The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1905-11-02

MIN. Tuk Eskhf IN IN fHoAf OF UhV
soldier sees his commanding officer
ready to sacrifice his life there can be
no hanging back.
Yes. snh, would place myself
where shot aud shell ralncd the thick
est, and after allowing the men time u
stehdy themselves | would wave my
sword and utter few words OF fcryld
eloquence. Then | would wheel aud
lead them. aud II was seldom that vic.
tory did not perch upon our banners
Shc had 10 perch. There was no get
ting out OF II. When you follow fer
yid speech with n dash aud yell
something has got 10 break. The one
noted exception was at the second bat.
tie OF Manassas. Ny glorious old regI.
ment was placed In certain position
aud ordered TO hold II until my judg.
ment dictated an advance. We had
fought for three hours when the oppor.
tune moment arrived. Placing myself
In front OF the line. | went through the
usual waves and then said.
Men. the enemy In In front OF US!
Who will follow me until the last one
has died or surrendered
- wlllr shouted hundred men,
aud the next moment we were dashing
forward. After we had dashed about
eighty rods began to look for the en-.
emy. but he was not to be found. We
kept on for half mile. but no enemy.
We were determined TO do or die, sab
do or die--and We continued charging
ahead and thinking OF our forcfathers
who died at Lexington and Bunker Hin
until we had gone two miles. II then
transplrcd that there was no enemy for
ten miles In that direction. and after q
rest We returned.
II am sorry to say that our gallant
dash was mIsconstrued In certain quar-.
ters. The brlgadicr. for instance. said
he couldn't make out why we should
20 charging all over the country after
nn enemy that was close at hand. re-
pcntcd the words OF my fervid address
10 him, but II was no go. told him OF
our wish to die for our country. but he
only smiled. At length. sab, at length
when he became sarcastic | remarked
that he was my superior officer and
outside Of amy challenge from me, but
II we both lived TO the end OF the wah
hs. ufAttll l.n 90 A..
field OF honah. For my words | was
put under arrest for two weeks.
Colonel Johnson OF my own brigade
was another who did not understand
the situation. II was just ut the time
blackberrlcs were ripe, and would you
believe, sab, that he had the lmpudence
TO ask me II had taken my regiment
on a little trip 60 gather the succulent
frultf had him challenged within nve
seconds. but In going TO the field se-
lected I fell over stone and injured
my back 30 that was laid up for a
month. At the end OF that time Colonel |
Johnson was drafted into another regl. !
ment. and we did not meet again until |
all was over. Then he came up TO me
one day with outstretched hand and !
said:
Colonel Bunker, have had almost |
three years In which TO think that thing
over, and have come TO the conclusion
that blaekberries had nothing to do
with II. think you were inspired al. |
together by heroism and that II you
had found the enemy he would have
been slain TO the last man. Forget the
words spoken years ago, sah-forget
hem
Il had to forget them. sab. You can't
force a man to fight you after be hns
.pologised. II was only a few weeks
ater when I met the brigadier. The
Vah was over, and he had gone to
teeping grocery. ! walked In on him
me day, but before I could make a re-
mark he came bustllng forward to say:
Colonel Bunker, am glad to see
'ou, sah-mlghty glad. When you
wanted TO die for your country az sec.
md Manassas and made a dash Of
hree miles In hopes to find some one
kill you did not exactly appreciate
he sentiment nor the situation. haye
fven them much thought since, and I
ave come to the conclusion that yop