Lincoln County advocate. (Canton, Dakota Territory, [S.D.]) 1876-1877, 1877-04-18

SOLDIERS OUTWITEED.
How Hayes and Matthews Beat the Boys
OF tho Twonty-Third Ohio.
From the youngstown, o., Register and Tribune,
The Twenty.third Ohio Regiment
was composed of the flower Of the.
state. Ithad in its ranks bright young.
men from colleges, students from law
offices, besides those who had attained
to some standing in various vocations
or professions of active life. 1t was not
to be expected, under such circum.
stances, that it would not see the dis.
tinguished consideration with which it
ought to be treated. 1t had mayors
and congressman in its ranks, and pres
idents and United States senators
among its officers. 1t was not COM
posed Of the scum Of society, but Of
bright youths of fine promise from the
best families and Of high aspirations.
Prayer meetings were kept..steadily in
full operation so long, at least, as the
regiment remained at Camp Chase.
The boys naturally expected equip.
ments that would accord with their
breeding, education and character.
They we're disappointed. Army disci-
pine is no respecter of persons. When
the arms came to be distributed there
were not Enfield rifles enough to 20
around, SO one or two of the compan-
les were given old muskets, with balls
and buckshot for cartridges. They
vowed that they would not stand it. It
WAS monstrous idea that soldiers
capable Of doing their execution should
be asked to meet the foe with arms so
rude, weapons so out of date. 1t was
not to be thought of. They would have
guns of the most improved pattern and
from the most celebrated factory.
They would not submit to so great an
indignity. They would have gaod arms
or none.
The officers of every rank tried their
eloquence upon the men and labored
to persuade them to take the old
muskets as good soldiers until the Gov
eminent could give them better arms,
but in vain. Matters were becoming
serious. Hayes was asked TO 20 and
do what he could to set things straight,
but, as he was only the major of the
regiment, he preferred that an officer
Of higher rank should execute the del
icate mission. Matthews, Lieutenant
Colonel, was urged to undertake the
work of modifying the irate men, and
he did 60 forth armed with tie power
of eloquence and historical allusion to
exhort them to patriotic obedience to
commands regularly issued, however
trying and exacting such obedience
might be.
The exhortation moved the men q
little, but still they had taken their
stand and declared that they would not
have the old muskets, and have them
they would not. scammon, the Col
onel, was Of the regular arm y, and of
the Engineers Corps, at that, and did
not much believe that private soldiers
had many rights that real heightened
officers were bound to respect. He was
disposed to resort to extreme measures
to silence the opposition, and is said to
have made a speech, in which he told
the men that they were United States
soldiers enlisted for three years, or
during the war, and that they had no
choice but to obey their superiors, and
wound up by informing them that they
could either take the arms that were
offered them or be taken out and shot.
Neither the eloquence of Matthews
nor the threats of Scammon made the
idea of old muskets in their hands
seem tolerable to the men, while the
neighboriug companies had splendid
Enfield rifles. Hayes and Matthews
thereupon put their heads together
and resolved to try diplomacy and see
whether they could accomplish any
thing by that.
There was in the regiment an old
hunter from Ashtabula county, or that
neighborhood, a famous shot. The
lieutenant-colonel and major took the
old man into their confidence and told
him that they depended upon him to
get the boys out of bad scrape. They
suggested to him that he should test
the relative merits of the rifles and
muskets by shooting at mark in the
presence of the boys, and that he must
see to it that the mus ets came out
ahead.
Col. Matthews than addressed again
the men, and told them that though
the weapons offered them were some
what old III their fashion, they were
nevertheless far better than the new.
tangled guns, that were in fact better
for Looks than for service. He said
that the matter Was easily tested, and
that the hunter, whom they all knew
to be the best short in the regiment
should try them both iii their presence,
and that all should abide by his decis.
ion and the result of the test.
The proposition seemed fair, and
was promptly accepted. The mark
was put up and the old hunter went
to work apparently in the deadest
earnest. He shot now with q rife and
now with an old musket, fred at q
short range, and then longer one. At
close range the distance between the
firearms did not seem to be very mark
ed; but still the musket would always
come out little the best; but,
as the range became greater, the SUI
periority of the musket became more
and more manifest. The veteran
nsrksmsn kept up the shooting until
every man in the company was
thoroughly satisfied that the, weapon