Savannah morning news., 1885-06-22
SOLDIERS OF THE REGULAR
ARMY.
What an Army Omeer Has to Say About


What an Army Omcer Has to Say About
a.-s Them.
SAVANNAH, GA, June 20.-EditOr
Morning lNsaos: Your article Of Sat
urasy morning, entitled "a Word about
Our Soldiers" is 50 unfair to those men
that ! deem it my duty to point out few
OF the errors into which you have fallen.
| do this the more readily because / be-
lieve your expressions TO be due to erro-
neous impressions, and not in any degree
to desire to be unjust to class of men
against whom, in some quarters, it APP
pears to be fashionable to cry out when
no danger threatens, but on whom, when
life or property is in peril, all are glad to
rely. ..h.rs
do not appear as an apolOgist for the
soldiers of the regular aTmy-they do not
need any. / simply wish to see them
fairly treated
That worthless men are sometimes en-
listed is beyond dispute. 1t is perhaps
impossible to prevent this-such men are
found in all professions. Certain it is
that the best available men are enlisted,
and these men, as a rule, make good
soldiers.
To serve in the ranks is not considered
a disgrace by any intelligent man, but
the life Of a soldier is a very exacting one,
and the remuneration is exceedingly
small, SO that il is not TO be wondered at
that the enlisted men of the army do not
represent the best talent IN the land.
Perhaps many of us would have our
patriotism put to a severe test were we
required 10 serve our country for glory
and $13 a month
Your insinuatiOn as 10 the low source
whence the enlisted men ofOur army are
drawn is, l think, very undeseryed and
UNJUST one. Your want of confidence in
the reliability of our soldiers hardly
seems to be deserved, when we remember
that in the labor riots of 1877 the greatest
security was found under their protec-
tion.
With regard to the services of an army
in tie Western Territories, would sub
NIT that the rapid development of that
section OF the country from the date of
the first explorations of the far West
down to the present time bears evidence
that our soldiers have we'll fulfilled their
part.
1t is stated that ''not one in five of the
soldiers in the regular army is a reasOna-
bly, good marksman," 1" and that ''the num-
ber Of crack shots is exceedingly small"
The finest marksmen of the National
Guard Of the various States, who for five
years past have contested with the en-
listed men Of the armF at CTeedmoOr, can
testify that the above statements are mis-
takes. The target record of the army
also shows that the maTksmanship is re-
markably good. In 1894, out of total of
2, 1873 men, 1871 per cent. fired at 200
Yards, making an average score of 10;
S3.3 per cent. fired at 800 yards, making
an average score Of 7O.9; $40 per cent
fired at 500 yards, making an average
score Of 67-5; 3I.3 per cent. fired at 600
yards, making an average score of 1866.
These dgures represent practice in all
kinds of weather and under widely vary
ing conditions, from that on a first-class
range to that on "a sandy desert under a
scorching sun.
There are ut present nearly 1. 900 sharp
shooters and more than 1000 crack shots
in our army.
l think that when you have considered
the facts have given, you will see that
our soldiers are more efficient than you
have been led TO believe.
0. NJ. CARTER.
1t was not intended to convey the inn
preston that all private soldiers are
from the lower and disreputable classes
of society, but to advance the idea that
they should all be reliable and worthy
young men, enlisted for short terms and
not professional soldiers" As our cor
respondent hints, it is difiiculttO get such
men 10 serve at Sl3 per month, but, as
some good men do enlist, more care in
recruiting might exclude all, or nearly
all, of the worthless and vicious.
The target record of the army is very
good, perhaps, compared with that Of the
armies of some other nations, but care
ful reading Of the article in question Will
show that the shooting in battle or
in sktrmishing was the subject of crIti-
cism. 1t seems that not only in our own,
tion wasted is hundreds of times greater
than that which rs used with effect.
Ofcourse we had no intention TO decry
the army. We JOIN. our correspondent in
giving honor where honor is due. Our
only object was TO urge the Importance of
making u better in every respect than 1t
is. IL, instead OF 1000 there were
p 900 crack shots in-the army, it would
be almost three witnesses effective as it is.
eSurely we.cannot boastof the marksman-
ship Of our soldiers when two-thirCls of
them are ranked as ordinary OF
poor shots even in target
practice. IL will not do 10 say that the
average emarksmanship Of the soldiers Of
other armies is no betterthan that Of ours.
We have the material from which an
ideal army could be formed. 1t is much
better 10 raise the standard of excellence
in the army than TO increase its numeri-
cal strength,s ED.