The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1898-11-10

lSSsS Wa .'''~--< W. DrlSk anu bleeH!
y, :s.sAs2 was he, with frank
certainty of the
deeds he shouEi io, and the fame he
| should achieve. \ certainty somewhat
irritating to his experienced comrades,
who had found plain. unpraiSed duty
| all that they could attain in hard fight
| ing and stern endurance. Yet more IT.
ritating TO his special mates. But he
| was kindly as well as vain-glorious
| ready with friendly turn for anyone,
and possessing an ineXhaustible spring
| of laughter, whose bubbling over re-
| freshed many hard bits of road to his
weary fellow
Everyone was sorry when he was
| knocked down in the beginning of his
| first battle by splinter from shell,
which struck him on the head. and
every one was pleased when, after Il
short stay in the hospital, he returned
to active service again.
| He was. however, so changed that he
seemed another soul interposed within
the robust young body, which bore out
ward evidence of his identity. The boy
who went away had been boastful, the
boy who came back was silent. He
had been joyous and now was sullen.
He had been brisk and now was slow.
| Nor did even his body long maintain
the alertness. the erectnesS, the bright
| eyed vigor which had distinguished
him.
"Fighting amt what it is talked up
to be. eh?' comrade asked him jeer-
| ingly. Hard blows is more common
| than glory, and an 'ungrateful coun-
try don't say thank you,' even when a
chap does his best"
Il amt done my best" the lad NUT
| tered. glaring at the speaker in way
which brought this and similar felici-
| tGus remarks to conclusion. For II
there was a hopeless confession OF
mental failure in the words, there was
the threat of still more conscious
muscular strength. in the regard which
accompanied them. And the good-hu-
mored among his companions were
| smitten with compassion, the mere
bullies with the need for caution.
Very quickly it began to be under
stood that he was one of the victims
of haste ami insufficiency in the care
of the wounded. The splinter of shell
| had done some subtle damage to the
brain, some damage which prompt and
watchful skill might have remedied
but which, after he had rejoined his
| IL % np.l, 70 hnt
mechanically, won no other notice than
the Multiplying. half-scornful name of
"Goosy," that his brother-soldiers be-
slowed upon him.
Throughout the ensuing weeks. the
regiment, though constantly engaged
with the enemy, in picket attacks and
brief skirmishes, was not involved as q
whole in any decisive battle.
Around the camp fires at night tales
were wont to be told of gallant deeds
Alike among their friends or among
their foes. whom these rough warriors
respected almost equally, and hearing
these tales "Goosy" would lift up his
head. suuaring his shoulders in his for
mer fashion, while through the dullness
of his eyes cleaned the eagerness
which once dwelt there.
One evening comrade more obser
vaat than the others. struck him ;
friendly blow. and cried:
"That's the ticket for you, and me
too. 'Goosy.'"
But he flung aside the genial grasl
savagely.
"Ouit fooling." he grOwled. "Yoi
haven't done nothing-nor L"
With which he got on his feel ant
slouched away from a loud chorus o
laughter and fainter murmurs of ''shu
up"
| Through those weeks of disaster an(
triumph, of heartbreak and heroism
the regiment, which was fragment o
the mighty whole, and the stricken
soul who was an atom of that frag
ment, endured to the last weeks of tn,
gigantic struggle to whose echoin:
rumor we of this generation listel
with awe.
The circle of doom was drawing
closer around Richmond. All day lon,
sounded the roar of battle, and at nigh
the dead were reckoned by the absenc
of those whom their comrades saw n,
more. There were days and night
which the generals knew brought then
ever nearer an end which glorified tn
means. But to those exhausted sol
diers they were an ordeal to be live,
through by few. and died in by most
with only comfort as their race instinc
for combat could derive from tn
knowledge that thus far they wer
| unconQuered.
This was a tangible consolation fo
sane men, and they cherished it grin
". and tired and half-starved thougl
they were. Only to ''GOosy" this COZ
ISOLATION seemed lacking.
Silently he lay where he was told
lie. Stolidly he marched where he wa
told to march. Mechanically he fire
where he was told to fire.
Two or three times news fiitere
through various ranks. down to thes
plain fighting men that somebody
battery had dislodged division of til
enemy, or that somebody's cavalry IA
driven another division within its line
and there was waving of battere
caps and shouting of hoarse voice
But "GooSys" phlegmatic calm wa
undiSturbed.
About noon on one of these last day
the regiment was advanced to the SUI
port of troops which had suffered S
verely. 1t found itself confrontir
well-screened and strongly entrenche
; artillery, whose terrible accuraC
, threatened to decimate it even und'
partial shelter.
To the colonel came a hurried stat
officer on horseback, with an ord'
: which sent a flush into the CHIEFS hai
. gard face. He nodded vehement
, and turned to his command.
Boys" he cried. ''The general do'
} uc tba honor TO say that we must mu