National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-08-03
TIE AKBRTGAN FooT SOLDIER.
/ FRENCH ESTIMATE.

The Count De Paris, who served with dis
tInction in the United States army during the
rebellion, has Just published work entitled
i'Ths American Conflict, from which the fol-
lowing is taken: ~ ETS glShr y - 2iS~~
The American foot soldier displayed from
the beginning great personal bravery. The
eombats In the middle Of woods, where he
might fall uupercetVed aud perish without
succor, were the strongest tests Of this sort of
courage, Dor they deprived him Of that power
full motive 10 all human actions, the hope Of
not seeing his name die with him; nsverthe-
less, It was In these struggles under the green
covering Of the forest that he showed all his
resolution.
BE soon acquired remarkable SKIN IN shoot
ing and learned promptly how 10 direct bis
shots In outpost s6airs. In combats In line his
are had not tho regularity Of the drtll- ground,
but each soldier, using his weapon AFTER his own
fhshion, sheltered himself behind . tree, and,
seeking with the eye under the foliage any
enemy who allowed himself TO be detected,
knew how to bring him down with fatal preci-
SION. II 10 stated in report Of the Surgeon
General that IN certain number Of Federal
hospitals thero were treated more than thirty
six thousand wounds In the hspd and arms,
against tWenty-nine thousand only IN the legs;
and that easily explains the position az the
soldier who, concealed behind trunk. exposed
only his head and arms at the moment when be
discharged his weapon. But these individual
qualities did not ssufhee- to give 10 body Of
men that collective courage which animates
them with the same spirit and makes them
undertake altogether what any Of them sepa-
rately would not dare to attempt. This dis
tinctlve trait Of old armies, which constitutes
their superiority, Is due to long habit Of dis
cipline, and belongs to veteran and experienced
rGnkB.
When certain deSth awaited the front ranks,
when It was 90 easy 70 walk not 50 fast as the
rest, and, personal courage not being the same
IN all, It was enough for single man TO hest
tate, or to be permitted to hesitate, with impu-
nifty; at once the hesitation became contagious,
and the brsyest soldier lost his dash, the most
resolute leader his audacity. While the perfect
despotism Of which Washington spoke does not
impose on the timid, who are TO be found every
where, the same obligations a. on the more
courageous, the American volunteers could not
escape these Inevitable consequences Of human
character.
ENCOUNTERS with naked steel, which are not
at all common even among seasoned troops,
became extremely rare IN the American battles.
Charges Of infantry were possible only In the
cleared spaces which form . sort Of oasis IN
the midst Of woods too thick for Troop TO
keep together and rapidly stack the enemy
With the bayonet. In these enclosurel every
thing was IN favor Of the defensive. Yet this
uEutluN N huc MOoA4 NHo u Naf4AA18o " ncN
troops. The VisW being interrupted, panics
could not be propagated, and the DIRE Of the
soldiers was slower and consequently better
than when they found themselves n IN ex-
posed situation, where the terrible spectacle
which surrounded them would be likely 10
disturb their composure.
At Gettysburg, among "a 900 loaded guns
which were picked up indiscriminately on the
battlefield, only Q quAitaE- had been loaded
properly. Twelve thousand contained two
charges each, and the third quarter from three
10 ten charges. Here there were six balls TO .
Hngle charge Of powder; there six cartridges
one above the other without having been
opened. Elsewhere tEenty-thrae, complete
charges, regularly placed, and there twenty
two balls, dxty-tWo buekshot and q proper
tionats quantity Of powder, all thrust pell-
nell into single gun. The examination Of
battle-helds IN the Crimea has supplied
analogous results.
The Count remarks that there seemed TO be
. sort Of public opinion IN The ranks Of the vol
unteerB, and that they either held fast or re-
treated together in q spirit Of emulation. Yet,
when they gave way, Il was with q sdnQfroid
which would have been admirable under other
circumstances, and the disorder very rarely
deqenerated into q r0ut. A few minutes often
suiiced 70 stop the fugitiVesy 70 restore conf
dence among them, to reform their ranks, and
reinstate the leaders IN authority. The soldiers,
suddenly discouraged, refused an instant after-
wards 70 believe that they had been beaten,
snd this conviction was for them almost equiv
Glent TO 3 victory. liifr t-fr "