The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1896-10-07
rRUFANE SOLDIERS.
tHERe WAS VERY LITTLE SWEARING
THE ARMY OF THE UNION.

tHERe WAS VERY LITTLE SWEARING
IN THE ARMY OF THE UNION.
An Old Soldier Takes Isspe with the
Author OF The Red Badge Of Cour-
axe--camp Followers and Hangers On
Furnished the Profanity of the War.
When the recruits of the First Maine
cavalry began to take on soldier airs
in their camp On the Penobscot, in
1851. some of them assuming that
troopers sho1ld be men full OF strange
oaths." Colonel Douty promulgated au
antiprofanity 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 selfrespecting oomrades' the
men took a noblor view Of 1t and the
needless vice." =" as the historian CT the
regiment characterizes it, was effectually
prescribed
The First Maine served four years
and earned a reputation for valor in the
field second to no other mounted com
mand. 1t brought home a flag upon
which were inscribed by official author
ity the names Of SO battles. But the
veterans We're not more proud OF their
martial hono-s than of their good NOR
ais. for they had won the honors ana
the victory to crown them, swearing
mot at all; :" that, too. with regi-
mental temperance pledge held IN al
most universal respect.
The general over a divisisn Of 10000
men who nipped the profa.snS evll IL
the buy by saying. Twill GO the s1Ecal-
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, but be
was not a jester, neither a victim Of
overconfidence in himself. If miitsry
necessity warranted violation Of the law
he would be the judge. Under leader
so clever and farsighted the crisis would
never arise. Only once during long
two different regiments, different brl-
| cades, divisions and army corps-did /
| hear an officer above the rank OF cap
tain give way to profanity. That once
was the case of a brigade commander
invoking the curse Of Deity upon a ras-
! cally quartermaster. The quartsrnlasJor
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 cOncomitants,
| the stubborn army mule AMI the Oh
streperous teamster, furnished the chief
provocatives to swearing for soldiers OF
| the line and that in the precinct set
apart TO their use-region remote from
battle and virtually outside OF the Co
main of army discipline-oaths were
quite as common as they are in the
pages of the ''Red Badge of Courage. '
| In fact, the manners as well as the Ian
guage of the soldiers in that narrative
suggest that the studies for it were
made from camp followers and the hang
ers on of the supply departments,
manned, as these were, by noncombat-
ants. Into that safe asylum drifts, &c
cording to a we'll known law, tie slUm
element of an army in 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 as keeper Of the brigade
commissary stores. With him the swear
ing habit was an infirmity, causing his
associates to overlook it through pity.
The other was a teamster, who had fol
lowed the sea until long past middle
life. Swearing in his case was a child
ish way Of showing bravado. II Is need
less TO add that be was "a hopeless cow
ard, and for that reason had been detail
ed to stable duty.
By referring TO the roster Of the COM
pany IN which / served in 1923 / now
recall the individuality Of 50 comrades,
and of that number recognize 50 who
did not use profane language on any oc-
casion OF the remaining 2S only Il
can be indicted as possibly given 10 pro-
family at times, and that solely on the
ground of their general reputation for
hghtness of morals. On the expiration
of our term Of enlistment, in 1868, two
sergeauts of the company recruited a
command for the veteran cavalry sccv-
ice. They had the pick Of 300 apPi
cants recently mustered OFT from tie
two years regiments and chose their
men strictly with regard to their prgvi
Gus records as gallant soldiers When
the men came together in camp it ap-
peared that there was not one among
the 100 veterans so selected who used
profane or vulgar language.
A moments reflection must convince
every intelligent person that violent
language is sabversive of all true disci-
pline, and successful army without
discipline is an impossibility IN this
age The article of war prescribing
profanity, promulgated, as 1t was, to
every new command and IeGd on parade
annually at least, was a protection foT
the soldier and IA moral weapon for the
officer The soldier could insist upon lis
observance by his superiors- On the
other hand, he weakened his cwn cause
whenever he violated the law himself
At first blush the article seemed to
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 it Is studied and
analyzed. Men of fixed habits obeyed
readily, setting a good example. In the
end wilder spirits found that obedience
was easier than resistance. Thus at the
very oatset the law Of God was impressed
upon the understanding of all who
hadn't it written in their hearts -
George Z Kilmer in Independents
How Islands Grow.
Fifty-two islands have appeared by