The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1899-08-31
SOLDIERS STORIES.
ENTERTAINING REMINiCENCES
OF The WAR.
Graphic Account of Stirring Scenes
Witnessed on the Battlefield and in
Camp-Veterans of the Rebellion Re-

~ quiet after Il tornado. 1t was the
morning after the two days fight at
Fair Oaks. where Summers artillery
saved the relics of Casey's division and
completed a hollow victory for the
Union
AS our main army could not, for lack
of bridges, cross the Chickahominy
River, our shattered brgades were un-
able to rOut utterly and pursue the torn
regiments of Johnston; so the two com
batants lay loosely camped not far
apart, with the woodland battlefield
mainly in the possession of the na-
tional forces.
l, Henry Van Gelder, was sent out
on scouting expedition with two com
panions, Willis and Bradley. Coming
unexpectedly upon small body of
rebels we took to the woods, and / be-
came separated from them. | have
always been ineXpert as woodsman,
and | lost my sense of direction, and
could not find the road when l again
tried to do so. But at last, somewhat
alarmed and moving excitedly, though
with my gun ready, stepped suddenly
out on the road and found myself face
to face with a Confederate soldier He
had jumped up hastily from resting his
back against a roadside tree which had
hidden him from me. Afterward |
learned that he had been doing.
This young man was as much sur
prised as |, and as instinctively COM
bative at the sight of the hostile uni
form and the fixed bayonet Up went
his gun; he cooked it in the same mo-
ton. In this he had fraction of a
second the start of me, and so, as l
cooked my Springfield l thrust out with
my bayOnet to knock his muzzle aside.
The guns went off at once, harmlessly.
and in the next instant he came out of
the smoke at me with the bayonet.
Steel to steel, eye to eye, without 4
word, we We're trying to kill one an
other, for neither of us could see any
other way to save himself.
When think of it now-of the peace
full road. the quiet woodland, and sun
shine on his gun and his face, of his
lunging ut me with the same fear in
his heart that was in my own-the fear
of having the hard steel in my midriff
when l think how furious and form
idable he looked, ana how inevitable it
seemed that | must kill or be killed. it
seems more unreal, more incredible
than anything else in my life. Yet l
can now veritably hear the clash and
pIn ttpr nf hoUnnntS nn6 .rr,p -h, rraIe.
as | met his expert lunges with the
regular parties, and still stood on my
guard.
My company had been well trained in
bayonet exercise. | thought | was un-
commonly good at it. but the gaunt
young man in gray plainly felt himself
TO be so superior that he might dare to
attack. He kept me busy guarding my
middle. breast and head; but with every
parry my mind was getting easier, and
l began to think.
At first l had been fighting as an
automation, and even my fear of his
steel was as if mechanical and forced;
but the strangeness of it came into my
mind after dozen passes. To be polk
ing at one anOther's hearts there with
out any reason, under no order, we two
strangers, in no battle, and with no
witness, stabbing and warding with all
the weight of our guns,
My soul began to stir. 1t shrank
from the killing of him. l knew the
fight was causeless, crazy thing that
ought to stop; and still I parried and
turned, for he was shifting about me
with great agility, and said nothing.
He kept me too busy to settle the
my reflections would no doubt soon
have found words had they not been
driven forth from my mind.
He may have seen some hesitation in
my eye or my motions, for he gave a
great fierce yell, Now, Yankr and
tried to close in and end it. Here, in
the rapid play, my left hand was
jabbed severely by his point, and with
that and his shout, my temper changed.
COmpunctiOn departed; his yelling as
if he thought to frighten me by a mere
shout annoyed me; l was angry-part-
ly at myself for having hesitated I'M
petuousiy l gave up the defensive and
attacked with all my might.
"Your Yankee is up, eh?' said the
young man in gray, as he began to
give me ground. His black eyes gilt
tered watchfully, and l remember how
his derisive smile whetted my wrath.
was hungry to kill him; but do my
best l could not touch him, though l
forced him to back along the road for
fully one hundred yards.
Bayonet-fghting is terribly hard
work. We had both been painting and
sweating for what seemed long time.
though all was over in fifteen minutes.
now believe. L was beginning to un-
derstand that 1 must fall down from
weakness or drop my gun If could not
soon kill him. and with the physical
failure. l was no longer so desirous to
kill as l was to stop fighting. And still
we prodded and tottered and gasped.
until suddenly he said, Hold on.
Yank," and dropped the butt of his
gun.
1t seemed Il reasonable thing to do
the same, and We stood three yards
apart, scanning each other respectfully
and catching breath.
See here, Yank," he drawIed.
g tain't no use; we've fit it pretty well
out. and neither of us is killed so fur;
s'pose we back off and call it square?"
''Ali right, Johnny; I'm agreeable"
"Well, all right then. What did you
start in for anynow-never see such a
man"
"Me-it was you that started it, Such
fool work. 1 was just going along. and
you-"
''Me-there never was no murderin
mind in me. | was just settin' under
the tree, kind of doing. and you came
sneaking out at me from behind, and
if"
Game sneaking at you from behind,
BY thunder, that's too much.' and ut