New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1861-02-18

natter nyseil, nave placed more strlhlDgly DE-
fore the pupil than has been done by Lieutenant
Colonel Hardee. Allow me, beloved Brown, to
offer YOU these Sc Hints " as small token Of my
esteem and affection, and should you by their peru
sal and study, become qualified to lead the armies
of the Southern Confederacy to victory, in your
hour of triumph remember,
Your humble and devoted friend,
Q. G. sNODGRASs.
PART I-Hias in Tho Drill Roar.
It is an unquestionable axiom that, to teach, one
must thoroughly understand that which he is to
mpart to others; and is therefore, of vital import
| ance to corps that the officers should be chosen
with care, and with special reference to their Ca
pacity, instead Of any social qualities they may
| possess
Ambition in youth is praseworthy, so long as it
be confined within its due limits; but it is simply
absurd for men who have occupied the highly re-
| spectacle position of high private, or even cor
| pora for few brief weeks, to aspire to unlimited
empire over their comrades. There at the
present time many misguided youths who secretly
pant to Bupplant Major General Lewis, but they
won't do it, and it is TO be hoped that this hint
will nip their idiotcy in the bud.
| 1t is proper that the commissioned officers should
| Oh all occasions exercise the utmost courtesy to-
wards the men, all the heavy unamiable business
being left to the Sergeants who have carte blanche
| to make any unpIeasantly disparaging remarks
that may suggest themselves to their fruitful i'm
| aginations. Thus, when the company has been
formed and thrown into temporary confusion by
sundry heterogeneous propounded by the orderly,
tending to cause much embarrassment and consid-
cradle mental aggravation, he then hands them
over to the officer in command, who Immediately
. tn Iu+n in ono inc nd fyyo
tions, which are performed in this wise: Raise
your sword with sudden jerk, with the hilt in the
immediate vicinity Of the front teeth, though in
o moment of enthusiasm you had resolved then
and there to kiss it, sober second thought
however comes to your aid you change your
mind and with majestic sweep carry the
point of the sword as far as possible from the
| face, directed to an imaginary spot about four
PAGES to your right; then stare into vacancy
with an air of conscious rectitude for the space
of about ten seconds, when, bringing your
sword to a shoulder bi'iSkly you order your men
to shoulder arms from the present, in which po-
stion they have been left by the Sergeant, and
have been watching you round the barrels of their
muskets. This formal salute of the officer to his
| men should by means be neglected, as it ID
| looked upon sort of salve for the wounds in
flicted by the orderly, and acts like charm upon
their lacerated feelings. All orders should eman-
ate from the officer in command, and no sugges-
tions of corporals or priyates be adopted. These
orders should be given in mild but firm tone OF
voice, distinctly, and with the proper emphasis.
1t is not proper that any officer should drill a
company or squad with drill book in his hand, as
from this reprehensble practice mistakes may
| occur which may cause confusion in the ranks
thus, at the bottom of page may be the order to
load and fire kneeling, the next two leaves OF the
book may stick together, and consequently be
turned over together, the next order which meets
the eye of the instructor is, say, right about,
march, which, as the men are on their knees
is a difficult and complicated one to execute unless
they happen to have been at least three weeks in
| a circus or have been members for that space of
time of company of Zouaves. The instructor
| should enforce the strCtest order and decOrum in
the ranks: all conversation of cha1fing'' nature
| Bacchanalian songs and smoking should be pro-
hibited. Privates of an economical disposition,
| who are smoking when called to an attention
and who are unwilling to throw away an IN
finished cigar, may be allowed to moisten the
lighted end with their saliva, and put it away for
another and better opportunity; should they de-
sire to place it in their cartridge boxes they should
be careful to thoroughly extnguish the fire, as an
! explosion would CAUSE luuCn COllluSlOH Ill Ile
ranks 1t is not deemed advisable to place stumps
for safe keeping in the barrel of the musket al
though the practice is common, as, should you be
called upon to load and fire, its presence there
might interfere with the prompt execution Of the
order. 1t has indeed been asserted that no more
fit place could be found for an old soldier than
near q musket, but the author looks upon this as
feeble endeavor to introduce a poor joke.
| rbo In oil Ivy nat TO
cessary fatigue their men. This may be obyiated
by frequently changing their position and manner
of carrying their arms. When men IRE kept at a
shoulder arms for half an hour Or so, it becomes
frightfuy fatguing, and utterly units them to
"crook their elbow with any degre Of steadness
after the company is dismissed. 1t should be re-
membered that though " the pen is mightier than
the sword,' it is not so heavy regulation
musket. In the course of long drill it is neces-
| sary that the command &C. rest" should be given
casionally, particularly after the execution Of
double uuick.n The instructor should single out
some one man possessing unusual corpulence, and
of full habit as test of what amount of fatigue it
| will be safe to allow the corps to undergo, and
| when said individual, after q prolonged double
euick,' becomes a bright purple in the face and
exhibits unmstakable premontory symptoms of
| apoplexy, he will, if prudent officer or humane
individual, cause the company to halt and give
! them a crest" During this rest he will not permit
any man to leave his position in the ranks, or i'll
dulge in Billy Birch eXtrayagances the chanting of
the Arkansas Traveller, with appropriate gesticu-
lations, is also nadmssble, although he may allow
and even encourage refined conversation in ger
teelly low tone of voice.
The duties Of the Sergeants are both numerous
and onerous as will be more fully seen in the part
| treating Of active service. In the drill-room his
whole mind must be concentrated on the eyes,
heads, backs, breasts, and feet OF the men; and,
in consideration of the multiplicity of his cares, he
is not to be held accountable to the Code of Honor
for any vituperative eptAets that he may apply to
the men during the performance of these duties.
The Orderly, or rather the First Sergeant calls the
roll on the companys falling in, and again, just
previous to dismissal He should be careful to
pronounce each name distinctly, and as though he
desired the owner of the name to hear it, and not
as is too often the case humble it over as though
he were merely reading it for his own persona
qualification, and then become intensely Disguised
because Smith has answered to Browns name, O.
Sni1kins has not answered at all.