The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1905-11-02
SOLDIERS AT HOME.
THEY TELL SOME INTERESTING
ANECDOTES OF THE WAR.
How the Boys Of Both Armies whiled
Away Life In Camp-Foraging Ex.
pericnces, Tiresome Marches-Thril.
ling Scenes on the Battlefield.

1t Is rare that prize fighter is n
good soldier" said Major s. G. Brook,
who went through the war In the
Army of the Potomac. "when was
captain Of Company II, Sixty-scventh
Ohio, we had strapping big fellow
named Frank Blaine with us. Blaine
was an expert boxer, and he had all
his comrades terrorized because of his
agility with his fists.
"The boys became afraid to box
with him, and Blaine dropped into the
habit OF knocking them around out Of
pure devllment. I reprlmandcd him
frequently, of course, and he would
laughlngly 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 l
found that it was Frank Blaine, the
prize fighter. l said: Are you hurt,
FrankT
"'N-n-n-n-o, SIR he chartered.
Then why don't you go on with
the boys?'
"He stood up, and looked at me with
trembling lips. His face was as white
rs chalk.
"'Captain,' he said, I'm scared to
death
~ 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 gallantly in front.
There were men there whom l had
seen Frank knock half way across the
camp, and yet they were doing their
duty in 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
a 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 1 promised
on condition that he would quit knock
ing them around.
about the most distressing thing
in war time Is the odium heaped upon
| n nn pnt pr nr1t Ia.
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 n thin skirmish line
and fed ignominiously to the rear.
"The desertion was witnessed by sc
many and the culprit was so needles.
regarding the publicity of his shame
full behavior that it was absolutely
necessary to show the solCicrs what
cowardice in the face Of the enemy
meant. So the army was lined up or
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. Or
either side was soldier carrying G
musket. In the rear walked 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 4
particle of manhood he would have
preferred death ten times over to suct
humiliation, but he seemed to be ont
Of those 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
man without home and without q
country."-St. Louis Republic.