Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1863-04-18

fantry again, they acted like veterans Ia the
battles Of the Chickahominy, in which they
lost half their force. Yet they were volun.
tee.s but they felt the superiority aud knowl.
edge of their commander. They would have
followed him anywhere. o % s4lhs3'F ~
Mostly, however, the commander il = coin.
rade; only he wears q different custu1ne.
They obey him in every day rontipe,- bat vol
unfairly. Voluntarily, too, they do not trouble
themselves about him when matters become
serious American equality furnishes them
no good reason for obeying him. Beside. in
the eyes Of the majority. this title Of volunteer
does not mean the soldier who devotes him
self generously and voluntar3ly to save His
country or to gain glory, bat rather the we'll
and what he pleases. This is so true that.
though the pay and the time Of service ara
the same for volunteers and for regulars. il
has become almost impossible to recruit the
latter. All that class Of men who used to
enlist when only the regular army existed.
from love Of camp life, now Join the volun.
teers. On the one side is license, on the
other discipline the choice is soon made.
The habits formed by universal suffrage alSo
play their part in the matter, and reappear
on the field Of battle. BY tacit agreement.
the regiment marches against the enemy; ID.
vances under fire, and takes active part IN
the battle. The men are brave, very brave:
they are killed and wounded in large numbers,
and then when, by tacit agreement, they
think they have done enough for military
honor, they all go away together. The colo
mel perhaps tries to give direction, an I'M.
pulse; generally he is unsuccessful: u far
the officers, they do not even think Of it.
Why should they attemp it, and why should
they BE- obeyed, if the majority Of the rigi.
ment think proper to retreat Obedience
in this army resembles the obetlience which
children play ing at soldiers render to that ono
Of their comrades whome they have made
their captain. Is It necessary to say more to
demonstrate the inconvcniences of such .
state Of things Nevertheless, the Govern
ment HAD at its command an immense masB
of armed men, multitude of regiments |; 'fot
the country had responded anitedly and
vigorously to the call for volunteers. Never.
we believe, has any nation produced Of herself
by her own viii, by her single resources,
without compulsion Of any Kind, without
Government pressure, and in 50 short time,
so considerable an armament. a Free Govern
ments, whatever their defects and the exces-
scs which they commit, always preserve an.
equaled elasticity and creative power. Omly.
the defects Of organization Which we have
mentioned singularly diminish the read value
of this military gathering.
General Mcclellan and the old officers
from the West Point Academy, who had now
become. BY the force of circumstances, geller-
ais of brigade and of division, endeavored, -
far. Ms possible, to remedy these defecta
Regiments were brigadcd by fours. aud brig
aides divisioncd by threps. To each division
four batteries were given, three served BY
volunteers. and one by regulars. The latter
was tn serve as model for the others. aud tn
captain took command Of all the artillery. AZ
the division. At one time they had an idea
Of putting a battalion Of regulars IN each
division Of volunteers. to play the part Of
lance head" which Lord Clyde attrihutSs
to the European troops in the Sepoy armies;
but it was abandoned It seemed better to
keep together the only really disciplined
troops they had. The divisional formation.
as it was made, was good, and has been Of
very great utility.
1t then became necessary to provide Gr
the administrative service; for provisioMa.
for munitions, for tranaportation, to organize
| tno dItIiIcIy IcScASeSs tuo cuSasttcS sussU PvNs
toon corps, the Typographical brigade. the
telegraphs, the hospitals. This prodigious
work was accomplished with extraordinary
rapidity and success, when we consider that
everything had to be creatsd In the ahsenSc 1t
all traditional knowledge. Notonly waa th6is
no one who knew, except from books, hoy
to move all those strings which are indisps1.
sable for the management Of an, army; noe
only was there an entire want Of precedsut
in such matters but even the numhsr At thosr
who had travelled in Europe. and had learned
by observation what great asssmblag4 Of
troops is, was infinitely small. A. ess,,
The American Army had M traditions hst
those Of General SCOTS campaign In Msxicc
"a brilliant campaign. in which there wsasS
many difficulties to be overcome. but which
was very far from presenting the gigantic
proportions of the present war. Beeidee. =
Mexico, General Scott had with him the
whole regular army, Of which but few te9-
bic remnants now remained. In Mexico, tie
regulars had been the main body the volpn.
teers had been only the accessory, and, ~ L
were, the ornament The old general, whsA
he was one day asked how be managed ~
maintain discipline in their ranks, vplisas
"Ob, thew knew very we'll that, If they strae.
gled, they would be Killed BY the guerilles!"
There was. therefore, no similarity IN H.
management Of these large armies of voya1s
teers, despite the many sdcsts made = sv3sp
late them. was a problem which priasdtsd
many difficulties.
At the South the organization of ths inepr.
gent forces presented less difficulty. The
revolutionary government had soon asalpeds