The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1878-10-23
JOB PRKTaTEVG
AN EXTINCT RACE.
The Private Soldier in the Late War"

The Private Soldier in, the
War of the RebeIlion"-he IS dead,
or lost, strayed OR stolen, possibly.
We do not know where he is.
But be is~,rot here. He has gone
away to some place. Perhaps he
. has ceased to be necessary.
Perhaps, if he were here, he
would be in the way. At any
rate, he is not around. He does
not go to the Legislature. We
do not find him. in Congress.
He is not eagerly sought as
candtia'e for anything, Nobody
ssemsa'to know anything about
him: Occasionally be appears on
the pension list, with one leg, a
wife and, seven children, andeight
dollars a month. If -four takes
much rise be will not last much
longer at any rate. and we shall
soon be deprived even of the occa-
sional glimpse we now have of
him. ~.
1t is asserted, and quite gen.
orally believed, that at ore time
he was quite numerous, and was
even considered ratherconveniant,.
if not indeed, quite indispensable.
It was found that upwards Of one
hundred Of him were necessary in
order to secure mere lines Of
commissions for three eminent and
deserving men. When field CON-
missions were wanted for three
even moro eminent nd,great men,
one thousandprivate soldiers were
necessary. 0nethousand! Itseems
an enormous number now, when
by5consettirg Congressional
Directory, we find there are none
in all this proud Republic.
But twelve orffteeu years ago
even that, incredible as it may ap-
pear 'to.u today, was considered
a small number. They were pri-
yate@ soldiers there we're even
hundreds of thousands of them.
And they were useful. They
dug trenches; they constructed
long lines Of breastworks, and
then, when the enemy came with
in sight they climbed over them,
and went outside of them to fight.
They worked and watched and
fought: COOPERATING with great
and eminent men who have since
passed to their rewards IN one
Office and another, these private
soldiers sometimes rendered very
useful service IN winning great
battles. Oh, they Were useful.
Some historians have even gone
so far as to maintain that without
them the war could hardly have
been carried on. They were
really quite useful. And now
they are all gone. -, -
It seems sad, looking back. at
the war, that none but the Gene
rails and Colonels and Majors end
line officers should have survived
its dreadful ravages. Providence,
ever mindful of the wants ola
great and growing nation, un-
doubtedly: took special care of
these great men, and in great
anxiety that the country should
not suffer from a lack of eminent
men, kind Of forgot the private
soldiers aud let them wander
away. And so they are all gone.
Some of them got shot. Some 0:
them got married and moved out
Of the world, to settle upon tracts
Of Government land, where the
Indians coufd get at them more
easily. Some Of them went into
business. Some Of them are teach
ing school. Some of theE1 went
away and didn't leave their pa
rents address. But all the same,
they are all gone, and it seems
dreadfully lonesome without them.
There used to be SO many Of
them. z@|si :zs..:: s.as
[Covtngton'C ca. Enterpr!se.
ii An old Irish soldier who prided