Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1861-06-26
Practical Hints for Volunteers.

Practical Hints Tor volunteers,
We find some very excellent advice in a
letter written by a father to his son, who IS a
volunteer in a Mobile company now in Eieh-
mond:
You are now. my son, in a position differ
ent, altogether, from any you have eyer before
occupied; and it is my duty to give you all
the information and counsel which may be IN
my power, to enable you to understand Your
duties and appreciate the responsibilities
which are attached to your position.
In the first place, then, my son, when a
soldier shoulders his rifle under the flag OF
his country, he must surrender to that coun-
try his will, his whims, tastes, fanclcs and
preiudices; and the first, highest, and most
solemn duty he owes to that country is the
most implicit and prompt obedience to the or
dcrs Of his superior officers. Disobedience,
even in matters Of mioor gravity, frequently
~forfeits life. If an order is issued, that must
be the end Of inquiry. The success OF a bat
tie or campaign may depend upon the con-
cealment of the purposes OF the Command
and il may become necessary to punish With
death an omission to observe that which may
seem to be a very unimporlant order to the
soldier who does not understand it.
Napoleon once issued an order that the
lights of the camp must be e~xrpgulseq at {
: o'clock, and seeing a light burning IN the
tent of an officer, after that hour had elapsed
he repaired thither in person, and entered tn
: tent just as the officer had finished Wrluni
: his wife's name on the back Of a letter h
. had written to her. He told the Emperor b
y had unconsciously violated the law only on
II one moment, and it WAS done in the entht
is siasm of affection, with which he had ice
~ overcome by thouohtS Of home.
'Unseal that letter. said the Empero
{" and write as ! dictate The officer obeye
t. and wrote as follows 'P. S. | die to-morro
de morning at s O'clock, for violating the lay
of the Camp, by MOI extinguishing the l9
60 in my tent at the precise time. | was COZ
=" manded to dc it,
ap- That decision may have seemed savage al
barbarous, but when your intellect shall ia
"a matured to the com prehenSion of how mu
depends upon subordinaion and a rigid q
en- herence to the laws of the camp, you will
ln- that Napoleon could only be just to the thu
us. sands of lives under his care 10y assuming
tho appearance of cruelty to this one dellnque
Obedience is not servility, it is duty. |
Is therefore, not cowardly, but honorable.
the camp is no place for the soft manners of
the drawing-room, and so!diers are proverbs
c. blunt there ore, do not imagine, It an
Ger speaks sharply to you, that he wants
orlu' insult you or brow-bcat you and, my c
lust son, as you value your hapPiness and use
me. ness, do not, | beg of you, listen to the S
ro.e dsi Of tattling 60 betweens, or allow J
feelings to become prejudiced, either aga
anu an officer or fellow soldier, by anything
and may be said against them IN their abse
lone That man is q foe TO your country VINO
,t tempts TO sow dissentlon between brot
hsei soldiers. or shake the confidence Of the .
ones =. -. 1rs oorc. aud 70 no ic inpOpcidpratp
noda- malignant enought to select such a holy
ntor- as the bivouac for such a sacrilege, he
r+rfar be tt tee RaFe t Ia SP aihkd the n tFn 46tre ana fab 1ap
his dear son, than to know that, young as
are, you enjoy the esteem and confider
""' your brave comrades in arms and l., t
rance fore, warn you against the common ia
ut up the volunteer soldiers, to wit: Nur'nu
Never murmur, my dear son, at anythi
In the first place, it is not manly in III
Und place, it Weans from you those who
might love you and cleave to yol il
od;os third place, it INT allies the army,
t. makes a moi of grumblers out of men,
nh and but for this propensity, might have
much happier themselves, anu been the S
of happiness in the very ranks in which
s"ole puerile complaints must breed disconter
laoow cheerful, my brave boy, and it will make
nnus officers love you. 1t Is not a pleasure
hearts s;on Won ore on. and vo, rpnsr not
e, the hat invuIies vii All IN showers al,nc
Asso- path. The soldiers Washington led ma
q barebootad over the frozen ground, Wi
> 1he blood pouring from the gashes in their
serves They braved the terrors Of a northern Y
'eheleS only half clad, and won laurels that
flourish in perennial verdure, while the
70 and Vandais, who invade US f,om the
Ster to w;tb tho evobeon rof r,irhtv o,vor
+: that 70 nrov;da for tha;r comtort uiu Pova
1ompa- in charity "a, ever forootIen
aid