept me up; it was
pride and orders.
'Ten years afterward, in St. Louis,
met Gen. Smith. I said to him; Gen
eral, it's all over now; but why did you
send me down between those two dimes
to carry that dispatch?' The general
looked at me and said:
Well. I wanted to impress on our
men that there wasn't anything terri
bic about the fire, and that the officers
weren't afraid of it, -
On board the Yankee the boys We'd
with one another to see how cool they
could be- There is no doubt that the
majority of them thoroughly appre-
ciated the danger they were in. A
member of gun crew No. 1, talking of
the feeling, said:
II was awfully anxious to see an en-
gagement, and at Santiago had enough
to last me. When we banged away,
gun after gun. until you couldn't hear
yourself think, I felt little queer.
Every time shell came in our direc-
ton said: oh, Lord!' and was glad
when it passed over.
AT Cienfuegos, where Kennedy was
injured, I didn't see him. If had, I
suppose would have wilted. The boys
who were serving the gun with him,
however, held out, and, after making
him comfortable, went. on with the
game. No spot on board , ship is safe
in battle. and that fact adds to a
mans being brave. He knows he can't
get away: and he isn't going to show a
white feather; so he. sticks. Some
boys, made of more heroic clay, may
not feel any fear. or be callous to
fate; but I'm inclined to believe that
like myself, when shells are whistling,
they'd rather be out of it,
The man who said this is one of the
best men in the reserve. No man
worked harder at a gun than he did
when the Yankee was in action, and
the question of how it feels to be under
fire is still open to discussion.-N. Y.
Press. z.sl
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