Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1854-01-11
The Military Of Russia.

The immense military resources OF Rus
sia are well known, and the chance OF VIC
tory by any European army that can be
brought into the field is very small. In
case of necessity, the Russian army could
be made-from the organization conferred
upon it by the Emperor Nicholas, who for
twenty-five years has toiled at it with great
energy-to furnish one million OF combat
ants, with eighteen hundred guns ready
harnessed It Is the Russian system to
make children of soldiers, soldiers by birth.
All the corps have their fixed stations, ana
even furniture for the married. In barsacks
alone the beds of married couples are SIM
ply marked off by green curtains. In the
military colonies they have their private
habitatons. The children are brought up
by subsidies given to the parents, or, II the
latter wish it, by Government. The sub
lection of the Russian soldier is so perfect,
that it is impossible to contemplate any
thing more uniform than Russian troops
Their dress, their march, their manner, nay,
their very physiognomies, bear the same I'M
preston everywhere, This is almost rldlc-
ulously prominent in the Guard, where they
put the men with light hair and blue eyes
into one company, and the men with dark
hair and dark eyes into another.
The excessive discipline enforced in the
Russian army has no parallelslnce the time
of the Romans. The Russian soldier is not
allowed to think for himself, still less to
criticise. This passive obedience has Civ
en- rise to manv stories of the spirit OF an
order being sometimes confounGed with the
letter. One day ship, having many Off
GERS and soldiers on board went down in
the Neva. The order was passed to the
soldiers to save, in the first place, the Off
GERS of the Guard. So, Of each person they
succeeded in getting hold, they anxiously
inquired if he was au officer of the Guard
The water filling the mouths of these un-
fortunates, they could not answer; so they
were allowed to drown. Another time, 1t
being very dusty, the soldiers were ordered
to water the field for exercise. While en-
gagged in the duty it came on to rain heav-
lily, but the soldiers continued their labor
notwithstanding. II was sufficient that ii
was ordered
At the time of the destruction of the
winter palace by fire, priest succeeded
with much difficulty,in getting into the sac
ramental plate. As he was returning, he
saw soldier in the corridor enveloped in
smoke.
"Come with me-" he shouted, cor you
will perish in the flames"
"No," answered the soldier but give me
your blessing"
Another caught in an inundation, allow
ed himself to be drowned rather than leave
his post.
The military purposes of this wonderful
subordination-Probably in great part s'
result of the frequent application of th'
stick, a weapon which plays most impor
tant part in the formation of the Russian
soldier-will be best understood from an
other anecdote.
At the siege of Warsaw, young grena
der addressing himself to an old soldier
pointed toward the roligh entrenchments
and said
"What do you think, comrade-uhall We
take those entrenchments ?"
81 scarcely think we shall,' answered
the other; "they are too strong"
But" added the young soldier, "Ouppost
we were ordered to take them'"
80, then it will be another thing; if We
are ordered to take them"