New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-09-19

AS SEEN FROM THE RANKS. A BOY IN ,z 6ns
Tew-YoTk state Volunteers pno. PIP XIII -
G. 7. Putnam's Sons
1t is a good while since the Civil War cIoseo'
and the literature that has grown up about II
has left no phase Of it uncovered Yet MI
Benton has contributed to this literature great
as il is something that IS Of real interest
because il is a simple and direct transcript
Of experiences and impressions. Mr. Benton
gives an idea OF what a soldiers life was in
the somewhat random sketches he has drawn
He was a musician attached to the Hospital
Corps much Of the time. but he saw plenty %
real fighting as well most of the hardshlpS
of campaigning. His experience is that tie
conventional representation Of the emotlons Oh
the battlefield is far removed from the acIual
fact He found the great underlying motive III
q battle 10 be not the excitement but a oeVP
and strong sense of duty, greatly reinforced ana
strengthened by military discipline and resting
upon stability OF character its basis. he
even feels disappointment that the dreadfnlness
of the battlefield did not Increase the height
of his feeling in proportion. but rather the re
verse. Nor is there a division between the
brave and the towards: but all men belong 10
both classes:
When about to take part in an engagement
there enters unpleasant ana unWelceLiie
thought that one may soon be numbered among
the dead or he one of those whose sulLeill7S
were such a common sight But III TINS cas-. -
IN the others. the mind instinctlVely ADJUSTS
itself TO the prevailing conditions, ana without
losing the thought Of danger, yet becomes 70 Z.
soon gone and thenceforth It is that DOMINANT
sense of duty of which 1 have spoken which
holds the reins.
The roar Of the battlefield. especially near
artillery fire seems 10 Mt. Benton 10 be one
that is felt rather than heard He tells OF ms
experience at Gettysburg:
1t was more than deafening: the air seemed
to lose under this beating and torture its "Tol-
nary capa abilities of conveying sound. ana II Pc
come stagnant and paralyzed a -
rade has since said that he was WlIhln q"
five yards of & battery part Of that il'llt anu
die not know when il fired unless ne WAS
looking in that direction And yet there Wa
some particular quality in this sound carnlEal
not easily understood II was possible 1or ~
stance for persons standing very near together
to converse almost in the ordinary tones VI
voice Yet the same time the air was d1'7'-
lutely impenetrable by the voice TO any dis
tance-
Another curious observation made at the same
time was that of the tendency of heavy can
ronading TO produce sleepiness. When IT began
a. comrade VINO was in the midst of an interest
ing account Of his experiences suddenly stopped
with the remark: THAT always makes me
sleepy Wake me up If my regiment starts VIII
your" and in the midst Of the exploding she4ls
slept soundly on the grass
Mr. Benton was transferred from the Army OF
the Potomac to the forces in Tennessee. ana
then went with Shermans army on his march
through Georgia. He has many stories enter
flaming and rarhetic to tell Of these expert
ences. They all go TO make the book what It's
unpretentious title sets il forth to be, View
Of army life from TIE ranks.