The National tribune., 1908-04-30

last expression struck every one of us,
that il was no part of n soldiers
duty to get scared 1t had no sense
in it. As Bill Huestis said, How is
man to help being skeered when he is
skeered?' But the speech represented
Lyon. His idea was duty; every sol
dier was to him q mere machine: it
was not the duty of soldier to
think, and hence he was not to get
scared until his superior officer told
him to. Lyon might have spoken
few sentences that would have raised
his men up to the top notch and en-
deared himself to their memory for all
time; but that was not Lyon; he did
not care to endear himself to anybody.
This speech of his seemed to me just
the kind of speech he would make. On
the other hand, dear old Irish General
Sweeney, who did not get killed, made
a speech to his cavalry, of which 1
have no notes except that he said ESQ
his boys told among other things.
Stay together, boys. and Well saber
hell out of them This had enthu
siasm to it.
Among the men Lyon had bitter
enemies for his occasona: severity and
want of consideration. The boys
thought, as they had agreed to stay
with him voluntarily, that he ought to
act better. He seemed to go upon the
theory that he did not want his men
to think kindly of him; that what he
wanted of them was to have them
understand that he was not to be
fooled with, and that as they We're in
the employ of the Government it was
his duty to see that the Government
got everything out of them that could
be got for the time being. On the
other hand, the boys felt that strange
confidence which soldiers always feel
in and officer who they. believe under
stands his business. So that speech
particular effect one way or another,
and had he not been killed would have
been entirely forgotten. In fact, the
boys did not like Lyon. They wanted
a fight so that they could go home
creditably to themselves and their
sweethearts; they knew just exactly
how to fire a musket, and they did not
intend to be scared, whether it was
part of their duty or not, if they could
help it.
"The preparation for the battle was
not very extended. Shortly after Lyon
had made his speech, ammunition was
distributed. / did not take any, be-
cause / did not use the same kind that
] my company used; but 1 had plenty for
my own use, and was carrying about
six pounds of it. Orphan was in
SoOu In, titdH Gnu ICcus- ic wy .
| filed not only their cartridge boxes but
also their pockets. Our wooden shirts
had pockets in the bosoms. and most
| of the boys, besides filing their
breeches pockets, had some in their
shirt pockets. In short, we were
| fixed"
Col. Ware gives good description
of the various phases of the fight as it
appeared to a man in the ranks, and
says that at the conclusion all the
enemy had disappeared in front of
them, and their regiment, when ordered
to march, supposed they were to pur-
sue the enemy. Instead they marched
to the rear, perhaps half mile, and
found the artillery and some of the
infantry drawn up in a new line of
battle. They were the last off the
field and not shot he'd been fired at
them. They waited there some time
and some of the boys who had cards
got them out and began playing.
Everybody was highly pleased that
they had got thru the day alive and
had no idea that they were whipped
They were so hoarse from yelling that
they could hardly talk and the kicks
| of their old muskets made their
shoulders SO sore that they felt as il
! it was the rheumatism. They had
held the field six hours and the enemy
| had fed. The wonder of all was that
the victory was not followed up The
Colonel, Lieutenant-Colonel and Major