The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1882-12-03
Young and Old Soldiers.

The charaGteriStics of Young soldiers are
10 pay winning Ganei to attack with dash where
tuccesS seems pfOOAhe; ar dyen 10 stand up slpe-
rior forces when courage has not been amped by pre.
VOiS reyerses, and faith In their unn-
paired. Under such conditions they may even sur
pass their older comrades. Hut Ia times Of danger
and panic, when the bugle sounds the retire wien
everything seems 10 be going against ms, ana when
total route can only be avoided by order and
of mind then II Is that the old soldier element be-
comes Of incalCuahle value. Without IL a COM
mander would he indeed badly OH. Let any of nv
readers think of themselves at twenty, and then IL
they have advanced 30 far in life, see in what re-
spect their character has changed at thirty. Most
VIII probably allow that II In dash and daring they
made no progress In the Intervening years at thirty
they can at least face misfortune with greater eaua-
himlty. mlshaP which reduces yOuth TO the
verge OF despair hardly dsturbs the man who has
seen something of the world. The same feeling,
which actuae us In ordinary life continue TO do so i'm
warfare; and although moral and physical couroge dn
not Invariably go together, IL IL the combination of
the two which carries an army through all yclssi-
tudes. The great Duke has had such bad time Of IL
lately at the hands OF some of our rsformers that
one almost hesitates to quote an opinion or his, In
case, however there should stl exist any one who
believes In thar once trusted leaders, knowledge OF
what constitutes soldier, give the following eX.
tract from speech made by him in tho House OF
Lords when The Ten Years Enlistment Act was
brought forward. After explaining that the enI.
much upon tho experience and snldierly habits
OF the men AZ upon tho talents Of tho officers,
ana after describing thd night attack Of tho Elghtleth
Regimsnt at aobraDn on some sikh guns, which were
plungng shot among them In their byOuac, h0 said;
- ask you, my lords, whether such feat could have
been ppriOfnel nntr such circumstances, eXceDt by
old soldiers. II would have been imposgiblo Near
In mind the conduct of the Emperor Napoleon with
respect To old sOdleis remember the manner In which
he employed them. ReCOllect, too, how much they
ara priced by every power all the world; and then
VIII once more entreat your lordshps never TO con-
sent toany measurewhch would deprive Her NaIesy's
service OF old and experienced men, and thus nave tie
way for disasters which assuredy would follow when
the army should come To be employed In war - some
people have even gone the length Of arguing Ia favor
Of boy oatiallOns because, i0rsOOth tbs battle of
large proportion " yOnng soldiers. This was uu-
Duke Of Wellington, who always referred 10 thisarny
as the worst he had ever commanded, and surely A
general of such vast experience may be given GTedt
for knowing the quality OF his own troops especially
as he could have no earthly object In running down the
men who had gained for him the greatest victory In
his exceptionally eyentful career, ON June 49, lsl5
his Grace wrote as follows 10 Lord Stewart. ~ have
got al Infamous army, very weak and ill-equlbped,
aud very inexperienced STAFF - Seven days afterths
battle he writes 10 Lord BathUfst; 90 really believe
mat, with The exception OF my old spanish Infantry
have got not only the worst troops hut the worst
equipped army, with the worst staT that was ever
brought tOgeher.' Another soldier Of almost euual
TenOwn, but whose laures have been more RECENTLY
won, Field Marshal Graf yOn MOltke when asked
what he considered model battaliOn-as regards the
age of The men IN the Tanks-replied AS follows;
could not desire anything better than what Is repre-
tehted by German battalion when modified f6r IL
mas sunieleht age for stamina that N 10 sAy from
lwenty-Dne 10 twenty years. ''-MGj GGH
HDteris, IN me AtaettcGM CeHtUTy.