Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1862-02-27

& s-.szz.ls
of the Guard. | had some ednca-.
ton, and liked to keep myself
nice and to do my duty well, SO
that was soon made corporal and
then sergeant, and, finally, rose
to be sub-lieutenant. But then |
began to feel the want oil educa-
ton. The young officers who bad
been educated in the military
schools knew infinitely more thar
/ did in the science Of war, though
there were none who could 60
ahead of me in my duties. |
might have staid an officer till
now if had chosen, but | felt |
could never rise much higher, and
SO | began to think of leaving the
army and going back 10 my old
trade. | spoke to my brother Of
ficers about it, and they acted
most kindly, but told me, as L
knew myself, that | was the only
one that could decide it. | made
up my mind to leave, and soon be-
gan to make money at my trade,
so that married and settled down
here in Paris, and, as you see, am
doing well. L have often met my
brother officers and they are always
very friendly. AS for the colonel
of my regiment, whenever he is
at Paris, or anywhere within reach
of it, he will allow no one TO make
! his boots but me-" 81
The education Of the officers it
is not necessary to treat i'll detail,
/ for the West Point education is
modelled almost entirely upon
theirs. In conversation with a
most intelligent young officer, Mr..
r, wlo, having taken a high
rank in his school, won a place i'll
the School Of tie Staff. at Paris,
he informed me that in the militia
try schools the rations are the same
i'll kind, and ~are served in the
same way to the students as to sol
diers in the campaign.
No fire is allowed in tl.eir study
rooms, but when they wish t.
warm themselves the word is
passed and all stamp or the floor.
and slap their hands and sing in
chorus until they get warm, when
they sit down again to study.
The students in tie SchGol Of
the Staff are sent out in summer
each to separate district, to sur
vey and examine thoroughly the
water-conrsos, hills, plains, forests.
marshes, and in TACT, to make a
full military report of the district.
accompanied by an accurate map.
These maps are compared with
those ofthe last year. All changes
are noted, and the hest of them
are fled away for reference in the
War Department
Their education is so complete
that all the resources of science
are at the command Of the army.
and one cannot think, without Pc
greet, that this thoroughly well
trained body of men is thus care
fully instructed and developed in
every way only to slay and be
slain.
A writer in one of the papers
has brought forward evidence to
prove that the Prussians were the
first to use the portable telegraph
which appears to have been SO
useful to the French at the battle
of Solierino. This may be so: but
the French can certainly claim
the use of balloons in war as their
invention, as appears from the fol-
lowing extract from a lie of Car
not by the distinguished Arago:
! Until the year 1874, balloons
had been only objects Of curiosity;
but at the battle of Fleurus, a bal
loon carried. General Morlot into
the region Of the clouds; from
thence the smallest maneuvers of
the enemy are perceived, are sig
nalised instantly, land this invention
of purely French origin procures a
splendid triumph for our army"
Roanoke Island recently captur-
ed by the Federal feet, is, within
itself, Of not much Importance Ell
Their to us or them, but it is very
important from the fact that it
commands a near approach to Nor
folk, as well as the magnificent
valley Of the Roanoke River in
North Carolina. The Island lies