Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-05-07
puties Of Soldiers and Omccrs.

AMAlta OF ENNultNh ana VAMCNEns
The first duty Of the soldier is to learn TO
take care Of himself. II he does not in all
the minor matters Of soldiers life do this,
II will 20 undone; for he will find nobody
willing TO do Il for him. Whether the 1ou.
ave of the French army, as described By
writers, is real or an imaginary personage-
that is 10 say, whether the Zouaves in fact
have distinctive character-the zouave aa
be appears in the descriptions to which we
allude, is the model Of the true soldier--self.
sustaining. In field or in camp, when he is
not attending to his military duties, he is
booking out for the means to make himself
comfortable He foragea, cooks, devises
means to shelter himself from the weather
and is, In short 4 minaturearmy, with Com
missary and Quartermaster Departments in
full activity. t.t tG. His I.ot
Raw soldiers who enlist are inclined TO
think that so they do the fighting, they are
to be relieved from labor or care in every
other respect. This is not so; and the
sooner the idea is gotten rid Of, the better
for the recruit. The art Of elfprotection is
the art of self preservation; and in proper
ton as he becomes master of it, will it be
better for his safety and his efficiency.
The FIRST duty of the officer is to learn to
take care of his men--to see personally that
they are provided with every thing that is
necessary for their subsistence, and that
measure Of comfort which it is legitimate
for the soldier to expect. 1t is in this branch
of the business that the thorough bred of.
feer is superior to one who has had little
teaching and no experience. The suferings
OF the volunteer portion Of the army in Mexico
weTeincreased and its ability reduced through
the ignorance and inattention of officers
taken from private pursuits, who had to
learn at some expense of life, that it is as inn
portant to keep a soldier in fighting trim, as
TO command him properly in the battle. The
officer should exert his authority to oblige
the soldiers to take care of their person.
their clothes, their equipments, their provi.
sions and their habitations. He should be
a sort of Providence, seeing and ordering
everything, and with a gentle but firm hand
| leading those under him into such habits as
are necessary to preserve them from disease
and make them available when the time fol
| fighting arrives.
From what we can learn, a considerable
share of the discomfort that has been ex.
perienced at Camp Harrison has been more
in consequence of the soldiers having failed
to avail themselves of the means in theiI
power, than from any reprehensble absence
Of the means themselves. 1t is the duty o.
the subordinate officers to examine and re.
port to their superiors when anything is
needed which it is the intention of the Gov
ernment TO supply; and the duty of the
soldiers to make their wants known to the
subordinate officers; and when this is done
and still the destitution continues, it is time
to grumble, and not before. There has, un.
doubtedly, been some unjustifable grumbling
at Camp Harrison. Men undergoing Sc
violent change as that which takes place
on the transition from city to camp life, will
not be very likely, during the first few days,
to discriminate very closely between that to
which they are, and that to which they are
| not entitled.