t except as an awful, inevitable necessity. Some such feeling
as this is in the breast of most men on the eve of battle, modified
somewhat by the fact that the stern necessity is present. The difference
between a recruit and a veteran is, mainly, that the latter has learned
to command, perhaps to ignore, such feelings.

For my own part, I can remember few occasions when such thoughts did not
oppress me during the waiting which is frequently incident to the
opening of an engagement. These thoughts soon vanish amid the noise and
excitement of battle.

You may ask whether soldiers feel any scruples as to shedding blood. I
answer, first and in general, kill is the game. You know it, and prefer
that the killing should be confined as much as possible to the parties
over yonder. If this seems to you to be a cold-blooded way of looking at
things, please remember I am not representing the ideal, but the real.
Again, suppose the bullets are coming thick and fast from the woods
over yonder, you soon discover that the only way to stop them is to send
in your own as close as possible.

In firing, we always took aim, though often we could not see the enemy
on account of trees or brush in which they were concealed. In such case
we took aim at the point where they were supposed to be, guided by the
smoke, a glimpse of a battle-flag, or the glitter of a gun here and
there. The men were sometimes ordered to keep up a fire when not an
enemy could be seen. The One Hundred and Ninetieth was generally sent on
the skirmish line. The men always preferred this, and did not like it if
this place was given to another regiment. Those who were not accustomed
to skirmishing dreaded it. On the other hand, our boys were uneasy if
placed in line of battle. As a matter of course, the skirmishers took
aim in fighting. It was not seldom a question of marksmanship between
two men, each the other's target. We took advantage of every thing
possible in the way of "cover," the main point being to go ahead, stir
up every thing in front, develop the enemy's position, drive in his
skirmishers. A line of skirmishers is always thrown forward when the
presence of an enemy is suspected. They will soon discover what is in
front. Advancing at a distance of five paces apart, the loss is not so
great as if a regular line were advanced in the same manner. In the
Summer of 1864 the One Hundred and Ninetieth was armed with the Spencer
rifle, an eight-shooter, and well ada