New-York daily tribune., 1861-05-18
SOUTHERN vs.. NORTHERN SOLDIERS.


Shoot one ont of a company oi Yankees, sayss
soutberner and you cant catch the rest" The
Norb are not bo4stfrl people but presume it would
be difficult to find soldier IN our army who has NOT
quiet feeling that be toss mp, without much effort,
at least two Of the drteaters on his bayonetponi
at once. Now there is evidently mistake some
where--both can't be right. As usually the case,
the truth lies in the mean. Probably N~ulefh ma
Southern soldier Of equal discipline are about equal
Still while this is true rs general statement 'he
writer is convinced having had almost daily oPpoun-
ties during the year examine maDy OF the be< r2cs
Of the South both while at i'll and in encam Snen,.
that there are important respects in which the
Northern army has now, and can always retain,
superiority over the South. u one OF the boasts OF
the South which has been accepted see, without =
question: tha. whatever their other defciencios they
have at least "a Thoroughly discipiined army. Then
mistake here may lie in msapl the force OF
words having never been pmedtroops or may
spring naturally from harmless habit OF exaggeraon,
TO which they are sometimes iable-in any case It
sn entire mistake. WiIb the exception Of few CON-
panies assembled at Charleston, together witt some
of the best troops in three OF their large ctes
making in all from the Gulf States not 5000 men,,
the forces of the South little better than re-
crus. There are why this should he 90,
aside from the fact that many Of them taken deet>
ly from their avocations and have bad opportunity
for military discipline. Any body Of Northern men can
in comparatyely short time be taughtto 90 through the
ordinary eyolu,ons of military drill. Whatever
their professions they have always been aecusomeJtc
habits Of method precision aud uniform action. The
whole habit Of Souherners life, the contrary, has
been TO dsqualify him for this kind of duty. In an
Agassizisn classification he would be defined AMI.
nal with no idea Of order. Everywhere through the
South there is dislike for what is fixed and methodcs
Even the boys will not those games that require
au obedience 10 rules and which the delight of tho
childen OF the North.
No one who has lived in the South can have failed 70
have been struck by the universal manifestation Of THE
principle. The soldiers fine 9TH Regiment record the
asonishment which their cheers, delivered in unison,
produced the citizens Rich nopd their visit there.
IL was natural enough for snch q thing three
times three" is unknown south of Mason e. Dixon's.
As many times during the past year have heard
call for three cheers, have heard il answered
by any thing else than confusion Of sharp sbort In.
artcuate cries which die away only whenthe last man
is out of breath To be sure this significant only
expression of ochaac,er the confused boots ofa Southern
crowd bear about relation to the steady hur-
rahs Of even Northern mob that the general army OF
the South does that of the North As actual fact
they class Of thatcs be easily disciplined
The best drilled companies of The Gulf Sates ut least
will scarcely bear comparison with the second-rate
drilled troops of the North. As might be
expected, obedience is peculiarly distasteful
them and when, the other day Of the soldiers
at Pensacola refused leave Of absence from the
camp the high-spired vates expressed the spirit Of
the whole army when they simply damned the
officer and took IT, leave of absence. Another princi
pie which was found TO have great influence in the
Mexican war is that the Southern soldiers drilled
TO act in small bodies their companies rarely contain
more than fifty meD and therefore unprepared fot
the united action which a general battle requires.
Their real strength is in guerilla warfare like Sumter
the revolutionary hero, not the for; they will gar
many battles by bold aud unexpected attacks; bur,
like him, they want their swamps in the rear rs a
place Of retreat Aud this is the style Of warfare they
are preparing themselves for along the border Al'
ready horse companies being formed in Tennessee,
for the avowed purpose of making sudden forays upon
the Northern border. Reprsa both by sea AMI land,
the great financial hope of the Montgomery Govern
ment. And il is expected thar by midnight buninss
the ravaging of solitary villages, the spirit of the
North will be most easily broken, and the exehequer OF
the South rep,nshed
About the physique OF Southern men, no general
statement can be made without involving much iha
false. Ii is however, generally true that the soldiers
of the Gulf Saes are small, yellow, nerveless, ana
accustomed 10 every excess but that Of fatigue ou'
AZ in everything else shat relates TO this war, these
Sates place their chief reliance upon the bordef
States" With these as cats paws, they hope 10 roast
tne chestnut of the new Conitdericy without eeinB
themselves ubpleasanfly burned When soldiers are
sool,n of they boast largely of the big monntineen
of Tennessee. who shoot "always in the eyei' and
,bey have GOOD reason 10 trIst in these men, for
,bo.e assembled at Nashville a few weeks ago can be
taken az a sample, they strong and hardy, aud only
l.ck discipline TO rank with the best troops OF the
North But ths Of discipline is really the great
defect Of the Southern army, and should be the pr'n'
cip,.i strength of the North.
just after tue fall Of Sumter, very inteh'gen'
Southerner stated that he honestly believed an su!
of 20 600 Souterels could march from one END OF INC
North 10 the olher The same opinion was genera'Iy
entertained and erhsls with thoroughly o'feP""."
army NOR, OF il was true than are willing 70 sau.
but such an aumy the South does DOL anu 'anno,
many wears possess for us yet with all her sdniao'
officers. she has only rabbe soldi.ry.
A RESIDENT IN THE souTh'
THE sor.DIERs "SnELTER-TENT," AS USED
BY TIE FRENCH.
To "A. rdie, Of The ~ " T,ib'se