The Pennsylvania evening post — Philadelphia, Pa., 1776-01-25 00:00:00, page 4

A LETTER to a young OFFICER upon Eis entering into
the CONTINENTAL f;rvice.
My very dear friend,
I TAKE this opportunity of fulfilling my promise, by lay
ing before you what my age and experience judge neces
sary tor your well doing.
You are a man of property, and now inlifted to fight the
catfe of freedom; —you are a soldier ; you are one of thofa
on whom, under God, the life and liberty of America de
pends; confider the dignity of your Nation; consider the
mighty trust reposed in you; confider yourfelf, and it is
scarce pofiible you will :rr in your conduct.
lam positive as V ^l courage, for your foul
is humane and '?> Ml ^aca 'your tongue is not a bragart; but
as your beh^ in tnis new scene of life is what lam not
so certain ct, your good-nature will excafe a little advice,
and attribute my trite maxims mere to the warmth of my
friendihip than to any occasion you may have for them.
To be an officer there is no necessity of being inspired
with fuperabundhnt talents. Common sense, and the deport
ment of a gentleman are fufficient; the knowledge of. your
duty, and the military art, will come with time and expe
rience, but a close application to the study is necefiary.'
The love of the loldiers is the happiness of an officer,
and to gain that love, the method is Ihort and easy. Pay
and punish where due, but never ffrike. Be free with your
men, but fuffer them not to be free with you; an haughty
overbearing temper may indeed inspire them with fear, but
never with affection. Treat them as men, and they will re
fpedt you as their officer ; but at the fame time, be careful
that the non-commissioned officers aft in the fame manner,
and support their proper. authority, on which all duty and
submission depends.
Endeavour as much as possible to keep your men clean
and decent; it gives spirits, and prevents drunkenness and
debauchery. Drop in at their meals, taste their victuals, en
courage them to keep good messes, and reprove wheA yen
find them remiss.
Be assiduous to learn the exercise of a soldier, and keep
your men deligent at it, yet so as not to fatigue them unne
cessarily. See that they punctually obey your commands, but
be not too rigorous in trivial matters. Believe me, the men
soon find out the genius of their officers, and will never im
pute or play tricks, when they know 'they:, cannot do it with
impunity.
Make it a constant rule to ob°y, with alacrity and chear
fulnefs, every order of your superiors; such a conduct will
add to your reputation, and confirm your character.
Slender and scandal sometimes insinuate themselves into
camps, and too frequently attack the most deserving. Let
me beg of you to turn a deaf ear to evil report, and not be
speedily prejudiced against any man, much less your com
manders.
An officer need not have all the wisdom of a privy coun
felior; he ought, at lead, to have that part that enjoins fe
crefy. The Spanish proverb is good, “in a close mouth no
flies enter. Execute your orders in silence, and let not the
molt distant hint of the conduct of the army escape from your
lips or your pen. Should you know nothing particular, your
words mult be mere conjecture, and in all probability quite
Wrong. Should a material circumitance come to your knoow
ledge, what infamy mult follow your disclosing it!
Company and chearfulnefs are absolutely necessary, but
to drink to excess is inexcusable. The lives of thousands de
pend on the sobriety of officers. How can a drunkard guide
men truly, when his own legs mutiny and refute hrs com
mands ?
46
Be charitable, be generous, according to your power;
but seldom give money to a soldier. When you think proper
to reward or encourage, there are other ways infinitely more
ufeful to them. .*
Rife early and examine your command; keep them rea
sonably employed, and under the ftri&cft discipline; but let
your own example keep pace with your precepts.
Have all your aflans in so nice and exadt an order as to be
always ready to march at a moment's warning. All men
ought to accustom themselves to regularity, but none.requires
it more than a soldier.
Your natural good temper will prevent your giving of
fence to any one, and perhaps incline you to bear patiently
thole offered to you; but have a care, and, let what will be
the consequence, permit no man to taunt or insult. Should
the lead particle of contempt fall on you, quit a lerv.ee
where you mult do more harm than good.
With regaid to your present enemies, hold them not too
cheap. Speak of them as men of an unhappy education,
led away by faife maxims, and prejudiced to erroneous prin
ciples ; they are or ought to be our brethren. Let your
humanity extend to them as far as fafety and prudence will
permit. If absolute and fatal necessity compels you to strike,
let the sword fall from no other motive but the general good.
Let it be effectual but instant. In that unhappy case drive
every womanish weakness from your,heart, and confider that
too much lenity and tenderness may be cruelty to your
country. The action, or necessary pursuit over, let clemency
and companion till your breast. Should you conquer, be all
mildnels and charity. Comfort the prisoner, afiift the wretch
ed and wounded. Speak peace to despairing fouls, and, if
polfible, Ihew them the joys of freedom and liberty. But I
have done, and difeharged the office annexed to love and
friendihip. If my hints are useless to you, perhaps you may
know those to whom they may be of fer Vice. I fend you my
old faithful companion MoniicuL.de Feuquiere, read him care
fully, for he is able to inftrucH I likewise fend you Poly
bius, with the annotations of Monlieur de Follard. Yu
find 1 am an old fellow by my long-winded tale, but I Ihad
appear more io when you confider I end where I on: ht to
have begun, by recommending to you the service of God,
and obedience to his ordinances. A righteous and a godly
life is the best preparative tor death. ^Though.all ought, yet
none should be more ready to obey that call than a soldier.
His life is every initant, in a peculiar manner, at flake.
Think on this frequently, and your duty to Gotland man
will certainly follow ; and man and the Almighty will re
ward you with peace, content and happineis. Into his hands
I relign you, and most fervently pray him to crown ,}
cause with victory, and to continue his mercy to this laud
to latest posterity.
WAS found on Friday evening last, in the butchers
market, A LEAI HER POCKET BOOK, contain
ing a small sum of money and a cancelled note of hand.
The owner, proving his property and paying charges, may
have it again by applying to the printer. *
January 25, 177 b.
PHILADELPHIA: Printed by BENJAMIN
TOWNE, in Front-Erect, near the London
Coffee-Houfe.
GENTEEL private LODGINGS to be LET in a com
modious part of the city. Inquire ,of the printer.