Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1898-10-12

brought our muskets to an aim ms
we caught sight Of the enemy for the
first time. w. had become soldiers te
march, fight and kill. 1t was to be look
ed upon as matter Of business, as
! woli as patriotic duty. The sooner
! the strength of the enemy was exhaust
: ed the sooner we would have peace.
We thought that every man in com
: pany &C" had the same feeling-to Kill
hut we had not been long at the front
when we found an exception. A score
OF skirmshcrs were ordered down In
front of the regiment to feel the
strength Of the enemy In the fringe OF
bushes along a creek. Ambrose Davis
was one of US. He was a man OF 30
plain, every day man who had laid
down the tools Of a mechanic to take
up the musket of n soldier. He was not
given to enthusiasm. but he was an Obe-
dent soldier and the best shot In the
company. As we elambered over the
fence and took "open order" on the
bread field which dipped down to the
creek, the enemy In the fringe had q
| dead rest on every man. War with
them also meant Kill. To kill one of
half million men means little, and yet
it means kill. Zip! Ping! Zip! 1t was
| not firing by file-it was not firing by
vollrys into battle line half hidden
In the smoke, but every bullet that came
| soldier
We crouched down and ran forward.
We Zig-ZagGed to right and left. We
took the shelter of every knoll, brush
| and stump. The enemy had to develop
his strength to check us. In front of
Davis was an opening In the fringe
spot where farm road crossed the
creek. The enemy to the right and left
of this road was using the bank of the
stream as a breastwork and we were
firing good deal at random. An officer
suddenly appeared in the center OF this
opening, and raising a pair Of glasses
to his eyes he took a cool survey of the
regiment far back Of US on the hill. He
was within pistol shot of Davis and
he must have known II, and yet he
| stood there as cool and calm as you
please to take his chance. 1t was
sheer bravado. Four of our. twenty hsd
been killed. and this enerry was Seek
ing the lives Of the rest. was to the
right Of Davis and could have almost
hit the officer with q stone; the man
ON his left had Just as fair target.
He was not our game" however-he
belonged to Davis. We saw our COM
rade thrust forward a barrel Of his
musket and bring his eye down to the
sights. Then we watched the officer to
See him throw up his hands and fall.
Thirty seconds passed away, and we
glanced back at Davis. He had lifted
his head and was looking at the officer
over his gun. At the end Of a quarter
Of a minute he dropped 1t again. 1t
was bis duty to kill. but this was kill
ing in cold blood. and he had to have
a few seconds to nerve himself up.
Back went our eyes to the officer. He
was slowly sweeping the glasses
across n front of half q mile, and
wondered If he would drop them as
the bullet struck him. or whether his
fingers would clutch and hold them the
tighter. My heart came crowding into
my throat as I watched and as the sec
ends passed, and at length heard the
"shootl Shoot! Why the devil don't
you drop that officerT'
turned to look at Davis, and as
did SO he slowed the muzzle of his gun
to the right and fired into the bushes.
A few seconds later the officer lowered
his glasses. and swinging them in his
hand and perhaps humming a tune.
- 81. In ~,
Later in the day, when Davis singular
action had been reported, the captain
said to him:
Davis, can't believe you are a cow
ard because you went down on the
skirmish line to be shot at, but when
you had an enemy fairly under your
gun, and an officer at that, why didn't
you bring him DOWN.?
Il was going to. sir. but IL
couldn't" was the reply.
But they were shooting at you to
kill"
"Yes. 1 know"
The captain could hardly reprimand
q man for not killing an enemy as he
would have shot down a rabbit, and
there was no one to hint that Davis
lacked courage. The Incident was for
gotten after . little. and such was the
soldiery conduct Of the man that he
was made corporal. When the enemy
withdrew behind the works at York
town to bar McClellan's road to Rich
mond he covered his wings with
sharpshooters, and our officers were
their special target. One day. as three
companies Of us were dragging up some
Of the heavy siege guns to be put In
potion, major and private were kill
ed by n sharpshoOter who was located
in tree top. He could be plainly made
out but the range WAS too far for our
army muskets. A Berdan rife was sent
for, and when it arrived our captain
put it into the hands Of Corporal Davis
and said:
you are by long odds the best shot
in our company. With a dead-rest over
that log you can tumble that man out
of his tree"
Just then brIgadier rode up to give
an or0er, ana MS morse nad scarcely
come to a halt when a bullet from the
sharpshooter passed through the gem
erals hat. He was not only bit
startled, but inclined to reprimand that
the fellow had not been disposed Of.
When he saw the heavy rife In the
hands Of the pale-faced and hesitating
corporal he shouted out:
Hurry up. man. and tumble him out
Of that before he cal caloadI II you