The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1908-10-01

MA jor, how did you feel the first
time you were under freT' l inquired
of Past Commander Case of Detroit
Post, a few years ago, while sitting in
his snug quarters in the water office, In
company with several war-worn veter-
ans who had dropped in for chat.
WELL" said he, that is a question
that is hard to answer. l did feel,
though, that there were other places in
which I'd rather be-
Were you afraid? l am free to adj
NIT that in my first fight the chills
made a toboggan slide of my back for
at least ten minutes"
WAS l afraid? Yes and no. There
was a sort of nameless dread about go
Ing in, but after the first vOlley l didn't
mind 1t so much. | knew those fellows
in front of us were not there especially
for their health or ours, and l knew
enough about guns to know that they
were very dangerous things In the
hands of q sharpshooter."
II have seen many different state
ments, major, about how men act when
hit with a bullet, and have seen them
fall myself when struck by missile
from the enemy What is your expert
ence in this regard?'
well, every man has a different way
of taking his cold lead" replied the
major. II have seen a soldier 'plunked
square between the eyes by a Confed-
crate marksman he would stand for an
instant as If paralyzed and then drop
to the ground like log stiff and stark.
Some would scream out and fall dead
in their tracks; others would extend
struck violent blow; some would drop
quietly without a sound, while others
would leap high in the air and fall to
the ground as stiff as though frozen to
death.
by the way, major, you must have
seen some hot times during your period
of service. Tell me of a battle where
bullets flew thick and deeds of heroism
were performed"
''Oh, colonel. those things have been
told SO often and by better men than
that my story might not be worth the
telling
Never mind that" said l. Every
one has a different way of narrating
his experiences, and no two men in the
same regiment will give the same ac-
count of fight"
THAT is true, colonel, and If you care
TO listen | will give you the particulars
of a fight which occurred in April,
1861
what fight was that:" | asked.
WELL" said he, 'it was just a fight
which will be recognized by any who
were there when they read this nara
tive
Just imagine a comparatively fiat
country, broken up somewhat by ra-
vines, which were, possibly. ages ago,
beds of streams which cutting their
way into the earth TO a depth of ten
or fifteen feet, left the surface of the
ground scanned with wrinkles, as age
makes its mark in the human face.
Well. there lay the Union and Confed-
crate armies close together on that
pleasant April day forty odd years ago.
stretched along in parallel lines for
miles, locked in close embrace, as it
were, and each struggling for the mas
terry. Hidden behind massive breast
works. Union and Confederate, so close
that the men on the outer picket lines
could easily converse with each other
with the continued rafting of musket-
~, the hiss of bullets, the booming OF
cannon and bursting of shells constant
~ around, over and into US, we had
remained for months with scarcely any
perceptible change in the situation. The
places where we lived and slept were
bomb proof-holes dug In the ground
like cellars for houses, with logs laid
across and earth piled thereon to the
depth of several feet In these holes
we spent our time, fall of rain leav-
ing for days afterwards the steady
drip, drip of water that slowly perco-
lated through the roof, making our
dreams of home in the North sweeter,
as the drops fell on our uncovered
heads or trickled down our spinal col
umEs. The bomb-proof that l called
M home was occupied by the adjutant,
another officer and myself and here we
passed the time as best we could.
"Well, one night about 10 o'clock an
aide from brigade headquarters came
down the rude stairway of our cabin
with orders which he delivered to the
adjutant.
BE prepared to move at o'clock
In the morning. In light marching order,
one days ratiOns and no knapsacks.'
That was all--be prepared to move
And we'll we knew that to some OF us
it meant be prepared TO die After
giving instructions to our orderly SER
geant we sat down to write some let
tiers to those at home and arranged our
papers for final settlement with the
government.
AT o'clock the men fell into line,
silent and oppressed by the thought of
the near approach of some indefinite,
intangible calamity. Forward" and
slowly and in perfect order, through an
opening in our breastworks. and follow
ing the dugway that led to the outer
picket line, the regiment marched on.
Then we knew what was coming. Then
we knew that across the narrow space
which separated our line from the enc
my's, bristling with cheval de frise and
abatis, we would be ordered to charge
the works which the federal army had
for months been bammering unsuccess-
fully with shot and she'll Further to
the left troops had been massed and
desperate attempt was TO be made to
AIRY the Confederate works NJ that