The morning call., 1894-01-22
MILITARY DISCIPLINE.
How General Barnes Enforced 1t on
One Occasion.

Military discipline, strictly carried
out" said Private Wiltson!of the First at
battalion drill in the regimental armory a
few nights since. sis generally productive
of the best results. Ii does not matter if
it is in the regular army or in the Nation al
Guard, when soldiers faithfully carry out
the orders Of their superior officers they
generally do right"
YES" said another soldier, who was
resting his tired chin on the back of his
hand that lay on the muzZle of his rifle,
but sometimes it is a little rough on the
boys. To illustrate. I'll tell you a little
story ABOUT some of the boys of the First
when General Barnes was colonel of that
regiment. OF course you all have heard of
the famous Amador war in which the GAL
liant colonel took such an active part, and
you all no doubt remember that the army
that went to the front was. made up of
men detailed from several companies of
the First. The owners of the mines in
which the soldiers were to suppress the
trouble that had existed had guaran-
teed to pay the expenses of the troops
called out, as there was deficiency in the
military fund. After the cruel war was
over question arose as to payment, that
was should the State pay the indebtedness
incurred or should the mine-owners, for
whose benefit the troops were called out
by Governor Haight. pay. Pending the
settlement of this important question tn
pay of the boys-a dollar day-was with
held.
One day the boys who wanted what
was due them, and who looked to the
colonel as the proper party upon whom TO
make demand. went in body 10 his
office. down on California street, and
asked for their money.
The colonel explained that 1t would be
all right in time, but the boys did not want
time-what they wanted was money. and
30 gave the colonel to understand in term S
that could not be misunderstood. For a
moment he was at loss to know what to
do, his office was Held by the Enemy"
and he did not have solid Silver" to meet
the demand, so he addressed himself TO the
crowd. saying: You are all members of
the First Infantry, are you not?'
Yes" was the reply from more than a
hundred voices.
You recognize that you are subject to
my orders" interrogatively asked the
colonel
Yes" was the response.
A merry light shone in the coloneps
eyes and, raising his voice to one of COM
mand. gave the order Fall in "
A line was formed, and then came the
order, "Twos rightp
This movement was executed, and it
was so neatly Gone that the colonel ex-
claimed In commendatory voice: We'll
done, and moment later he added: For
ward march! And the whole gang filed
down the stairs and into the street.
The boys marched and marched. and,
like good soldiers, did not turn back to look
If their colonel was by their side or not.
but kept right on until it began to dawn
upon them that the colonel had adopted a
strategic move to get rid of them, and
some one gave the order, Break ranks
''The boys had to wait for their money.
but finally got il. and they all rem EN- bered
for long time just what the colonel had
occasion to say at a certain reunion about
the promptness with which the members
of the First obeyed ORDERS