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HOW ONE FEELS ON GOING INTO BATTLE.

Tho following animated sketch of the soldier's feelings when about to engage the enemy is from a correspondent of the LowUolUe Journal, who had been there: — ‘ People often wonder ho.-,V ope feels in bailie. This depends to a considerable extent on the nature of the conflict, the kind of.troops engaged, the weapons employed; and tlie duration of the battle. All men are not affected alike : some are cool, determined, and courageous ; some lose all judgment, and will single-handed rush Upon hundreds; others are entirely unmanned—tremble like aspens—seem dead to any emotion of honour or feeling of shame, and will slink into cohorts or run from the field. Lord Forth in tlie Crimean war is an instance. If skirmishers engage prior to a general battle, and a desultory firing is kept up for a while, one becomes used to it, and as the battle warms it frequently becomes exciting, and men that trembled at the first few shots uow rush on like heroes. I remember well my feelings during the first battle in which I was ongagod, The night before the battle wc received orders to prepare to attack the enemy early on the morrow. All was now bustle, hurry* and anxiety. Guns were cleaned, amunition inspected, straps adjusted, canteens filled, knapsacks lightened letters written, &e. Wc had several in our company who had always boasted of their bra very and prowess —men who had been “spoiling for a fight,” as they said. These are now ns still as mice—they did not peep.. One of them who had taken a master’s degree in all kinds of profanity, now borrowed a Bible, sat down and read it for some time, and intimated to his messmate the propriety of repeating their “Now I lay mo,” &c., before going to sleep that night. It is not your blustering, profane bravado that is the brave man on (he field of battle; it is your quiet patient, retiring man. * ° I confess I felt uneasy —a feeling of dread and anxiety stole over mo. Battle was certain, the enemy was strongly posted, and wo had desperate work before us. I wanted to go info the battle, I dreaded like death. I slept but little that night The morning came and our columns moved quietly and sternly forward through a wood. The first intimation we had of tile enemy was tlie skirmishing between his outposts and our van guard, the former falling back as the latter advanced. We passed out of the wood, and rapidly deployed into line of battle, a gently sloping hill hiding the enemy from our view. A part of our force had been sent round to make a flank and rear attack on the enemy, and while so doing it was of the utmost importance that we should hold his attention in front. W e marched steadily up the hill till the whole line of enemy burst upon our view; there wc haded, and for sonic minutes not a gun was fired on either side. There stood the two armies, each waiting for the other to begin the work of death, a he faces cf our men looked cool and determined ; some of them stood like statues; others were nervous and uneasy. Jt was the time to test tho courage of men. A line of camion was bearing directly nnon us. Death to many of ns was certain. Who will it be ‘i thought I. A singular feeling came over me; a confused image of a mother and sister appeared Hitting before my imagination like dissolving shadows, while tlie tremendous realitv in front oppressed me with dreadful forebodings/ Afcwmonien is passeddike those ihai intervene between drawing the cap over a criminal's face and letting fall tho drop, when a pint' of smoke from one of the cannon, followed by a crash and a boom, went screaming on ns. Fire was now epenedonus along the enemi'c’s entire line. Their first shots wereaimod too high. They grainally lowered them. Every discharge brought their balls fearfully nearer. We were impatient to return tho fire, but dare not till the command w.i; given. Our colonel passed along in front of the line, and urged us to stand linn till the -proper time, and the day would be ours. It is a task la hold men exposed to an enemy’s fire without allowing them to return it. They will soon run one way or the other. The enemy’s shots no w began to howl around us, plough through our ranks, and tear up the earth about our feet. A ball cut o!f tho bayonet of 1113- comrade on my left ; a moment more and one struck him in the breast, severimr him almost in twain. Ho reeled and fell like a dog. The hot blood from liis heart spiriting full in my fago : Great God how 1 felt. A faint sickening, sensation came over me. I stoop -1 down over him. lie smiled faintly, spoke my name, gasped, and expired. He was frightfully mangled 1 was maddened to desperation. All thoughts of fear vanished : I could have fought thou-ands. The command “lire” ran along the line, a tremendous crash of musketry answered to the command. We now loaded and fired for life. Denso volumes of sulphurous smoko hung like a pul Over us and shut out the enemy from our sight. The battle grew warm and bloody. The rattle of musketry, tho screaming of shells, tho thunder of artillery, the whistling of bullets, and shouts of command mingled with curses, prayers, and groans of the wounded and dying filled all the air. Onr men, black with smoke and powder, looked like devils incarnate as they plied their work of death. At length a breeze rolled away the smoke that shrouded us, and disclosed our other columns bearing down upon the enemy’s j flank. Now was the decisive moment. “Clurge I bayonets” rang out. With loud shouts we rushed to the assualt. A storm of grape and canister was hurled against us as wc neared the batteries. Like maddened tigers our men leaped forward with (he cold steel. The struggle over the guns was desperate. It was butchery savage in the extreme. The enemy soon broke and fled, leaving us masters of the Held. Since that time I have not felt tlie legist dreed or lissitelion on a battle. After the first few shots I fire away as cooly as when hunting squirrels. As a general rule, small men more plucky than our large ones. Wo have half-a-dozen boys with us varying in age from twelve to fifteen \ years They arc as hearty as bucks and lively as j crickets. \ on connot dog them away from the j army. In a battle the great trouble with such j youngster! is to keep them from rushing ahead j too fast. There is a singular fascination attending j an army ; men who have served one campaign,^o

mutter what ir.ay hare been their hardships, aro fthmst cviiain lo enlist again.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/HBT18620925.2.7

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume II, Issue 65, 25 September 1862, Page 3

Word count
Tapeke kupu
1,174

HOW ONE FEELS ON GOING INTO BATTLE. Hawke's Bay Times, Volume II, Issue 65, 25 September 1862, Page 3

HOW ONE FEELS ON GOING INTO BATTLE. Hawke's Bay Times, Volume II, Issue 65, 25 September 1862, Page 3

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