The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-09-02
The Best Story
of Battle.

The best description of the war has
been written by young newspaper
man who never saw a battle, never
heard of barrage fire and was, in
deed, dead IA years before the war
began. That sounds prepostcrous, but
the reader Wba.w ishesstO. catch hold 0
the feelings of men on the battlefield
will find nothing in all the mass of
writing since August, 1914, that can
stand beside The Red Badge Of Cour-
age, published in 1895.
Cranes masterpiece is worth read
ing any time, but 1t SO tremendously
worth while now that attention ought
to be called to 1t. Strangely 1t is not
widely known. though 1t is one of tho
most vivid war tales ever written.
It's analysis Of the feelings of a green
recruit in camp and under fire makes
it an unexampled addition to war lit
erature.
Henry Fleming, youngster In the
Union army, breaks and runs away in
panic during his first big engagement.
In pure terror he has fled for hours
through a helter- SHELTER of disorgan-
lied troops and supply trains until
at last ne has found quiet i'll a dis
tant wood.
AT length he reached a place where
the high. arching boughs made 4
chapel. - He softly pushed the green
doors aside and entered. Pine needles
were q gentle brown carpet. There
was a religious half light.
Near the threshold he stopped,
horror stricken at the sight of a
thing.
HE was being looked at by dead
| man who was seated with his back
against a column-like tree. The corpse
| was dressed in a uniform that once
had been blue, but was now faded 10
a melancholy shade of green. The
eyes, staring at the youth. had chaneed
| to a dull hue to be seen on the side
| of IA dead fish. The mouth was open.
| Its red had changed to an appalling
yellow. Over the gray skin OF the
! face ran little ants. One was trung-
ling some sort Of a bundle along the
upper lip.
1.-THE youth gave shrek as he con-
fronted the thing. He was for mo.
ments turned to stone before 1t. no
remained staring into the liquid-look-
ing eyes. The dead man and the llv"
ing man exchanged long look. .
AT last he burst the bonds which
had fastened him to tho spot and
fled
4 He comes finally to feel the shame
of his desertion and after vague wand
erings, returns to camp with q story
of wounds and heavy fighting. His
story is accepted and the next day
he goes into battle with his company
again. After long delays the action
begins.
The blue. smoke swallowed line
!, curled and writhed like snake
stepped upon. The youth was
. not conscious that he was erect upon
his feet. He had taken up u first
position behind the little tree with a
/ direct determination to hold 1t against
, the world. =" : The flames bit him
and the hot smoke broiled his skin
His rifle barrel grew so hot that or.
> dinarily he could not have horne u
. upon his palms; but he kept on stuff
fling cartridges into It. and pounding
them with his clanking. bending ram
, rod. II he aimed at some changing
. form through the smoke. he pulled hi
| trigger with fierce grunt, as 4 h
were dealing q blow of the fist Will
5 all his strength"
And so he fought until the BATH
$ ended-dazed. unknowing. mad.
e The speech of the men ID marvelousl!
> well recorded; their actions under fir
r and at rest are natural. The bool
!. was written about the Civil war b,
t q man who had not seen It: Il reu1Ain
I the hest story OF that war a16 hi
!. which you WI, rind.s aF~ AseHT
: ~ I...'.. an .Ia -. sssss5s