Chapters 11-13 of The Red Badge of Courage
deal with Henry's flight from battle and his re-emergence among a throng of
wounded and retreating men. Seeing the battle-weary men made his guilt at running grow
even stronger.
readability="13">Again he thought that he wished he was dead.
He believed that he envied a corpse. Thinking of the slain, he achieved a great contempt
for some of them, as if they were guilty for thus becoming lifeless. They might have
been killed by lucky chances, he said, before they had had opportunities to flee or
before they had been really tested. Yet they would receive laurels from tradition. He
cried out bitterly that their crowns were stolen and their robes of glorious memories
were shams. However, he still said that it was a great pity he was not as they. (Chapter
11)In Chapter 12, he tries
to elicit some information from one of the retreating soldiers, but instead, the dazed
soldier retaliates.readability="13">The youth, after rushing about and throwing
interrogations at the heedless bands of retreating infantry, finally clutched a man by
the arm. They swung around face to face.
“Why—why—” stammered the youth
struggling with his balking tongue.
The man screamed: “Let go me! Let go
me!” His face was livid and his eyes were rolling uncontrolled. He was heaving and
panting. He still grasped his rifle, perhaps having forgotten to release his hold upon
it. He tugged frantically, and the youth being compelled to lean forward was dragged
several paces.
“Let go me! Let go me!”
“Why—why—” stuttered
the youth.
“Well, then!” bawled the man in a lurid rage. He adroitly and
fiercely swung his rifle. It crushedupon the youth's head. The man ran on. (Chapter
12)In Chapter 13, Henry
locates his regiment and discovers that his flight from battle had gone unnoticed. He
quickly concocts a story to cover his true actions.readability="13">The youth found that now he could barely
stand upon his feet. There was a sudden sinking of his forces. He thought he must hasten
to produce his tale to protect him from the missiles already at the lips of his
redoubtable comrades. So, staggering before the loud soldier, he began: “Yes, yes.
I've—I've had an awful time. I've been all over. Way over on th' right. Ter'ble fightin'
over there. I had an awful time. I got separated from th' reg'ment. Over on th' right, I
got shot. In th' head. I never see sech fightin'. Awful time. I don't see how I could a'
got separated from th' reg'ment. I got shot, too.” (Chapter
13)His head wound,
received from the terrified Union soldier in Chapter 12, was believed to be a battle
wound by his astounded comrades. His cowardly actions had been erased, and he settled
down to sleep.
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