Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1890-05-09

spirit: it is d part of history. When
was it that the Confederate soldiers
ever broke out with enthusiasm over
their President? Who ever spoke of
him around their camp-fres with affec-
ton or admiration? A man of great
ability, no doubt, and thoroughly de-
voted to the cause of which he was the
head; but he had no faculty of inspir-
ing the rank and file with great regard
for himself. It may be said with per
feet truth that he has been much bet
ter received at many places in the
South since the close of the war than
he ever was by the Confederate armies
during the war. He was never the
soldiers man.
I have put at the head Of this article,
"How We Talked" The eve" com
prehends much more than the private
soldier The discipline of the vOlun-
teers never reached that of the regu-
lars-and it would have been a sorry
thing for the service if it had. Com
pany and field officers were well known
to the soldiers of their regiments at
home, and often Colonels and Captains
did not disdain to come out and stand
round the fires with the men, smoking
the universal brier-wOod pipe, and lis
tening to the talk that was hardly sOf-
tened on account Of their presence. In
fact, the talk was sometimes made a
little palmer when it was known that
shoulder-straps were within hearing.
Fragments of such conversations are
remembered after twenty-five years.
Here is one of them:
"MOst twenty miles marched to-day"
grumbled high private. What's the
-G I,,4
dusty day like this ?"
"To give General -- a chance to
show his authority, suppose"
well, why don't we fight? Why
not have a battle and put an end to all
this toting abOut?"
eyes, whyAot?" observes a phiIos-
opher in blue "Why the dickens
amt you in command, Jones? You
seem to know just what ought to be
done"
A slight laugh follows, and Jones
grumbles to himself After a pause
another soldier takes up the burden of
criticism.
well, I don't care; we've got a right
| to growl when we see things going the
way they do. What's been the good
Of all our marching the last two weeks,
I'd like to know. We haven't seen the
| enemy; our Generals haven't meant
we should. What's the good of it?"
you're the hired man of the United
! States, observes the philosopher in
blue. "YOu get thirteen dollars a
month and found for doing what the
military big-bugs tell you to. You're
a machine-don't you understand it ?
Want to run yourself, do you?"
90, pshaw guess we can talk il
we want to. Now, I say that anybody
can see there's nothing but foolishness
in this campaign. If we hadn't moved
so far away from the river, so that we
could get our supplies regular, and
! without the guerril1as interfering; and
if we'd moved two days sooner than we
! did; and if the cavalry was worth a
cent for scouting; and il"
90, dry up! Always the big If in
the way. Do you suppose you could
better it? Why, I suppose that il
! your uncle wore petticOats, he'd be
! your aunt-wouldn't hep"
Laughter and good humOr follow
such a sally as this; soon the tattoo
sounds, and the soldiers go to then
rest on the ground, dreaming of home
and gathering strength for a twenty
mile march on the morrow.-C Chicago
Ledger.
The Turning Point OF the War.