New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-01-27
REFORM In THE ARMY.
PRESENT CONDITION OF THE FRONTIER pos
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REFORM IN THE ARMY.
PRESENT CONDITION OF THE FRONTIER POSTS
DISCIPLINE" AND ITS CONSEQUENCES.
TO me EdttOr OF The Tribune.
SIR: Having just returned from my rambles
on the Plains think IL will not be amss To lay before
your readers OF my experiences in the military line.
To INC as late homme dc 0erre the life of the boys in
blue the frontier appeared singulary novel. and
doubt whether the wisest of the land including the
chiefs the War Department have at all distinct con
oeption thereof The manner in which the soldiers at
tho different small posts kept busy in all kinds Of
labor ranging from the selling of dry goods stores at the
copmissarys herding OF muleshe free and easy
commission of the minor ofcDses forbidden In the
blessed Army Regulatons-the numerous derehctlons
caused by drunkennessthe frequency of deseron-the
style of martial prOceedingsal these Kept me In
| a constant state Of bewilderment.
In the large European armies, court-martaling II a
Thing of occurrence, an object OF terror " the SOL
der here every petty post, garrsOned by one or TWO
companies has It's constant cOurtmartal This kind OF
activity certainly does tell much in favor OF what IL
called dscphne but what is still more characteristic Is
the large proportion Of trials for desertion In Europe
none but competent officers exercise the functions Of
Judge Advocate % member Of military courts in our
army every officer, matter how Ignorant OF military
law or otherwise unqualified he nay be, ofnclates IN
turn either Judge Advocate or member OF the court
martial Though the findings are subject TO the REVISION
1 or the General DtpdIlihVH uie n'y''
Of judicial practice brmful OF startling and demoal-
ling abuses about which you can hear the enlisted men
reason with considerable freedom OF speech III ny ais
cipne understood the due regard Of the superors 10
ward their interiors and the respect and obedience I"
the latter the former the discipline on the from
tier ia certainly Of singular genus. Things have long
since such pass that minor oienses, comPre-
hended under the terms characterization and disre-
spectfu conduct" are generally ignored; you can hear
soldiers BLACKBOARD their nOncOmmssioned officers ana
officers utter vey decOrous expressions with refer
! encc TO their supeTOTs.
1t something remember that dcserton has become
| the fashion even among the colored troops. have
noticed particular gin the 10th Cavalry stationed
az Camp Supply, Iudian Territory; and II seems as
there was rivalry Of this Kind in all the three arms
There If company of infantry, artillery. or cavalry
but regularly furnishes its contingent OF deserters
someuules fellows heavily iIoned manage TO escape
now and then guard and their prisoners walk of to-
gehcr Had Congress been familiar with this prevalent
and irresistible spirit OF descrtion il might forsoOth
snare itself the trouble Of legislation looking to the re-
ductiOn the army. These fellows have been ana are
constantly reducing themselves the infantryscary!ng
oil Uncle Sans breech0aders the cavalrymen his spen-
Ger rfCs and horses The process leaving out OF sSh
the moral part deserves, therefore, some attention
financially. The Government pays for each recaptued
descrter the OF $50 yet so far az my knowledge
goes the greater portion make their with final
success may have been the reasons, tins ev
OF dcserton been passed by In silence in the war
Dcparent reports of the last few years, and oven IN
the reports Just published desertion only mentioned
! incidentally.
Th, is not the place to enter into an enumeration of
an the causes which produced this spirit Of descriion
buttAere can hesitation in pointing TO the anoma-
Ions and arbitrary way punishment OF the prn-
cpal causes II anywhere, it in such body corporate
as en- army strict immuble justice Is required;
Won cannot expect discipline where the soidler KNOWS
mat punishment matter OF whm, and dependent on
~ whom he knows To nc unft 10
sit in Judgment over him. In the European armies the
laws and rules of punishment are unalteTabe' ana the
most benghted delinquent knows what awaits him
here on the contrary, pnshments are matters OF doubt
oven 10 the commanders
Considerable mischief IS also caused in Army by
the aunuing European officer tired Tor
DEGRADING or dishouOrabe conduct. and found guilty,
VIII never dare 10 show his face again Ill the regiment
whereas in our Army officers cashered or dismissed are
occasionally renstated by the President. Those who
imagine that discipline and efficiency can thrive under
such circumstances must DC willing believers
was much amused 10 meet here and there with copo'
ras who preferred TO resign and fall back into the ranks
as privates; thing quite unimacinabe in soldier ami
mated by point dhOHneu, and where rank is consid-
cred distinction
As TO the snartia, IN particular Will pr1eny
state that they curious in the spirit and essence OF
the sentences the fornaes Of the prosecution are
ooualy cdifyIng When q soldier il, for example,
brought up on trial for theft or granddaughter he Is
CHARGED with conduct TO the prejudice OF good order
and military Discipline" deserter Will be trled TOT
deseron and at tho time for neglect or duty.
Can there be any sense such farcical pr0ceedngsf
U1v this regulation lngo9 Why not rather do as Is
done in other armies where theft is called theft aud
murder il called murderi
Strange as IL may sound the crime OF deserton 20
grave and distinct in its character breeds Iancui va
rety OF findings One deserter viii be sentenced 10 TOUR
wears in State penitenary, another 10 TWO or thrce
| ,op1 hons his
carry al his left leg ball Of II pounds, that one Dai
of % pounds sometimes the deserters punishment IS
smpv IN he drummed or bugled ont Of the service,
which amounts 10 gratifying his desire 10 eaVeit ana
he ts rendered in addition the gratuous ovation OF
parting serenade. need hardly ada that ue sumo pro
miscuous way Of awarding punishment holdS goou also
Of the minor oenses; and for the very same INSIDE
| meanor by which private John Smith 1oreiteo lib pay
for four months Bill Coffee Will lose his pay for three or
sir montbs A have already said, In this system OF
distrbutve Justice those who are interested IN the
matter readily find true criterion Dy wmeh 10
measure the morale OF the army and yet the ohcai re-
ports Of the last few years speak eloquenty OF INC I'M
II a multiplicity and variety OF ofenses hardly ever
witnessed IN army pretending to organization, DC re-
concabe with the idea OF Improvement, then our army
IS indeed wonderfully progressive: Something must De
The practice OF keeping soldiers In ano
cation forfeiture of pay, coupled with CORPORA,
the to- o Everybody
the grcgarious confinement of prvates and noneonms
stoned officers the absence at our military p cons
tute q mass OF anomalies and denominations from whch
those army WHO mS Se G more Smedatcy
| in the honor and preservation oi , inc nint
in fact do not see why Uncle SANS employees in uni
form should be entirely overlooked IN tls GAVIN Oh re-
form and, for aught know, simple Investigation OF
courtmartia statistics and deserton during me past
yea year OF Two Will Inevitably lead 10 important
| ui1 ymiiiItary establishment
Washington, Jan. Is, 1872