The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1898-07-31
earth. This fact is put forth with no pre-

tense whatever of interesting the Amer
lean public in it. The public doesn't seem
to care very much for the regular SOL
der
The public wants to learn of the gall
lantry of Reginald Marmaduke Maurice
Montmorenci Sturtevant, and for good
ness sake how the poor old chappy en-
dures that dreadful hard tack and bacon.
Whereas, the name of the regular sol
der Is probably Michael Nolan, and his
life-sized portrait was not in the papers
in celebration of his enlistment.
Just plain Private Nolan-blast him.-
life is of no consequence. He will get
his name in the paper--oh, yes, when he
is 'killed." Or when he is wounded"
Or when he is missing" If some good
Spaniard shoots him through he will
achieve temporary notoriety, figuring
in the lists for one brief moment, in
which he will appear to the casual reader
mainly as part of a total, unit in the
interesting sum of men slain.
In fact, the disposition to leave out en-
tirely all lists of killed and wounded regu-
lars is quite rational one, since no.
body cares to read them anyhow, and
their omission will allow room for oil
paintings of various really important
persons. limned as they were in the very
act of being at the front, proud young
men riding upon horses, the horses be-
ing still In Tampa and the proud young
men being at Santiago, but still proud
young men riding upon horses.
The ungodly Nolan. the sweating,
swearing, overloaded, hungry, thirsty,
sleepless Nolan, tearing his breaches on
the barbed wire entanglements, wallow-
ing through the muddy fords. pursuing
his way through the stiletto- pointed
thickets, climbing the fire crowned hill
Nolan gets shot. One Nolan of this regi-
ment or that regiment, private, great
chums in time of peace with man by
the name Of Hennessy, him that had a
fight with Snyder Nearest relative is a
sister, chambermaid in a hotel in Oma-
ha. Hennessy, old fool is going around
looking glum buried in taciturn silence,
silence that lasts two hours and eight
Notwithstanding tribute to Nolan.
There is half breed fox terrier in bar
racks at Reno. Who the deuce gets the
dog now? Must by rights go to Hennes-
sy. Brief argument, during which Cor
poral Jenkins interpolates the thought
full remark that they haven't had any
thing to eat that day. End of Nolan.
The three shining points about the
American regular are his illimitab BILE pa
thence under anything which he may be
called upon to endure, his superlative
craftsmanship, and his ability in action
to go ahead and win without any exam
pie or leading or jawing or trumpeting
whatsoever. He knows his business, he
does. 49,
He goes into battle as if he had been
fighting every day for three hundred
years. If there Is heavy firing ahead he
does not even ask a question about it.
He doesn't even ask whether the Ameri-
cans are winning or losing. He agitates
himself over no extraneous points. He
attends exclusively to himrelf. In the
Turk or the Cossack this is a com bina-
ton of fatalism and observation-disclosures
1t need not be said that these qualities
are lacking in the regular.
After the battle. at leisure-if he gets
any-the regulars talk is likely to be a
complete essay on practical field opera
lions. He will be full of views about the
management of such and such brigade,
the practice of this or that battery, and
be admiring or scornful in regard to the
operations on the right flank. He will
be tireless critic, bolstering his opin-
ions with technical information procured
heaven only knows where. In fact, he
will alarm you. You may say. "This man
gabbles too much to be a soldier"
Then suddenly the regular becomes
impenetrable, enigmatic. 1t is a ques-
ton of Orders. When he hears the ap-
pointed voice raised in giving an Order,
he Is a changed being. When an Order
comes he has no more to say; he simply
displays as fine a form of unquestioning
obedience as there is to be seen any
where. 1t is his sacred thing, his fetish,
his religion. Nothing now can stop him
but a bullet.
In speaking of Reginald Marmaduke
Maurice Montmorenci Sturtevant and
his LIES sized portraits, it must not be
supposed that the unfortunate youth ad-
mires that sort of thing. He is man
and soldier, although not so good either
as man or soldier as Michael Nolan. But
hdi in this game honestly and sincerely;
he is playing it gallantly; and if, from
time to time, he is made to look rdicu-
lous, it is not his fault at all. 1t is the
fault of the public.
We are as a people great collection
of the most arrant fools about anything
that concerns war, and if we can get q
chance to perform absurdly we usually
seize 1t. 1t will probably take us three
more months to learn that the society
reporter, invaluable as he may be in
times Of peace, has no function during
the blood and smoke of battle.
/ know of one newspaper whose con-
tinual cabled instructions to its men in
Cuba were composed of interrogations
as 70 the doingS and aDDea RI nee of var =
Gus unhappy society young men who
were decently and quietly doing their
duty along o. Nolan and the others. The
correspondents of this paper, being al
ready impregnated with soldierly feel
ing, finally arose and said they'd be
blamed If they would stand it.
And shame, deep shame, on those who.
because somebody once led a cotillion,
can seem to forget Nolan-Private No
Ian of the regulars-shot through, his
half bred terrier being masterless at
Reno and his sister being chambermaid
in a hotel in Omaha; Nolan, no longer
sweating, swearing, overloaded, hungry,
thirsty, sleepless, but merely corpse
attired in about forty cents worth of
clothes. Here's three vollies and taps
to one Nolan, of this regiment or that
regiment. and maybe some day, in a
fairer, squarer land. he'll get his picture
in the paper too.-Stephen Crane in New