Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1876-08-30

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fer 10 have the regular troops, because
with the old scrgcants and about thirty
standard men in each company you
can engrait upon that company any
kind of mon, and In six months tho
new men arc very good soldiers; but
In the case Of volunteers the officers
and non commissioned officers are pop
ular men, not men who have seen SER
vice. They are men who do not know
how to cook their provisions or to pro-
vide for themselves or their mon. II
takes about u year to mako good in
fantry soldier and about three years to
make q good cavalry soldier, II you
take an organization entire. But IT
you take company offifty men, where
thorc are four scrgcants, four corporals
and two good officers, and add fifty
new men to It, in short tlmc the new
mon would be almost as good as the
old ones, and they could hardly bc told
apart. They will learn from each
other great deal better than they can
be taught. | would take u company
of fifty old soldiers, such as we have
on the frontier (than whom there are
none better, for those men with Custer
were just as good soldiers MS mon who
had fought after four years of instruc'
tion in tho civil war; and engrait upon
that company another fifty men, and
in six weeks skilled officer would
take them into battle with confidenc,
while he would be little doubtful
with volunteers, unless we could get
some of our old troops, and that | do
not think we can do, as they are so
scattered.
Mr.. Terry. Have there not been
quite number of volunteer organiza-
tions who have rendered their services
to the government A. Yes, sir.
Mr.. Terry. Would you not feel en-
tire confidence in those men2 A. No.
sir. Most OF them are from cities like
New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburg,
Memphis and New Orleans, and though
they are brave men and men of indi.
vidual capacity, they would be like
children in that Yellowstone country.
Mr.. Terry. In Indian warfare, is it
more individual courage that is effec-
tual than mere military organization ?
A. No, sir. The great trouble is (and
you will find it recorded back as far
as our government goes) that our In
dian failures have resulted from ex-
cessivc confidence and from tho ina.
bility of our men to rally on the first
appearance OF danger. Old soldiers
rail- ut once to their company standard,
but new men scatter, each man seek
ing his own individual safety, and you
soon lose your command. The men
may be brave, but they have not the
force of habit to rally them to their
company standard, and they will scat.
ter about in the ravines, hollows and
woods and be killed in detail. We
had regiment Of Kansas troops in
1867 who were commanded by Gov,
Crawford, good fronticsmcn, but some
how or other they never came up
Custer led that column through the
Kiowas and Cheyennes, but the volun.
teers did not come up. They were
good men, but somehow or other they
were behind. Regular troops can be
handled by their officers, but volunteer
officers must consult the feelings and
dispositions and wishes of the men.
Mr.. Cook. Regular troops are far
less expensive to the Government ? A.
Yes, in the aggregate. Regular soldiers
do not cost onc.balf as much as volun.
teers, because you never know when
you are done paying volunteers. The
Montana troops were got up by q Gov.
ernor there utterly unauthorized, and
yet believe that Congress is today
paying, those Montana claims. With
the regular troops when the pay roll is
paid and the men discharged the thing
is done. II seems to me that when
such officers as Terry, Crook and Sheri
dan (who are charged with the re
sponsibility for the result) are willing
to take this cheap class Of interior mer
cot whom you speak,, Congress should
be satisfied.
Mr.. Terry. But Congress has tc
exercisc ;ts own iudgment A Yca
but IA no, hotter 70 deSsr 70 ,ho ;udo
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