Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1911-04-07
WAR WARM WORK
The Phrase "Heat Of Battle Not
a Mere Figure of Speech.
FIGHTING FIRES THE BLOOD.

An Old Veterans Story Of an EARLY
Morning Attack In Zero Weather and
the Change the skirmish Wrought In
His Half Frozen Body.
''The expression heat Of battle is
more than a mere poetic hgure of
speech descriptive Of the fierce glow of
emotion the soldier feels when in the
midst Of conflict" said southern SOL
der who was an officer under Colonel
Mosby. at describes exactly the sen
sible, physical condition the soldier
feels, no matter what the temperature
may be
.srhat this is true was evidenced by
my own experience during the war be-
tween the states. 1t was in February,
1861. and Colonel Mosby. with some
hundred of US, was camped near Up
perville. village in Virginia about
thirty miles south Of Harpers Ferry.
Late one afternoon our leader received
dispatch from General Lee TO make
a forced march that night and attack
body Of Federal troops that was sta
toned on Loudon heights, which over
look Harpers Ferry. The weather was
bitter cold, the coldest that had been
known in HAT section for many years.
The mercury was coquetting around
zero. a six inch fall of snow, half melt
ed and frozen again. made. the roads
almost impossible, and a stiff north
wind, added to these other evils, made
the outlook for d pleasant dash Of
thirty miles a most dismally fmprob-
able one.
1T was about sunset when, muftled
to the eyes against the biting frost and
bitter wind. our column left camp at
Upperville For the first ten miles our
squadron, made up Of veterans Injured
to all manner of hardships, did not
suffer much, and occasionally some one
would even essay joke. But in the
second ten miles the cold, that had
slowly eaten its way through overcOat
and Jacket and shirt, began to bite into
our bodies. To restore life to our numb
legs we would take our feet from the
stirruDs and let them hang until the
circulation was restored-an old trick
with those compelled to ride much in
the eold-and we would keep our
hands and arms in some measure
warm BY beating them against our
bodies or clapping them severely to-
gether.
. ,sThe second ten was bad enough, l
say, but the last was-well, polar
nightmare. The vitality seemed to be
frozen out of man and beast. For
hours the horses stumbled through
the snow bearing a troop as silent as
the dead save for an occasional
humping of some poor devils half
frozen arms against his side as he
sought to restore life to the deadened
limbs. When took my feet out of
the stirrnps TO help the circulation l
would have to take my hands and lift
my legs up TO get the feet back in
place. so lost to all sensation were
they.
AT length about 8 o'clock In the
morning we saw the lights of the en-
emy's picket fires and could distin-
guish the mufiied forms Of the sentries
as they paced their beats. There was
small strip of woods that ran to
within a hundred or less yards Of the
Federal camp. and in this we formed
FOR the attack. Ny hands were so
cold that l was unable to cock the
hammers of my revolvers with my
thumb, but was compelled to effect it
with my teeth. holding the pistol be
tween my numbed fists and drawing
back the hammer by gripping it in-my
teeth and pulling it back until It
caught. 40 80 q
AT length all was in r.adiness As
sat there. barelytable to grasp my
revolvers. the 'Cliarger rang out. and
the next moment we were In the midst
of the enemy. who were too astounded
at an attack on such bitter night to
offer much resistance and for the most
part fed down TO Harpers Ferry to
the main body. Some of them. how
ever, put up stout fight for men
awakened from warm sleep to fight to
the death In the bitter night air. and
for couple OF minutes we had all we
could do, but It was soon over. and
we were in possession Of the camp.
when came to myself found /
was sitting with one leg thrown over
the pummel of my saddle. my over
coat and jacket auag wide open. while
my shirt. opened to the last hutton.
allowed a grateful zero zephyr to play
upon my bare sweating breast. In
my hand, from which had pulled the
glove. moist with sweat, was hold
ing my hat. with which / was vigor-
ously flaming myself
"And less than five minutes before
had been so chilled that had been in
a comfortable house with physician
at hand be would have filed me full
Of hot drinks. wrapped me in blankets
and kept me In bed couple of days.
NO concluded the veteran, "the
heat Of battle is something moro
than mere figure of speech."-New
York Times.
Pills to Prevent Earthquakes.