Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-05-16
The Characteristics md Requirements OF
Good SOldiers "A Popular Error Re.


The ChRracteristics and Requirements of
Good SOldiers-A Popular Error Re.
futed
The Philadelphia Ledger says:
A number of Colonel EllswOrth's Zouayes
have, it is said, been dismissed, for riot, and
drunkenness. The present campaign will
lead, among other things, to q very great
modification of public opinion as to what
sort of men make the best soldiers 1t is
notorious that, in New Orleans the prison
doors have been thrown open to all such
men ms could be induced, by any means, to
volunteer. Men of the very worst private
characters, and the most desperate lives, it
has been taken for granted, would, there
fore, make the best hands for desperate
campain. For such q campaign as they are
likely to have, they are the best. They will
be ready to plumber friend and foe.
But with a better cause, We want better
men, such as lSsonciliate and protect all
classes among whon they come, aud not
outrage propriety, or commit depredations,
Or get intoxicated. 1T is not the rowdy
regiments, formed fgom the lighting classes,
the muscle men, that are fit for this, or in
fact, for any modem army. They might do
to force the passeje through the roughs of
rowdy cities, bps .SI campaign they would
die of, or be inysjids, or court. Inarehaed
or disObey orders, or commit outrsges that
would do q thousand times more mischief
than all the good they could render.
The intelligence and moral quality of men
add infinitely 10 their value as soldiers Dis
sipated men can not endure half the fatigue
or exposure that steady and sober men can.
1t seems TO be pretty well asCertained that
in some places, especially at Annapolis, jugs
OF poisoned whisky have been Offered to the
officers and men. If every drop of whisky
were regarded as poison it would be of the
greatest service; and vile as are the wretches
H. -,
are probably doing us the greatest possible
service, by making the men afraid TO drink
what in nine cases out of ten, proves the
| worst poison to the soldier. Regular habits,
early hours, careful foreth0ught and sober,
| steady arrangements as To food, clothing,
and sleeping arrangements; in fact, all those
habits which distinguish the more moral
and even religious troops from the reckless
and the rowdyish - these are the habits
which citizen soldiers will find most CON
duciye to their individual safety and success,
and the renoWn and victory OF their arms in
a campaign.
Our State has now accepted, in all, the
services Of some forty one thousand volun-
teers. Ohio has had eighty. one thousand
offered, Illinois seventy. FIVE thousand, it is
said, and all the other Northern States in the
same proportion. In fact, the difficulty now
is, to know where TO place our men, and 70
keep them from rushing down too fast. So
many have gone from the agricultural
districts, that there is serious danger Of q less
breadth of corn and potatoes, and oats, being
raised this year than usual when it is certain
that prices must be higher. Let every
farmer take measures to have every acre of
ground that is possible we'll cultivated at any
cost. Ifpermanent camps were established,
and corr planted by the troops in disaffected
| districts, it might be well. These who have
gone and been accepted for three months,
will have to be employed, and in that time
it will be no hard work for them to secure
the border States. But we must have a body
of men enlisted for three years, and th5ae
is what we shall want iu dealing with the
| rebels