Before the Battle.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IX, Issue 118, 23 April 1885, Page 3

Before the Battle.

[Tiraaru Herald], With the air fall of war and nnaoui'B of war, the old question is being revived, "How does a soldier feel when m battle ?" A Home paper answers the question by stating that it all depends upon whether lie is a raw recruit or a veteran m the ranks. To the former the crash of small arms mid the roar of cannon are "imply appalling, and he feels as if he is going to faint, m the days of muzzle-loader-*, if very much excited, he loaded his musket, and, forgetting to put on the Decenary- jiorcussion cap. went through the motion ! of firing, only to ram a fresh cartridge on the top of the first one, when, for the first lime using a cap, he was incontinently knocked down by the tremendous recoil of his gun, and believed he was badly wounded. Instances are known where muskets have been found on battlefields containing six or seven cartridges. Finally, the green soldier discovers that J he is nob hurt, and that everybody does not get killed m an engagement, so he regains confidence and passes successfully through his hnptmn of fire. To the veteran, we aie told, it is far different. He knows too well that; every UaMle leduces the average chance of Pscape yet so habituated does he lteeome. to rattling fusil:id*s and .desperate charges tlmfc ho scarcely heeds the dangers auvvonnding him. ,We once put the question to a'snivivor of the famous Bulnclava charge. The result of his experience was that the night before an engagement was» the most trying time of all. The men- then hud double rations served out to them, and; that circumstance alone was .sufficient"- to let them know that fighting was intended next day. In tlin calm watches of the night 'they had 'plenty of time for reflection and few men would probably pass the ,orde*il without some inquietude of spirit. When the soldiers were actually marching into action, our informant told . us, they felt a kind of security ...in being all together, and when they were actually m the thick of the. battle fch^y wero so carried away by the excitement that they had no time for thinking about their personal safety. It is a matter of common knowledge that Home men have) been wounded pretty severely, and have gone on fighting foe some time without knowing it. Doubtless j the effect varies with different temperaments, and it is impossible to ! give any definite rule on the subject.