Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1886-04-08

WHILE THE PRIVATES DO THE WORK.
frank Wilkson in the New York SUM-
AS we, year by year, growaway from the
war, and the number Of men who carried
rifle or swung a sponge staff among the
guns grows smaller, the country is flooded
with mythical accounts of this or that Off
GERS wonderful display of courage on such
and such fields, and the rising generation
is called upon to admire the gallantry of
the warlke commanders of their ancestors.
I protest against the further manufacture
or sham military reputation. 1 know, and
all soldiers know, that the greater portion
of the stories now current must be false.
An officer dies and at once the newspa-
pers and magazines are filled with accounts
of his bravery and; of the valorous deeds
he performed, and how he saved the Union
on such a battlefield. We are solemnly
told that his presence inspired his troops,
just ready to break or already in flight, and
they, nerved by glance of his blazing
eyes, reformed, and rushed madly on the
foe and snatched victory from defeat. This
is rot, unmitigated rot.
The distinguishing characteristics of the
American volunteer were his independence
of thought, his want of reverence for those
in authority, and his ability to take care of
himself in battle and to correctly judge Of
it's tide. He had no respect for any gener-
al whom he did not belieye to possess the
qualifications essential to great command
er Therefore none of our general officers
inspired him at all. When the volunteer
fought on the offensive he fought we'll and
steadily as long as he thought there was
prospect of success. On the defensive he
would fight to the death if he knew that it
was essential to the safety of the army to
hold the position he occupied. He would
assault earth-Works, it mattered not how
strong they were, savagely, and carry them
if it was possible. But, having once seen
the work at close range, and having thor
oughly felt of it's defenders and realized
that the line could not be carried, he would
not again make determined assault.
In one instance, at Cold Springs Harbor,
in 1864, the army of the Potomac openly
refused to make a second assault on works
they had been up to in the morning. The
privates had seen the Confederate works;
their general officers Of whom we hear so
much in these days, had not, and the pri-
Yates considered themselves just as we'll
qualified to judge of their capacity to car
ry earthworks by assault as any general
officer, it mattered not how high his rank,
who had not seen the works, and who
evinced no burning desire to inspect their
strength at close range. 1t is true that the
troops who refused to renew the assault at
Cold Harbor cheerfully sprang to the as
sault at Petersburg few days later, but
they had not seen the latter works and
they had sufficient confidence in General
Grants ability as commander to believe
that he would not have ordered an assault
unless there had been some prospect Of sue
cess-and that is where they fooled them
selves. None of our generals could have
forced their troops to make another deter
mined assault on the Confederate lines at
Petersburg.
At present we hear of how such and such
generals led their men to desperate charges.
These heroes are picutured to the youth of
our land as going into action on horseback,
waving sword in hand, and far in advance of
delivered by both Union and Confederate
troops. 1 have seen our men with blanch-
ed faces and set jaws, and their eyes blazing
with battle light, stream past the guns l
served on, and run full speed at earthworks,
behind which Lees veteran infantry lurk-
ed, and most always get whipped. Then l
have seen the lines in gray charge Union
earthworks or battle lines and ] have seen
them melt away before the heat of our
fire {; but 1 never saw the recklessly brave
general officers we hear so much about at
present lead any troops into action. / have
seen them closely followed by their brigade
officers, but l never saw them lead. In
truth, what business would an officer have
in front of his men when they were in ac-
ton? He would be in the line of their
fire and would surely be killed.
All privates have seen division and corps
and army headquarters, and none ever saw
them pitched among the troops in place
of danger. No one ever heard of a general
officer being killed in camp. We are told
that these gallant men habitually rode the
battle line or line of trenches, and that they
smiled at humming bullets and laughed
solid shot and bursting shells to scorn. 1t
is true that brigade commanders were on
the battle line. Division commanders were
conspicuous by their absence, and the pres
ence of division commander among his
troops was so unusal that it attracted the
attention of the soldiers, and was always re-
marked upon. What business has an officer
commanding from ten to forty thousand
men to be in the heat and smoke of a bat
tie? He cannot direct the troops if he is
on the battle line. He could not see how
the fight was going. Brigade commanders
could not find him. Of course if his troops
were charging, or if they were advancing
he could be with them.
We are told of general officers, grievously
wounded, waving aside their aids and
lightly dismissing their medical attendants,
and saying in effect: "Let the battle pro-
ceed. 1 cannot abandon my troops. We
must save the Union" Pah! Much they,
under these circumstances, thought of the
Union or of their troops. The truth is,
that they, one and all, got themselves lug
ged off the field. as quickly as possible,
and they were exceedingly glad to get to
the rear and into an ambulance and be
driven to place of safety and a surgeon.
TO have rifle ball weighing an ounce driv-
en- home in the groin, or shatter the thigh
bone, or mash the knee joint to splinters, or
smash the bones of the arm, or to have a
solid shot or Il ragged chunk offs shell lop
off an arm or a leg, knocks the fight out of