Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1901-12-30

ciled to the left oblique business at last.
but for this 1 would never have camped
where did, and of course would not have
had the joyous meeting which did.
I was one Of three in charge Of the flag
of our regiment in this battle. One was
killed, one wounded and disabled, and I
received a cut from shot
over the bridge of my nose and on the
cheek under my left eye-just got the
skin. The bullets few thick and fast about
and around the flag, and had my Sunday
vest ruined.
I wish to add something here which 1
have learned from experience and reflec-
ton. That is, no firing line should have
flag or single flag bearer. The idea OF
man carrying flag and being a target
for every gun Of the enemy is, to my
mind, radically wrong. The flag bearer
simply carries a target and can do no
lighting. He Is simply the victim of a pre-
historical sentiment, which looks very
well in a picture portraying a struggle
over a flag in battle, or to read about, but
there is no business in It. War is BUSH
ness, and to be successful must be waged
on business principles; that is, in action
every man must be armed to Tight, and
taught to go ahead and not be allowed
or tempted to stop short of his goal to
fight over the possession of an object, and
thus arrest his Onward movement, and
probably stop whole command and turn
an advance movement into a sort Of foot
ball game, the flag and fits bearers taking
the place of pig skin.
I do not mean here to lessen the respect
OF the soldier for his flag or colors, but
to enlarge his duties as an advantage
fighter. Fighting over a flag is just so
much energy diverted from the line Of at
tack or defense. 1t is cruel and unnatural
to require any man to expose his life in
battle unless he is provided with arms to
Auhk Nth nd daf6nH hfn1gnlf He Gh0nid
be put on an equal footing with his an
tagonist. The sense and business of a bat
tie demands that every man engaged
should fight and be provided with the
means of fighting. II a defenseless color
bearer falls some other soldier takes the
colorsi thus again weakening the firing
line by one; then, perhaps, another and
another in this way is added to the non
combatant color bearers.
f. The flag draws a concentrated IRE which
fire does more damage than 1t would If
1t was scattered along the line.
I would instead make every man on
the firing line and in the whole army
color bearer. The flag should be on the
shoulders of the men--the Flagstaff lying
In the shoulder and the flag rampant on
the coat collar. This to apply to the ON
GERS as well as to the men. The nag
and color bearer Of the general STAN to
be retained as at present, or every general
STAN SnOul0 nave COAOIS anu a COAOt DGdA-
er. I make this observation by way of
parenthesis in my narrative, as by my
plan captured flags would not be so nu-
rnerous and when one was captured 1t
would be a prize of great value.
/ received a military education, and this
added to my experience in actual war
fare. justihes me in coming to the con-
clusion which have.
But to my narrative.
The troops who fired into US. learned,
belonged to WalthalPs division. We took
up line Of battle on the right again this
morning, but were moved to the left
Thank the Lord for my escape; clear day.
March N.-Brother came and stayed with
me last night; moved our brigade forward
today to connect with the left of General
Wheeler The enemy attacked the right
Of our division, but were repulsed with
loss.
They got in the rear of our brigade, but
were driven off with loss. Commenced to
rain in afternoon.
A. A. JOHNSON,
CO. d, Second S. c. V.
Atlanta Ga