Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1909-04-02

E.taIi.m IN the Army.
Soldiers and sailors are proverblnllS
superstitious, and a writer in the AT
lantic, treating Of Tile Courage or Il
Soldier" declares that the soldier de-
riyes great comfort from his cheerful
fatalism." He recalls Il beautiful sep
tcmber day, which was devoted to one
of the fercest battles ever known. Inc
| c~olor-guard of a conspicuous regiment
had been repeatedly shot down ana re-
placed. until sixteen men had fallen,
most of them mortally hurt. At TINS
juncture a captain Of gigantic stature
the largest among ten thousand men,
seized the colors, and continued TO
wave them dctiautly 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, a little Irish fish pcddler. known
as mickey the fish" received two seri-
Gus wounds. Mickey was Il dwarf,
whose enlistment had been regarded as
q capital Joke, and whose immunity was
taken for granted.
Somewhat puzzled by the elatlon
shown by the comrades Of giant and
dwarf. l inquired concerning their
blithe confidence, and found that they
regarded the double event as clear
proof that all casualties were foreor-
daiped and | am we'll assured that out
Of this tranGuilizing belief grew a great
peace in many hearts, which served
them we'll when the storm of battle
shut out all ordinary means of refuge.
In Illustra ton of q more serious KIND
of fatal.ism l will relate thef following:
We were at Smokers Gap. The
Eighth corps, under the White Wolf,
as the ndian loved to call Gen. Crook,
had crossed the Shenandoah at Island
Ford. The sun went down in Il sea OF
delicious crimson, n ever the most
cautious were so influenced by the met
aDhor of peace suggested by the hea'-
emily 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 a staff officer ronc
down from an old farm house in front
of us with a report that Gen. Ga!latln
Jenkins was advancing upon us with a
heavy force.
A few minutes later there was a scat
tering fire as of pickets, II Il mounted
officer was ordered to call in u sklrm-
ish line. Just before mounting, the
Young fellow detailed turned to me and
said:
"I feel strangely to-day. wish you'd
do this for me. I cannot explain my
reluctance: but lone who know me Will
think me afraid"
His face was ashy white; his lips
looked dry. I saw that he was i'll.
Mounting his horse, l rode rapidly to
the skirmish line and gay the order to
fall back.
On nv return found this young
officer seated at the foot Of a tree. prop
ned 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 but 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 a sharpshoot-
or. from such a distance that his death
might be considered accidental.