The Canton advocate. [volume] (Canton, D.T. [S.D.]) 1877-1897, 1881-01-06

the presence of the enemy. The more
everyday duties of the sergeant are to
instruct the corporals of his regiment,
and to keep an eye upon their general
behavior The sergeant-maior, who
fills the next grade in military rank,
has still more delicate, as we'll as more
complicated, functions; and captain
who has q bad sergeant-maior has no
peace Of his life. The sergeantmaior
is required to report on the conduct.
morals, and capacity of the under-of-
lcers, corporals, and soldiers of his
company, and to know all about every
man composing it. He is the captains
reference in all matters of punishment
and discipline. He audits accounts,
and receives the company's pay. He
keeps a regi ter of all orders and punish
ments. He superintends the hospital
service, and is the universal business
man of his company. In 1872 his dig
nifty was raised by being permitted to
wear sabre at his side; but even this
mark of glory is not sufficient to keep
him soldering so soon as ne can have
done with it. He likes his new honor
we'll enough, but he wants something
more solid, for his pay is only lid.
sterling per diem, which is hardly
enough to buy salt to ones porridge.
L'adjutant sous-officier is even a
greater man than the sergeant-maior.
He is the terror of the barracks when
he feels wicked, and he is very often
in a breezy temper, so much is he
himself disturbed. He is chief COM
missioner of police in his battalion,
and a despot against whose DEGREES
there is no appeal. If a too adven-
turous nursery-maid comes to look for
a volatile sweetheart, and to reproach
him for his infidelty, it is the adjutant
who orders her forthwith to be expell-
ed before she can penetrate to his
quarters. He visits regularly all the
taverns, wine shops, and other public
places that he NAV know where to look
for deserters and runaways. He pre-
vents his men from being too free-and-
easy in their amusements. He must
be a perfect chronometer. He is re-
sponsible for the pupctuality of the
tattoos. He sees that the reveilie is
sounded at 5 A. M. in summer, at 6 in
spring and autumn, at 7 in midwinter;
that the morning soup which makes
the French soldiers breakfast is served
at A. NJ, and that the inspection of
the sergeants on duty for the week
is made from 10 10 half-past 10
precisely; that the roll is Jailed
at II, that the guard is told off
Immediately afterward that the eve
ing, soup, or dinner, is ready at 5 p.
M, in summer and in winter, and
that all lights are extinquished at 10.
From 10 o'clock at night till half-past
4 next morning, and then, only, is he a
Tree man. His day is just two shillings
and halfpenny sterling day, and he
has sevenpence halfpenny more when
quartered in Paris, now the most ex-
pensive city in Europe. When SER
geant major is promoted to adjutan the
receives an outfit # $50 francs. When
an adjutant is promoted to be sub
lieutenant he is gratified again with .an
outfit of $50 francs, or f22, minus the
exchange.
The vaguemetre is not above the ed
jutant, for he has only the rank of SER
geant; but he has special duties, and is
the right hand Of the major. He re-
ceives and distributes all letters, parcels
and money belonging to the regiment,
and he is responsible for them; bat
things are so strictly managed by "old
soldiers" that he has no opportunity of
playing fast and loose. In war time
|sol1iers' letters are sent and received
post free-a regulation which, strange
to say, only dates to the late war.
Finally, the "tambour-major' is the
''fugleman" and ornament of every
regiment. He has lost some of his
tremendous swing and ego" since the
last war, and it is said he no longer
dourishes his baton with the same
proud and conquering air. Still heis sa
very fine fellow, and has usually soft
heart under his gay uniform. His 81
gantic height, which formerly excited
the wonder and awe of the female
mind in domestic servants, has been
much diminished by taking away his
bearskin shake with the scarlet plume;
but practical commanding officers de-
clared that the strongest man could not
struggle successfully against such head
gear in high wind: and SO it was abol-
ished.