Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-08-15
HATFIELD THE UNTERRIFIED
American Soldier Who Didn't Know
How to be Afraid.

the very teeth Of danger" commented
an old soldier the other evening, after
telling some yarns that applied to his
observation, says the Kansas City
Journal.
Deacon Hatfield was certainly one
of them," said Colonel A. B. Comfy,
assistant adjutant general Of the Kan
sas national guard and lieutenant Of
Company I, Goth Kansas. Deacon
was one Of them. At the battle Of Ca
loocan. when the firing was thickest,
when 1t seemed as If all the furies had
broken loose, Hatfield took a good long
look at the enemy, put his head to one
side and loudly asked: Gee whiz!
Whoop-ee! Do you really suppose
those id niggers over there are real
ly mad at us?' He kept up that kind
Of talk, all the while right out on the
front line, firing away. absolutely fear
less. 1t was worth something to us,
can tell you.
Hatfield joined my company in To-
peka," continued Comfy. "The boys said
he was a church deacon. At any rate,
when he enlisted he wore Prince Al
bert coat and looked like church
man, all right. He had all the deport-
ment marks in that respect, too. He
broke loose from some Of them in time,
but he was always dandy good fellow.
He had IS when he joined Us. He
thought he was something Of a foot
racer and backed himself with his V.
Well he got beat. 1t was his first les
son With us.
But to get back to Caloocan. After
the battle we were less than a mile
from the Fillipinos, and In the day had
a single sentry out ahead Of us, while
at night we had six and corporal.
There was always something going on.
"One afternoon bullets began to
whistle around our company pretty
lively, though rather spasmodically.
We lay behind works of rice sacks and
the bullets swept over us. But 1t also
happened that the lead began to whizz
uncomfortably around Major Wilder
Metcalf's headquarters.
"Flanders,' called out Metcalf to
our captain, who Is the sentry out in
front of us today?
81 don't know answered Flanders,
but I'll ask Comfy He asked me, and
/ told him 1t was Deacon Hatfield.
1.-The bullets kept on Kissing around
Metcalrs headquarters, and he decided
to go out and see what was going on
and who the sentry was.
$50 the three Of us stepped up on the
works, and about 200 yards away was
q six-foot ant hill mound. Against this
Law a gun. Close by was little bam-
boo tree. Under 1t, but well In view,
sat Hatfield He was holding up the
ramrod to his gun, on the end Of which
was tied a big red bandana handker-
chief-and 1t was a bright, CORY red,
too. Hatfield was as unconcerned as II
he had been asleep. He slowly waved
that little red flag back and forward
after each shot that came his way.
What in thunder are you doing,
Hatfield? demanded Metcalf, as soon
as he saw the strange performance.
well replied Hatfield. you know.
major, at target practice when they
miss the tagret, keepers wave n red
flag to show the shooters that they
have missed
"Certainly I do said Metcalf, but
what I want to know is what you are
doing?
"'Oh,' responded Hatfield uncon-
cernedly, though he was at attention,
was just teaching those oo-Goos how
to shoot. l was signaling them that
they were missing right along
why, good heavens, man. said
Metcalf, they'll kill YOU
Nav responded Hatfield, they
won't. They can't hit anybody
"Of course" went on Comfy, Major
Metcalf told him to cut it out and get
under cover behind the ant-hill. He
didn't want to see Hatfield killed. Hat
field was unconsciously a sort Of
range finder for that headquarters
tent, too II was a ludicrous incident,
| but II was a dangerous one. Hatfield
was just that happy smiling sort Of a
lad He absolutely did not know what
fear meant; he was a corking fine SOL
dier a good fellow and right out on the
line all the time"
What ever became of him?' was
| asked.
After we came back from the Phil
ippines," said Comfy, Hatfield Joined
the regular army, going into the 18th
cavalry. He was shot through the leg
by a bullet, but recovered soon and
went back on duty. In nasty little
fight in driving some Filipinos out of a
church, where they had fortified them
| selves, Hatfield was shot from his
horse, the bullet going into his body
He was left for dead, but later his
comrades were able to go back for him
and he recovered again. He did not re-
enlist in the service. asked him why,
one time. Well he said, smiling and
happy as ever, I thought at first that
I was married to the army and never
did want a divorce. l stood for 1t all
right when they shot me through the leg,
although It would have been natural
| for a man to kick under such circum-
stances. But when they shot me
| through the body just got to thinking
that maybe they would keep on going
up and next time get me in the sky
piece and 1t would be all off. So l
didn't re-inlist another time.
HE was one of the happiest men l
ever knew; and one Of the braVest.
I've lost all track Of him now"
Points for Public Orators.-Knowing
| ..i>OxOaf L dicnainrco Laor To almnniSl