The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1909-04-01
EntnIism in the Arny.


Soldiers ana sailors are provGrbially
superstitious. and a writer in the At
lantic. treating Of The Courage of a
Soldier" declares that the soldier de
rives great comfort from his cheerful
fataliSm. He recalls a beautiful Sep
TENDER day. which was devoted to one
of the fierceSt battles ever known. The
color guard Of a conspicuous regiment
had been repeatedly shot down and re-
placed. until sixteen men had fallen.
most of them mortally hurt. At this
juncture a captain of gigantic stature,
the largest among ten thousand men,
seized the colors. and continued to
wave them defiantly until the position
was carried.
He escaped untouched. even TO his
uniform. while away in the rear rank,
in the least exposed position on the
line. little Irish fish peddler. known
as Mickey the fish. received two seri-
Gus wounds. Mickey was a dwarf,
whose enlistment had been regarded as
capital joke. and whose immunity was
taken for granted.
Somewhat puzzled by the citation
shown by the comrades of giant and
dwarf. | inquired concerning their
blithe confidence. and found thai they
regarded the double event as clear
proof that all casualties were foreor-
dained and am well assured that out
of this tranQuilizing belief grew great
peace in many hearts, which served
them well when the storm of battle
shut out all ordinary means of refuge.
In illustration Of more serious Kind
of fatalism l will relate the following ::
We were at Smokers Gap. The
Eighth corps. under the White Wolf.
as the Indians loved TO call Gen. Crook,
had crossed the Shenandoah at Island
Ford. The sun went down in sea of
delicious crimson, and even the most
cautious were so Influenced by the met
aphor of peace suggested by the heav-
enly stiffness that they began to regard
as needless the precautions taken by
our chief. the White Wolf.
Fires were lighted on the river bank !;
coffee. the soldiers elixir of life, was
prepared and drunk. The twilight
crept slowly on. and was deepening into
the cleaning. when n staff officer rode
down from an old farm house in front
of us with a report that Gen. Gallatin
Jenkins was advancing upon us with a
heavy force.
4 few minutes later there was scat
tering fire as of pickets. and a mounted
officer was ordered To call in our skirm-
ish line. Just before mounting, the
young fellow detailed turned to me and
said:
Il feel strangely to-day. | wish you'd
do this for me. / cannot explain my
reluctance; but none VINO know me will
think me afraid
His face was ashy white; his lips
looked dry. l saw that he was i'll.
Mounting his horse. l rode rapidly to
the skirmish line and gave the order to
fall back.
On my return / found this young
officer seated at the foot of a tree, prop
ped up against it. His eyes were fixed
on the sky above him. and between his
parted lips was a bubble of crimson
foam. A bullet had passed through his
chest. and he had hut a few minutes to
live.
What premonition had possessed him.
| from what mistaken motive he had
chosen this place of safety. which
proved So treacherous. will never be
known. He was killed by sharpshoot-
or from such a distance that his death
might be considered accidental.