Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-05-18
OUR ARMIES WERE MORAL.
The Lack of Drinking, Gambling and Flog.
cling Surprised Mr.. SaIa.

The Lack of Drinking, Gambling and Flog.
cling Surprised ME-. saIa.
G. A. sala In London Telegraph
Let it be, however, distinctly understood that
in the field and in camp the Union army, which,
as have previously said, was eventually a mil
lion strong, was, SO far as the rank and file were
concerned, wholly and completely a teetotal
army. Not one drop of whisky, wine or beer
was allowed to be sold at the canteens. Small
quantities Of whisky were from time TO time
smuggled in, and this contraband liquor was
usually contained in shallow oblong TASKS, made
up to resemble Bibles and Testaments, with neat
metallic clasps. 1t was the officers. however,
and not the men, who as a rule we're able to OBJ
tain these surreptitious supplies of bourbon
and rember once reading in Washington
paper pathetic letter from one Of the wearers
OF the sky-blue gabardines in which he
but objected to seeing a Testament stag
gering about with a pair Of shoulder
straps on embroidered shoulder straps
being the characteristic mark Of a
commissioned officer. The federal troops were
able to dispense with strong drink owing to the
amazingly good care which had been bestowed
on their personal comfort by body called the
sanitary commission, Of which there were
branches all over the north, and which were
aole TO deal with immense sums of money. In
aid Of their funds balls and fancy fairs were
frequently held, and the voluntary contribu-
tlons formed In addition a tremendous aggre-
gate 1t was not only medicines and hospital
appliances that the sanitary commission sup
pled to those who were fighting for the Union;
1t supplemented in hundred different WAYS
the abnormally abundant rations served out by
the government to the soldiers Cakes pies,
1rult. potted meats, and even those candies or
lollpops. OF which abstaining Americans are
often immoderate!y fond, were freely supplied
TO the federal warriors, who also reveied
thanks to the care of the commission in feecy
hosiery, nlghtcaps, worsted mittens and slip
pers In addition to this sanitary commission
there WAS another called the Christian commits
sion, which ministered to the spiritual needs of
the rank and file by the distribution of Bibles
and tracts, and by paying the stipends of addi-
tonai chaplains.
One other equally significant fact is stated
with regard to the wonderful Army Of the Po-
tomac These legions were governed practi-
cally without corporal punishment nor save
in very few instances when some peculiarly
heinous ofense against military law had been
committed was the punishment of death in
ficted. l remember when / was down with the
federal army in Virginia seeing at the general
headquarters wretched creature, delinquent
soldier, who, under the grim guard of a sentry,
was sweeping all the refuse away and shoveling
1t into BASKETS. lie was to endure SO many
hours OF this humiliating drudgery for so
many days, as he had been guilty, SO was told
OF some exceptionally disgraceful crime. Now
and again some martinez commanding officer
would venture upon a course Of procedure
slightly analogous to bodily punishment /
have heard of offending soldiers being
'spread-eagled," that is to say, tied by the
wrists and ankles to the wheels OF a gun or
an ammunition wagon and left bare-h headed
for certain time in the blazing sun. But
those certainly indefensible punishments
were very rarely resorted to. Remembering
that the use of the cat was common in the
British army during the Crimean war
and that logging in the army was not
totally abolished until the passing of the
army discipline act in April. 1881. and that
in the French army. although corporal pun
lshment had long since disappeared from it,
the death penalty was frequently enforced. it
can scarcely have failed TO strike an onlooker
with establishment that the American COM
mauders should have been able TO preserve
discipline among the hundreds of thousands of
men serving under them without hogging them
and without hanging or shooting them. in q
proportion even remotely approaching the in
Fiction OF such extreme penalties in the French
army. 1t must be remembered, moreover. that
the biuebeliies comprised in their ranks an
astoundingly miscellaneous congregation OF
humanity. There was, truly. q very numer-
Gus element OF sternly resolute. unfiinchingly
energetic soldiers, who were fighting not only
for the unity of the republic. but for conscience
sake, and would have regarded the cause of the
emancipation of the negro as a kind of holy
war. These, practically. the worthy descend
ants OF the old PIritaus, were the leaven that
gave life and yigor to the whole federal army.