The National tribune., 1894-09-27
NO CRUELTY THAT
Ten to One the Act was Necessary to Pre-
serve Esprit du Corps.

Ten to One the Act was Necessary to Pre-
serve Esprit du Corps.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: Some
weeks ago / read a discussion between {
Sergeant of the 9Th Y. Y. and another com
rade on The subject of discipline; The burden
of which was the cruelty of Regular non.
commissioned officers toward enlisted men
under their immediate command. Among
the incidents related was one in a charge OF
the Regular Brigade at Fredericksburg
where a fie-cl ser doubtless a Sergeant
feled man to the ground by blow from
the butt of his musket.
These facts on their face and without ex-
PLANTATION would indicate cruelty; yet it is
probable that the man the Sergeant strnck
was a chronic skulker or slInker, who was
trying to funk from his place in the line,
and the file closer, after prodding him up
once OF twice without producing the desired
effect, simply knocked him down as an ex-
ample. If so, the Sergeant did exactly
right War is no sport, and bayOnet charges
are not made for fun. When men enlist in
an army they undertake an obligation Out
of so such men 40 will, as a rule, do their
best to discharge that obligation hOnorably.
The other one may try to skulk-he may be
q dead-beat If sO-and every honest faith
luA Olu SoluleT VIII agree VIII -iHS DulGol
a musket is too good for him. He ought to
get the benefit of its muzzle.
During my own brief service / saw but
one Instance of that kind. That was when
we were going into battery with Martins
81 Mass, the Sth of May, 1864, at Spottsyl-
ysnia.
Just before deploying the battery halted
by bugIe. and a lead driver on a gun dis
mounted, or rather slid down the side of his
horse.
Shells were exploding in the afr all around
us, and the infantry of RObinson's Division
were in full retreat in the fields on both
sides of us. The poor devil who dismounted
was simply ratified"
Stewart spurred his horse up to him,
thrust his cooked revolver within three feet
of his head, and said: Mount, you -"
The man mounted his team at once.
He was detached volunteer, and that
night Stewart sent him back TO his regi-
ment.
Now. let Us see what all that meant.
The 81 .uation was very trying. RobinsOn's
Division had bsen broken, Griffin was COM
ing up. and our two batteries (Stewart's and
Martin's) were being thrown in 10 stop the
enemy until Robinson's men could rally.
Cap. Roebli0g, of Warren's staff was with
us. and the momentary halt was made TO
select position as between two knobs.
Necessarily that was a time when every
man should be steady. Every gunner and
cannOneer was sitting with folded arms and
eyes front, bolt upright on BIS proper linn
beT-chest or caisson; every driver had his
team in hand, whip and spur ready-all
except this fellow who dismounted without
orders.
were plenty of enlisted men in the battery
who would not have been as gentle with
him as Stewart was.
Suppose that other drivers had followed
this mans example How easy it would
less confusion in such crisis.
The whole idea Of military discipline is
to equalize ana make uniform the qualities
of different men. Its purpose is alike TO
restrain the rash and to brace up the timid
Not all men are brave by natural temper
ament. Some men, like Elbridge Packard
or old Bull" Mcbride, of our battery or
Pat Hunt, Of the 5th Art, have DO concep-
ton oil fear, no sense Of danger. Such men
do not deserve near as much credit for good
conduct In action as men do who stand up
70 their posts with fall realization of their
perils.
But in battle it is necessary that all men
should behave as near alike as possible In
fact, they must be made TO behave alike, or
else in a regiment OF coo men, or a battery
of 100 men, the courage and steadiness of
999, or SO, as the case may be, may come to
grief and defeat through the cowardice of
one.
Imagine every man in a regiment, com
pany, or battery being allowed TO follow the
dictates of his own feelings on coming in
touch with the enemy. What sort of an
army would you have? Simply that fear
less men like Mcbride, Hunt, and Packard
would 90 on TO certain and useless defeat
and death, while more or less iimid men.
like myself-and in fact, the majority of
men-woUld keep out of harms way
Hence, i say, that the Regular file-closer
previously referred TO was doubtless simply
doing his duty as he saw it at the time
when he knocked a rear-Tank man down
with the butt of his musket as they were
going into a charge.
Such an affair may have seemed cruel to
the man who was its victim, or TO men who
saw it without knowledge of the circum-
stances; but, after all, ii may have been but
justice to the other soldiers who were in
ine-Of-battle with him.
As a rule, do not take much stock in
stories OF cruelty IN the army. saw some
service, most Of the time in the Regular
artillery or the Ordnance Corps, never reach
ing any higher rank than Corporal. aud no
officer, commissioned or non-cOmmissio ned.
was ever cruel to me-" The CANNosEER."