The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1905-11-02
SOLDIERS AT HOME.
THEY TELL SOME INTERESTING
ANECDOTES OF THE WAR.
Row the Boys Of Both Armies Whlled
Away Life In Camp-Foraging Ex.
perieuces, Tiresome Marches-Tkril.
ling Scenes on the Battlefield.

It Is rare that a prize fighter Is a
who went through the war in the
Army Of the Potomac. when was
captain OF Company II, Sixty-seventh
Ohio, we had a strapping big fellow
named Frank Blaine with US. Blaine
was an expert boxer, and he had AL
his comrades terrorized because OF his
agility with his fists.
1.-THE boys became afraid to box
with him, and Blaine dropped into the
habit of knocking them around out OF
pure devilment. reprimanded him
frequently, Of course, and he would
laughingly retort that he was just try
ing to train the soldiers muscles.
"At the battle of Winchester, In
1862, our company. like others. was
rushing into action. While climbing
over fence l noticed man lying
down with his face to the earth. He
did not seem to be wounded. and
found that 1t was Frank Blaine, the
prize fighter. I said; Are you hurt,
FrankY
'N-n-n-n-o, SIR he chartered.
"Then why don't you 60 on with
the boys?'
"He stood up, and looked at me with
trembling lips. His face was as white
as chalk.
Captain he said, I'm scared to
death
II saw that his fright had mastered
him. in spite Of his strong will. He
dreaded the charge Of cowardice al
most as much as death, but he just
gave way in one supreme moment of
terror. There were little men Of the
company, not half the size Of Frank,
who were fighting CALAMITY In front.
There were men there whom I had
seen Frank knock half way across the
camp, and yet they were doing their
duty In a way that ought to have
shamed the big bruiser.
II finally got him into the line, and
he faced the music fairly well. 1t was
terrifcally hot fight, and happened
to be the only one Of the civil war
where Stonewall Jackson was defeat
ed. After the battle Frank came to
| me and pleaded with tears In his eyes
not to tell the boys, and l promised
on condition that he would quit knock
ing them around.
about the most distressing thing
in war time is the odium heaped upon
man whose fragrant act Of cowardice
has become so notorious that the dis
cipline Of the army demands that he be
made public example. Such things
happened at Suffolk, Va, in 1868. A
soldier deserted q thin skirmish line
| and fed ANONYMOUSLY to the rear.
1.-THE desertion was witnessed by so
many and the culprit was so needless
regarding the publicity of his shame
| ful behavior that 1t was absolutely
necessary to show the soldiers what
cowardice in the face of the enemy
| meant. So the army was lined up on
both sides Of the street, the frightened
soldier stripped Of his uniform. and
boards bearing the word coward
| were hung to his breast and back. On
either side was a soldier carrying q
musket. In the rear walked a drum
mer playing the 'Rogue's March, As
the coward passed through the lines
the soldiers jeered. He did not dare
raise his eyes. Had he possessed n
particle of manhood he would have
preferred death ten times over to such
humiliation, but he seemed to be one
of these curious freaks we run across
now and then in whom every sense of
pride is absolutely extinct. He passed
| on down the line, out into the woods,
a man without home and without a
country."-St. Louis Republic.