The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1896-10-07
rKUFANE SOLDIERS.
HERE WAS VERY LITTLE SWEARING
INTHE ARMY OF TIE UNION.

1851, some of them assuming that
troopers should be men full Of strange
oaths, " Colonel Douty promulgated an
autiprofanity order. At first the edict
was received with considerable merri-
ment, and expletiveS, innocent III them
selves though meant to do duty as oaths,
were freely used. But in a few days,
inspired by the precepts and examples
of certain sclfrespecting comrades, the
men took a nobler view Of it and the
needless vice. as the historian Of the
regiment characteriZes ii, was effectually
prescribed.
The First Maine served four years
and earned a reputation for valor IN the
field second to DO other mounted com
mand 1t brought home 4 flag upon
which were inscribed by official author
ity the names of SO battles. But the
veterans We're not moro proud of their
martial honoTs than of their good NOR
ais, for they had won the honors and
the victory TO crown them, swearing
mot at ALL" that, too, with req
mental temperance pledge held III IA
most universal respect.
The general over a divissn Of 10000
men who nippod the prcfa"sS evil Ia
the buy by saying, Twill GO the swear
ing for this entire command, - Was
more tactful IN his methods than the
/ Maine cavalry colonel, as he needed 20
! be. dealing with strange troops. bUJ he
was not a jester, neither a victim Of
/ overconfideuCe III himself. If mIllsgry
necessity warranted violation Of the lsE
/ he would he the judge. Under a leader
so clever and farSightcd the crisis would
| never arise. Only once during a long
! service at the front-s5ryice rendered IL
I two different regiments, different b-l-
I Cades, divisions and army cOrps-Cla /
| hear an officer above the rank OF cap
tain give way to profanity. That once
was the case Of a brigade commando
| invoking the curse Of Deity upon a ras-
| cally quartermaster. The quartcrmGsgor
resigned on the spot and vert home,
| thus removing what might have been q
Stumbling block from the path Of many
besides the general
! should say that the rascally quar-
| termaSter and his close concOmitanUs,
the stubborn army mule ami the Oh
streperous teamsrer, furnished the chief
provocatives to swearing for soldiers Of
the line and that il the precinct set
apart TO their usC-region remote from
battle and virtually outside OF the CO.
main of army discipline-OarLs were
| quite as common as they are in the
pages of the Red Badge Of Courage. -
| In fact, the manners as well rs the Ian
! guage of the soldiers IN that narrative
suggest that the studies for 1t we've
made from camp followers and the hang
ers On Of the supply departments,
manned as these were. by nonoonIbas
ants Into that safe asylum drifts, nc
! cOrding TO a well known law, the slum
| element Of an amy II the field
Ny ears still retain echoes of volleys
of caths from the lips Of two men Of
that class whom l encountered on the
| peninsula In 1862. Both were enlisted
| soldiers and wore the blue One Of the
offenders acted Is keeper Of the brigade
commissaTy stores. With him the swear
| ing habit WAS an infirmity, causing his
associates to overlook It through pity.
The other was a te1mster, who had fol-
lowed the sea until long past middle
| life. Swearing in his case was d child
| ish way of showing bravado. L Is need
less to add that he was "a hopelcss cow
ard, and for that reason had been GCtail-
ed TO stable duty.
By referring 10 the roster Of the com
pany in which served i'll 1928 now
recall the individuality Of So comrades,
and Of that number recognize % who
did not use profane language on any oc-
caSion OF the remaining % only Il
can be indicted as possibly given 10 pro-
family at times, and that solely on the
| ground Of their general reputation for
| hChtness Of morals. On the expiration
Of our tenn Of enlistment, IN 1903, two
sergeauts Of the company recruited a
| command for the veteran cavalry sg-v-
ice. They had the pick Of 5UJ aFEl
cants recently mustered out from the
two years regiments and CEosr {. =
men strictly with regard to tl-I- F-,vl
Gus records as gallant solaierz When
| the men came together In camp, il ap-
/ kts-AttA A4iA4b AA-tAD N - AA'ft N.a.
the 100 veterans so selected wha used
| prOfane or vulgar language.
\ moment 5 reflection mast convince
every intelligent person that violent
| language Is subvcrSlye Of all true G5~ci-
pline, and successful army w5-houc
discipline is an impOssibilIty ia Tins
age. The article Of war pros -iaiHg
profanity, promulgated, as II Was, 10
every new command and Icad on parade
annually AT least, was a protection for
! the soldier and "a moral weapon for the
| officer. The soldier could insist upon is
observance by his supCriCrs. On the
| other hand, he weakened his own cause
whenever he violated the law himself
| At first blush the article seemed 70
many obsolete and ridiculous and was
! generally received as a relic OF Puritan
| days. But the more onerOus and exact
! ing a rule the more 1t l. studied and
| analyzed. Men of fixed habits Obeycd
readily, setting a good example. IN the
end wilder spirits fOGnd that obedience
was easier than resistance. Thus at the
very outset the law Of God was impressed
| upon the understanding Of all who
/ hadn't II written in their hearts -
| George = kilmcr IN independent