Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-12-11

Sir Garnet Wclseiey's Stories Of Egypt
His Opinions OF the .sS:rcat American
War;
London letter to San Francisco Chronicle.

London letter TO San Francisco Chronicle.
1t was my good fortune to see General Wolse-
ley many times during the campaign and to
journey with him and his staff from Te-le- kebir
to Cairo. There were several correspondents
and artists in the big, open freight car. The
general was very h:gh-spirted. rs you may
imagine. The war was over. Arab was pris-
oner and he had fulfilled a rather burnptious
assertion, that he would be in Carlo on the 18th
of September and home very shortly atterward
He made rough perspective picture of the
battlefield as seen from the station and laughed
and chatted right merrily. When his chief of
staff Sir John Adye. called his attention to inn
portant business he begged him to settle it,
for to-day he felt like enjoying himself.
He was not in the best of health. Indeed,
everybody was more or less SICK and was in
Guided in the invalid list. Tie voyage from
Alexandria to Trieste. in government dispatch
steamer that goes twenty-fi miles an hour is
luXuriously fitted out and moves always over a
sea as calm "a an inland lake. Is the maximum
amount OF comfort TO- be had in sea voyage.
The boid shores of Montenegro and Greece on
the east in contrast with the lower lands of
Italy on the west, the cloudless sky the cool
and refreshing breeZes one enjoyed from
hammOcks that were swung under awnings on
the main deck. were a blissful change from the
desert at kasSassin and Tel-el- Malluta and the
hot unhealthy airs of Cairo and Alexandria,
You are credited with saying. Sir Garnet
that the tendency OF war is for shorter
period"
Yes. wars will become shorter and shorter
The ability and speed with which large bodies
OF troops and forage can be transported will
lead to that. Steamships instead of sailing ships
! are now used and with the arrangements now
employed battles become more and more deci-
sNe-nnd you, do not say that in regard to
CLOSING A.
tive OF a great war"
You made some study of the American war;
Sir Garnet. did YOU not!'
Yes: was then stationed in Canada. and I
watched it with deep interest 1t Was great
war lii all that The definition of that term i'm
plies. 1t did much to advance the science of
warfare. Gen. McCleIlan's campaign on the
Peninsula was great affair. think he lost it
partly 10y reason of the inSufficiency of his staff
1t seemed to me then. and | am assured of it
now. that the great mistake of both sides was
the enormous quantities OF artillery employed
POSSIBLY 1t was necessary for the reason that the
North and South We're at first short of infantry
The valu" of artillery is more OF moral weight
than anything else. l think the proportion of
men wounded by cannon in the German war
with those struck by rife bullets was about
three in one hundred. The figures may lie
wrong. but they approximate. Armies must
depend more largely upon infantry. The value
of cavalry for pursuit. for "Reminiscences and
charge is of course ncaiculat,Ic But one foot
man similarly armed is more than match for a
cavalryman. Indeed, am not sure that a reso-
lutte Man on foot. armed only with stick
might not successfully defend himself against a
dra@oOn who carried only a saber. The in
fantry know stands i'm great fear of cavalry.
and have seen whole regiment tremble be-
fore the advance OF half their number of horse
There is something really warlikc in the
approach OF squadron of horse. but it is more
appearance than anything else
'What do you think are the most essential
qualities of IA soldier and an army"
Esprit de corps and pride. A soldier should
be proud OF his profession. and he should have
the greatest interest and feeling for his individ
uaI command. He should be dressed well.
Even should he incline toward landyism that
should be encouraged. The better YOU dress a
soldier the more highly he will be thought of by
women. and consequently by himself. The Duke
OF wellington said of his officers in Spain that
many OF the best of them were the greatest dan
DIES. Men in the campaigns of the past used to
pride themselves in being slOvenly. To be I'M
snaFen anu dirty was supposed to be the sign of
Il good officer. The spirit runs like wdfre
amongst an army. Whatever the officers think
me the men will think so, too. 1t is very diff
hcult to make an Englishman at any time look
like soldier. He is fond of longish hair and
uncut whiskers. In the field no person should
wear his hair over half an inch in length It
should never be long enough to part No man
can have smart hearing who can part his hair
Hair is the glory OF a woman, but the shame of
a man.