Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1904-11-16
THE BOOMING CANNON
RECITALS OF CAMP AND SAT.
TIE INCIDENTS.
Survivors of the Rebellion ReIat~
Many Amusing and StartIing Incl
dents of Marches, Camp Life, Forag.
ing Experiences and Battle Scenes.

.'Think of it, said the Sergeant.
"Rifemen going into a fight at
close range of two miles, as tae Rus
slams and Japanese did at Iiaoyang.
l don't see how soldiers could get up
any battle enthusiasm at that distance
from an enemy. In 60. time close
RAJ &c meant getting IN so you could
see the color of the hair of the man
who was shooting at you and count
the buttons on an ohIcer's coat. OF
course. when we got that close it was
very exciting,
"He was generally coming straight
at us in line, and there were SO many
OF him that robody felt lonesome. I
remember once when Charley Banks,
our best shot, was in funk. We he'd
been in one of those big corn fields
which abound in battletieldS. and I'm
line along the north side of the tielt!
were pegging away at the rehS shoot
when there came into the field from
the distant southwest corner several
regiments, whose flags showed above
the dry corn still standing in The hill,
but whose men were hidden in The
corn.
those fellows with the tags came
through the corn as thougn they
owned the whole plantation 1t vas
! tramp, tramp, tramp, swish, swish,
snap, snap, for the whole width Of
the field, but not man could we see,
not voice could we hear. Charley
Banks, always on the skirmish line.
asked. Why doesn't some man who
carries a field glass report Oh those
flags? If they are the Stars and
Stripes. The fellows in our front are
busted. If they are not, then We are
in bad hole We watched the flags
Tutoring and swapping over the corn
tops. but could not for many minutes
tell whether they were ours o. the
enemy's.
Meantime the firing from the south
east corner of the field kept up, and
four of our boys topp!ad over without
word. and died without struggle
and four more went down with uul-
lets in their legs and erept out of the
corn. One poor fellow. resting mis-
head, near a stump. said, Oh say
boys. Can't you see through the
sraoke whose flags those are And
Charley Banks said bluntly. 'Rebs. All
/ sou wounded fellows get out Of this.
| They are going to run over us Then
there was a bugle order, which caused
a great commotion in the corn to our
right, and we turned our guns that
way. Soon the heads of columns
| marching in four ranks came in sight,
but changed direction so as % pass our
front instead of striking it. VS. fired
as rapidly as we could at the march
ing men. the nearest column no. twen-
| ty yards away, but the men in the
ranks never looked our way.
''One officer on horseback looked in
! our direction with Il quiZzical smile on
his face, and with plying, contempt
uous look in Ills eyes. Then came q
sharp order for us to retreat az a run
! and we made good time until we
struck our reserve regiments. When
we turned to look back the reEs were
| still marching in column on the edge
/ of the corn field. but as soon as the
rear company mad come on line with
ours they come into line and we heard
! the order to charge. We fell back,
firing. and the charging line came
| down to a walk. dressed itself as If on
parade. and came on. A reb directly
| i'm front of me wore an old-fsshiOned
red comfort around his neck, the ends
| crossed on his breast and caught I'M
| der his belt. To his left was a man
wearing a blue cap and on his right
a man with a SLOUGH hat
.The three seemed to be blazing
AWAY at me. and / devoted myself to
! the man in the red comfort. / fired at
! him a dozen times. but aftcs every
shot he came striding on in full enjoy
ment of the situation. Finally ! called
TO Charley Banks and asked him to
shoot at the red comfort man. lie was
the best shot in the company. and /
expected him TO put a bullet at the
! spot where the two sections of the
comfort friend as good as now He
He blazed away. and on came my red
comfortf riend. as good as new lie
| fred again and again. taking deliber-
ate aim each time, but on came the
man Of the red comfort, smiling he
cause the next man in line sad his
| hat shot off.
II began to feel queer by this time.
| and | looked Mt Banks in fear and
amazement. He said, family: Hold
ne Joe. ! am going to run. am
going 10 bust this darned old blunder-
buss over a tree and run like a deer.
! feel it in my bones. ! never missed
man before. and l cant stand it.
| I would as soon chew paper wpds and
call IT eating as TO shoot at TAan and
miss him About that time the boys
were getting stubborn, and We're slow
| ing their step. The color beaver was
! the most stubborn Of all He was
nearer the enemy than any other man
1 in the regiment. and seemed iEtcnt on
/ getting close enough TO filrt the fla.
! in the faces Of the rebs. He went
down with a bullet hole bet&een his
eyes. The corporal who caught up
! the flag was wounded twice in two
! minutes Charley Banks caught up
| the flag. and with every wave Of IL
/ yelled savagely at the man OF the red
! comfort.
rr3r r.