The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-09-11
YOUNG MEN FOR WAR.

The meeting OF the @. A. R. ut Pittsburg
Is TO a thoughtful and revsrent mind an
interesting occasion. There is but fading
remnant left Of the great chiefs on either
side of the great civil war Of 1s6l-65.
Longstreet and Gordon are about ali the
great Confederates left. Lee survived the
war only i've years; Bragg died in 1876;
Hood in 1879: Ewell in 1872: Joe John
ston, Beauregard and Early are among
comparatively recent departures.
On the Union side Meade died in 1S72 I;
Thomas in 1870; HalIeck in 1872; Hum
Clellsn in October, 1885; Hancock in Feb
ruary, 1856; Sheridan in August, 1885;
Sherman in 1891 OF the distinguished
soldiers of the Union there remain only
Buell. and Rosecrans. Buell. graduated in
1871, two years before Grant, and Rose
Grams in 1872.
Buell. and Rosecrans might be called
old soldiers, but Gen. Reyes. who gradu-
ated in 1882, stiil survives. Gen. Keyes Is
an old soldier, but not SO old as Gen.
George w. Greene. who graduated in 1898.
sir years before Lee and Joe Johnston,
while Gen. Philip st. George Cooke gradu-
ated in 1927, year before JEFF Davis.
Gems. Greene and Cooke were soldiers
before Lee, Joe Johnston or JEFF Davis
had left West Point. Gen. Greene had
been a soldier twenty years before Gen.
Grant was graduated; Gen. Greene was
hc~.. - TGnf Gan Grant in, 1900
On the whole 1t cannot be said that the
great soldiers of the war for the Union on
either side present so good q record of
longevity as do those OF France or Eng
land for the Nspoleonic wars. Going fur
Their back. il Is worth noting that famous
French marshal of Louis the Fourteenth s
day won a great battle when he was over
50, famous Spanish general. Mondragon.
fought and won O winter campaign in the
Netherlands when over 90 and marched
on foot at the head of his troops. Many
of Napoleon'a generals lived 10 . great
age; many of England's great soldiers and
sailors have lived to be more than 80; 30
far as European records 60 the longest
lived men are her famous soldiers and
sailors, and her famous judges, two cali
ings entirely separated in physical culture
and mental strain.
II is not easy TO understand why the
American record for longevity should be
inferior to that Of Europe. unless IL be that
eminent Europeans take life easier than
we do. The record of great English sol
diers and sailors is remarkable when we
remember that they fought In every quar-
ter of the globe. in the temperate zones
and in the tropics Lord Clyde fought un-
der Wellington in Spain, under Lord
Raglan in the Crimea, and when nearly 70
put down the Indian mutiny of 1857.
Lord Raglan, who had fought at
Waterloo, did not lack energy in
the Crimea when past 90. and
only succumbed to the cholera. But
in our war for the Union, with the
exception of Lee and Johnston, all our
distinguished Confederate soldiers were
under IS years of age. With the exception
Of Meade. Hooker, Sedgwick and Hum
phries. not a graduate of West Point rose
to distinction who was over As. Grant,
Mcclellan, Hancock, Mcpherson. Ord,
Burnside, Sheridan were all under 40;
Sherman was about AZ; Thomas. his class
mate, about the same age; Isaac !. Stevens
was about 43; Rosecrans about 40; Buell.
about 40; Meade and Hooker were about
Al; Gen. Getty was about 40; Gen. Hum
phries was about 81; aud was the most
energetic and fiery lighting soldier of bis
years on either side. Gems. Franklin.
Porter. Gibbon, Couch. William +. Smith,
Warren. Stanley. schoheld were all under
81 when the var broke out
Our war Was fought out on both sides
by young generals. Lee and Joe Johnston.
who were IS in 1851, were the illustrious
exceptions 20 the rule on the Confederate
side, aud there were no exceptions on our
aide among the men OF the frst order of
military distinction. And yet man Is
nos counied too old for vigorous soldier
shipin Europe at IS or %. aud some war
riors have won great battles At even q
greater age, but on both sides Of the war
for the L nioa the men Of military distinc-
ton we're, with very few exceptions, sill
under A. when the war broke out and the
vast majority Of them under 40 YoIng
men for work aud old men for counsel is
certainly cur wSrtike experience in the
United States.
In Europe Cromwell was over % besors
he ever became Q soldier; Maxsena Was
= great soldier after he Vas IS; MARI
borough did 40. become q great soldier
until comparatively late in life; yelling
ton vas % before he won battle in scier-
tie warfare that ven him tia name Of 8
superior soldier. There are great Euro
pssn example. OF youthful Military genius.
like Alexander IN ancient times. like
Hsnry the Fifth. Ei~ard. the BLACK
Prince; Edward the Fourth, CASTOR de
Folx and Nspolson In modern times. bat
the European rule 10 the other wsy; their
great soldiers eavs not rlssa to great faEas