, 1905-10-26

MEN, II ENEMY Is IN O OF Usi'
soldier sees his commanding officer
ready to sacrifice his life there can be
III hanging back.
Yes, sab, l would place myself
where shot and shell rajncd the thick
est, and after allowing the men time to
steady themselves | would wave my
sword and utter Il few words of fervid
eloqucnce. Then l would wheel IL
lead them. and it was seldom that vic
tory did not perch upon our banners.
She had TO perch. There was no get
ting out of it. When you follow II fer
vid speech with Il dash and II yell
something has got to break. The one
noted exception was ut the second bat
tie of Manassas. My glorious old regi-
ment was placed in a certain position
and ordered to hold it until my judg-
ment dictated an advance. We had
fought for three hour when the oppor-
unc omc arrived. Placing myself
in front of the line, | went through the
usual waves and then said:
"'Men, the enemy is in front of us.
Who will follow me until the last one
has died or surrendercd:'
- will shouted Il hundred men.
and the next moment we were dashing
forward. After we had dashed about
eighty rods ! began to look for the en-
envy, but he was not TO be found. We
kept oil for half n mile, but no enemy.
We were determined to do or die, sah-
do or dic-and we continued charging
ahead and thinking of our forcfathe"S
who died ut Lexington and Bunker Hill
until we had gone two miles. 1t then
TRANSFERRED that there was no enemy for
ten miles in that direction, and after II
rest We returned.
Il am sorry to say that Il gallant
dash was misconstrucd in certain quar-
tiers. The bri=adicr. for instance. said
hc couldn't make out why we should
go charging all over the country after
an enemy that was close at hand | re
pcatcd the words OF my frrvid address
to him. but il was no 30. | told him OF
our wish TO die for Il country. but he
only smiled. At length. sab, mt length
whcn he became sarcastic ! remarked
that he was my superior officer and
outside of any challenge from me, but
if we both lived to the end of the wah
he would he forced to meet me on the
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. 1t was Just nj the time
blnckberricS were ripe. and would YOU
believe. sab. that he had the impudcnce
to ask me if l had taken my regiment
.,t All. =. ..,tl,.. ,I,. ..,,,.,,In,,t
fruit | had him challenged within five
seconds. but in going to the field Sc
lectcd | fell over Il stone and injured
my back so that | was laid up for Il
month. At the end of that time Colonel
johnson was drafted into another rcgi-
'mcnt, and we did not meet again until
all was over. Then he came up to me
one day with outstrctchcd hand and
said:
"'ColonCl Bunker, | have had almost
three years in which to think that thing
over, and ! have come TO the conclusion
that blackbcrrics had nothing TO do
with it. | think you were inspired nj,
together by hcroism and that If you
had found the enemy he would have
been slain TO the last man. Forget the
words spoken years ago, Sln-lorSet
them
Il had to forget them, sab. You can't
force Il man 10 fight You after he has
a~poloGized. 1t was only n few weeks
iater when / met the brigadicr. The
wah was over. and he had gone ia
keeping II grocery. l walked in on him
one day. but before I could make Il re.
mark he came bustling forward to say;
"'Coloncl Bunker. | am glad to SEQ
you, sah-mighty glad. When you
wanted TO die for your country mt sec.
ond Manassas and made Il dash OF
three miles in hopes to find some one
10 kill YOU ! did not exactly appreciate
the sentiment nor the situation. | have
given them much thought since. and !
have come to the conclusion that you