Connecticut western news., 1882-06-21
CHARACTER OF THE SOLDIER.
Corrective Influences of Army nis cipline-How Many Men Were Made Better.

cipline-How Many Men Were
 Made Better.
 Gen. o. o. Howard, in his Decoration Day address in Lewiston, Me-, said :-~" The soldiery, of course, partook of all the varied, kaleidoscopic character of our population, and whether or not as @ rule they became worse morally in con- sequence of their army experience Is not easy to determine. Men who get the mining fever and congregate in large numbers, separate from homes, wives, children, and refining society, are apt to present no very comforting phases of human nature. The hunters, the fishermen, the seamen, the lumbermen, and all men drawn together away from the society and influence of ladies be- come comparatively rough in manners, habits aKd language. Similar effects do we find in the army, but there is in the service a counteracting discipline. Wrong-doing is discouraged and pun ished, while good conduct is ehcour- aged, good deeds commended, and con- spicuous acts rewarded. From personal knowledge I can testify that many men become better. Iremember Mcdonald, of the Fourth Rhode Island-always faitbful to bls soldier duties. He aban- doned drinking and profanity in the army. I cannot forget his last words to me; "How glad I am, General, that I am wounded, and not you" l recall Harry Stinson, of the Fifth Maine, who learned to look more and more to his Heavenly Father for strength while prisoner of war. He was sfterward pro- noted by several grades to Lieutenant Colonelcy, and till his death, some years after, exhibited all the graces of pure, constant and selfdenying life.
 A visitor to an army hospital speaks of soldier of the Sixth Corps who lost his right arm close to the shoulder. "Day by day I found him cheery and accomplishing. At first he was over- flowing with fun all the time, but at last the terrible heat and strain upon his system so much reduced his strength that there was only merry twinkle i'll his eye when came in and word of cordial greeting. * When he dropped his musket alid reached round to take his useless arm tenderly in his left hand and walk off the field under a shower of balls, it was his first time off duty, thirteen battles, since he entered the service. Low spirits or complaint seemed impossible to him. "
 The Hon. B. P. Smith, once Commits sioner of Indian Affairs, is responsible for the following. wish he had given the soldiers name. Take this as type of our soldiers loyalty to the country's flag and of unselfsh devotion to the very end. "During the charge up the Ridge (Missionary) four soldiers were seen bearing back a comrade on a blan- ket. When they laid down their bur den Iknelt down by him and sad: Ser geant where did they hit youP Most up the Ridge, Sir Imean, Sergeant, where did the ball strike youP' With in twenty yards of the top-almost up ]! sNo, no, Sergeant, think of yourself for 8 moment, tell me where you are wounded ? And throwing back the blanket, I found his upper arm and shoulder mashed and mangled with 8 shell. Turning his eye to look for the first time upon his wound, the Sergeant said: 'That is what did it. I was hug ging the standard to my blouse and mak- ing for the top. was almost up when that ugly shell knocked me over. If they had let me alone little longer two minutes longer-I should have planted the colors on the top.' Almost up, almost up. His own regl- ment, rallying under the colors that had dropped from his shattered arm, was (then) shouting the victory for which the poor Sergeant had given his young life, but of which he was dying without the sight"
 could multiply instances, but these few are sufficient to suggest that in this country we may find morality and re- ligion in the army; that the soldier is not depraved to proverb; that virtue and piety are not so rare as to be simply subjects of ridicule; that profigacy, libertiuism, and intidelity are not by any means a necessary part of 8 soldiers uniform; that profanity, drunkenness, infidelity, and dueling are not the speclal characteristics of our army. These crimes, it is owned with shame and sor- row, prevail in our land and more or less affiict and curse the best regulated company, but the army is not conspicuous in this or any other vileness. The Grand Army can easily furnish the record proof of soldiers, who like Thomas, Canby, Fisk, Mitchell, Chamberlain, Sewall, Whittlesey, and host of others, have been conspicuous in deeds of jus tice and beneticence, securing and nd vancing human happiness; of soldiers who, like Creole, Camp, and Stinson, have carried comfort to wretchedness and dried the tears of sorrow;" of sol diers who, like Miles, Tillson, Saxton, Swayne, Sprague, and Griffin, "have relieved the unfortunate, fed the hun. gry, clothed the naked, dealt justly, and enlightened the ignorant"
 THE BoERs.-It is said that in some parts of Holland the houses of the