Evening journal., 1898-08-18
THE HUMAN VOICE IN BATTLE.


does not lie in the giving OF orders. It
requires no great mental strain to un-
derstand that in the heat OF an engage
ment the guns DO all the talking that's
audible. The youthful author OF THE
Red Badge Of Courage" represented a
corporal conversing freely with a COM
rade at least thirty feet away in a line
that was repelling fierce Confeder-
ate onslaught. Anyone who has spent
Fourth OF July in an. American city
can appreciate the absurdity Of that,
and anyone who has ever stood in a
line OF soldiers firing knows that after /
the first shock to the tympanum he
seems to hear nothing whatever-the |
individual discharges are wholly indis-
tinguishable to him, and his captain
close behind him might screech his
throat out and yet make no impression.
Then as the smoke settles back there Is
an almost overpowering sense Of ieola-
ton You don't realize your inability
to distinguish sounds; II you give II a
thought you find simply a vague idea
that the atmosphere is most dense and
oppressive, that you are sort OF shut
In by some impenetrable substance
which you can neither see nor feel. Ma
tional Guardsmen who have been In fir
ing drills will remember that sensa-
ton.
With the modern rapid fire gune
there's little firing by men In mass ex-
cept when the company "railies' to re-
pei an attack. Then circle or semi
circle is formed around the officers
and the bullets are sent in every direc-
ton as fast as they can travel. In
the extended order" on the skirmish
line 1t Is impossible for a man to
hear himself think" but with line
extending rods away to the right and
left, and with a strong wind blowing
to say nothing OF the musketry, the Of
hcer's voice cannot bo equal to the
emergency. so he resorts to signals
visual, with his sword, when smoke
and landscape will allow; otherwise
with the bugle or with a hoarse whis-
tie I'M the hilt OF his sword. Properly
drilled soldiers OF 1898 readily inter
pret the signals. Those with the
sword are simple; those by bugle or
whistle are combinations of long and
short blasts, as, for example: One long
one, "Haltl" Two long ones, For
ward" Two short ones and one long
one, "To the rear!" Two long oneI
and two short ones, Commence fir.
lngl" One long one and two short ones
Cease tiringl" The non-comnnisslon'
ed officers along the line. hearing thesi
signals, repeat the commands TO th'
men.
Aboard ship there also is great econ
omy OF vocal power. II the steel side
OF the vessel are not being pounded b.
shot and shell, the officers can maxi
themselves heard between shots, bu
their words are few. AS for the men
the experince OF an observer abCar
one of our vessels at the destruc
ton Of Cervera's feet is to the point
He said he expected TO hear the mel
rush to quarters with a yen and thel
cheer as they saw the enemy's discom
future. On the contrary, the only soun'
going on was theboom OF guns, the me-
going on with their work like silen
machines.
: Yet the human voice has it's value
= Who shall say that it is any less THAI
T those from metal throats?. It come
r when there's a lull in the firing, whe
bayonets are fixed. when men nery
themselves and start forward at a ru'
over the short but shot-swept space be
tween them and the enemy. Then tn
! voice will make itself heard-no rule
or regulations ever could prevent it
r they tried. Seemingly. it is the shou
l. that carries the men forward, upward
2 over the breastworks.
p We heard considerable about the dii
ferentiation between the Southrn or
and the Northern cheer during tine civ
war. The former was a high keyed
piercing yell; the latter a deep-cheste
. 'Hurrah," leaving out OF the word a
!. but the vowel sound. How do the
+ sound now, blended? Americans 10Y
+ men will never stop TO tell.-Hartfor