The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-01-09
RISING FROM THE RANKS.
"A STR GGLE THAT TESTS THE SOL
DIER 10 THE UTMOST.

eniists in the United States army to get n COM
mission from tho ranks Ia talked OF q good deal
these days. The hercnlean nature OF his task
10 beginning to DO understood. When he has
undertaken the Job and carried 1t through sue
~cessfully without favor or assistance from
Official or other influential relatives. ne Is re.
garded as a man Of unusual character and
clcverness by those who appreciate the magni-
tude Of this acquisition Of the shoulder straps
through the barrack room.
When the system Of giving enlisted mon .
chance TO gain commissions was first inaugu-
rated. the West Point officers did not partiou-
lariy like II. The victorious men who did not
happen 10 be "A cers' sons or nephews found their
first assignments dificult. They were examined
with . curious and not altogether favorable eye
by their brother officers who had been cadets,
and the garrison ladies used their lorgnettes
upon them At very close range. When 1t was
found. however. that these men from the bar
racks did not take their soup with audible gusto.
that they did not practise the eating Of pie with
q knife. that they did not eat tobacco with
~gurgling manifestations OF Joy, and that, in
short. they perfectly we'll know what to do with
their hands and fee. In company. aud were. MS q
rule. self contained and digni1ed young men. the
comparative social ostracism which was at first
their portion gradually dissolved. and respect
for them grew. When It was discovered that they
Wero lhSt-ultCn HRnteTs III ulhlCui caui
well-disclplined subordinates to superiors, and
all-around masculine men whose barrack life
had not roughened but only strengthened
them. the young West Point officers began to
exchange magazines and cigars with these
~taoiturn commissioned men from the ranks
and to ask them questions about real soldering,
while the garrison ladies' began to enjoy their
society At whist parties. To-day the limo OF
demsrcation between the West Pointer and tho
commissioned enlisted man is practically blit-
erat, 4. Onlcer's son or shoemaker's son. the
young man who has the nerve TO endure
patiently the trials and hardships to which he
10 subjected before he can wear the gold csndi-
dates stripe is taken at his true worth.
From tho day no holds up his hand In q re-
c~ruiting oflce and swears fealty to the United
States and the armies thereof. the young fellow
who enters the army for q comm Ission is q
marked man. He is watched by all hands by
the officers Of the post to which he is assigned,
for bad habits, black guardism. incompetence.
slovenlincss, general undesirabllity; by the en-
listed men. his bunkies and messmates. for
swelled head. snobbishness, arrogance. dog-roo-
bersm. This is q hard gauntlet. The path Is
narrow. The slightest swerve Is fatal. There Is
no probation In the world to equal Il for difi-
Guilty. No man ever gets himself SO COM
pletely between the devil and the deep
sea as the man who enters tho United
States army with the determination to
win for himself q sword. Such o mans only
policy is continued. consistent silence. The bar
rack lawyer never gets n commission. or all
army mysteries. that which enshrouds the
method OF transmission of barrack news from
mems to officers quarters 10 the deepest Any
number OF young soldiers, brainy and faithful.
and upon the very eve OF getting their shoulder
straps. have destroyed their chances utterly by
talking too much from the edges Of their hunks.
II Is the quiet man. who declines TO permit him
self to be pumped either by officer or man. who
wins In the race for the army list.
That race has assumed Of rece mt years very
large proportions. Every military post In the
broad land furnish es ono or moro contestants.
Fort L~eavenworth. The other nine fall BY tho
wayside. The canteen ruins nvo of them. Tho
study to abate. seek too zealously to gain the
admiration OF tho enlisted men by outdoing
who eventually reaches Fort I~csvenworth for
worst Of his ordeal. The rough edge. Of bis JOB
IRE all Topped on BY tho time he takes his pre-:
ss nii. 7 so stn%inst'0n' Whether n,stf ." b. y s..s h 81
commission or not. he Will never again be re.
Suired to put In two such years as these first
Vas from frat call IN the morning until taps At
worse. When q young fellow is seen to DO
sion there is always nowadays some otacer fresh
from West Point. with his technical knowl-
will willingly undertake to coach the aspir-
ant In his studies. An officer famous for his
who during his comparatively short army
career prepared a great msn' young soldiers
sydenSam Of the FiftS xrtinlery. i AM accent a,en,.
plished scholar and writer and a brave man.
who died Ct Fort Candy : few years ago; Such
one Awaiting the enlisted man at his eaamins
full of little kinks simple enough of calculation
TO the man who has got used to the weight of
the enlisted ~aspirant who has boarded up adj
vanccd knowledge to the. exclusion OF the
mathematics. for Instance. are so dinicuit that
IN preparing for them the ,uncoached soldier Is
IN aansf his 81 s.r nss lssson 81 h s,, tactics s sIa g Of ao for,
TROOPS OF cavalry on risht into line or of giving
the necessary orders for the unlimbering Of q
will aatten and rout him at Fort Lesvenworth
ifh has forgotten or neglected them
soldier harder and better than any Of Lis mates.
for he IL under tho closest observation. He has
BILE Jealousy OF his barrack fellows. especially
the younger ones, who are anxious tn find flaws
have had the sIperisnoe OF picking on commits
sion aspirants and afterward salutinR them.
cisco are now sorVinn long nT ssnte De sI az r hIea.
NV
traz Island for bayoneting. during the drunken
Thanksgiving festivities OF 1898, . Corporal
who got his commission as Second Lieutenant
the other day.
Soldiers working for commissions receivs two
and sometimes even three chances. II they fail
At their frat preliminary examination. owing
either TO mental or physical deficiencies, they
may have another try At II the GLOWING year.
Succeeding then. IL they fall down in their frat
final examination at Fort Leavenworth, they
may go back to their posts to brush up for an
Other year, and then make q last attempt. Fizs-
ling thon, they are out Of the running. and, II
they so desire, thor discharges from the army
are given them. Passing. they have the candi-
dates gold stripes sewed to their sleeves, ana
ait down to wait for their commissions, either at
tholr posts or on furlough.
As n general thing the American soldier who,
after several years OF diligence and hard work,
misses his commission. takes IL hard. lie often
takes TO drink aud gets himself In pitiablo con-
dition II there Is not some strong man around TO
drum sense and philosophy into his head. Some,
anticipating failure, struggle frantically TO go
to the dogs even before their cake has been
turned into dough. Two bright young soldiers
from an infantry regiment appeared at
Vancouver Barracks. Wash, to take their
preliminary examinations for commissions
. few years ago. Both OF them must have been
conscious of lack Of application or inapti-
tude along certain lines. or they came face
to face with some hard form of discouragement
after they arrived Mt the post selected for their