Stephen Crane 
The Red Badge of Courage An Episode of the American Civil War 

Henry Fleming is a young private fighting for the Union Army in the American Civil War. His head filled with visions of heroic glory, Henry is eager for the battlefield, but when faced with his first real chance to fight, Henry begins to doubt his resolve and flees the battlefield. Ashamed, he soon regrets his actions, and longs to regain his honour by earning his "red badge of courage" by being wounded in service.