Evening star., 1914-08-23
THE CHEAT OF BATTLE"
NO FIGURE OF SPEECH

THE heat Of battle" of which poets
and rhetorical prose writers are
so prone to dwell, is, according 10
Capt Samuel Chapman. a veteran OF
the civil war. no mere figure OF speech,
but an absolute practical and pnysicai
reality The men now sweating In the
trenches of Belgium are sweating not
only figuratively. but in the actual
body. Consumed by an actual. physical
heat that only the fierce fire OF bat
tie can incite.
Capt. Chapman. who is now pastor
of the Baptist Church at Covingtoh,
| Va, was during the civil war one or
| the most daring cayalrymen In the
Confederate service. He served IN
every campaign In Virginia from the
| first battle of Bull Run until three
weeks after Appomattox, never miss
ing a chance to get into hght HIS
commander often said that he would
fight a circular saw. Accordingly ms
testimony as to the reality or the neat
Of battle is both valuable and timely,
coming az it does when millions are
now engaged in bloody war In western
Europe.
"The heat of battle is no poetic
phrase" said Capt. Chapman, wlTen on
visit to Washington recently II
is essentially a physical effect brought
about unconsciously by the intense
In battle; he may conceal his feelings. but
his heart is going like trip hammer.
The result is that his body becomes
intensely heated.
u had most striking example of
this in the winter Of 1864. Early In
January that year The command of
Confederate cavalry to which / belong
ed was ordered to make a raid upon
a Union camp of soldiers stationed on
Ioudoun Heights few miles from
Harpers Ferry.
perville, about thirty miles south of
Loudoun Heights-two hundred OF US.
1t was the coldest day that the oldest
inhabitant of that country had ever
seen, the mercury standing about six
degrees below zero. We started on the
march about 3 or o'clock AS we sal
lied forth, we broke forth into song.
for we were all well clothed. having
warm boots and overcoats, and feel
ing jolly and comfortable.
But, after a few miles. the songs
ceased We found that. despite. our
warm clothing, the bitter cold was
penetrating deep into Some of US
hung our feet out of the stirrups to
bring back the circulation. Others
slapped their hands against their sides.
In fact, we tried every imaginab BILE way
to keep out the deadly cold. but with
out avail When we reached the vi
cinity of the Union camp about
o'clock in the morning we were frozen
practically stiff. As lined up for
the attack, about 200 yards from th,
enemies lines, we had TO take our legs
in our hands and lift our feet back
in the stirrups. SO entirely numb had
feet and legs become; and when We
came TO cock our navy revolvers we
found that our fingers were too numb
to pull back the hammer. So. holding
the pistols between our two hands.
as though we had but stunps of arms.
we cooked the pistols with our teeth.
Suddenly, as we sat shivering
there, the word TO Charge" was given.
With the yell springing from frozen
lips we dashed forward. In less than
a minute were in the midst OF the
Union camp. shooting right and left.
Our attack was such a surprise that
the enemy had no chance TO make any
resistance, but fed on all sides The
fight did not last, from the time the
command to charge was given until
every Union soldier was out of range
more than five minutes.
when | came TO myself | was sit
ting in my saddle, with one leg
thrown over the poinm el. tanning my
self with my hat My overcoat was
thrown open. as was also the gray
jacket beneath, and. beneath that the
woolen undershirt was open down to
the last button, barring my breast To
the cooling mountain breezes-which
at that time and altitude must have
been close on to Is degrees below zero
In word. | was overcome with heat
and tanning and painted as though 1t
was midday in the dog days. Around
me many of my comrades were en-
gagged In the same process of cooling
And barely five minutes before We
had all been too frozen to cock our
pistols or lift our feet into the stirrups.
That will give you some idea as to
whether the heat of battle is a mere
figure Of speech or a reality