The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1898-02-22
HOW TO MAKE A SOLDIER.
The Process BY which Volunteers
would BE Made vete rans.

i
| TO the Editor OF The Times:
/ / have been asked the question. How
are soldiers made?" To this l reply that
| soldiers are horn, not made. j must
| however. qualify this by saying that In
my experience have seen fairly good
| soldiers made out of men who have nell
/ Their inclination nor ability for the life.
| but 1t takes years of strict discipline and
| continual training 10 accomplish this.
Such a man may eventually become
machine, but in an emergency would be
likely to lose his head and be utterly
| worthless.
I The born soldier loves his profession. or,
! IL he be civilian. has always longing
to become a military man. A man OF
| this sort takes an intelligent interest in his
work, soon becomes reliable and trust
worthy and is cool in time of trial.
The American people make the best
soldiers on earth. / do not say this IN
an excess of patriotism, but because l
have handled men of many nationahties-
The American people are martial peo-
| pie as whole. Then, too. they are in
| telligent and intensely patriotic. We
have reason to be proud of the personnel
of our army. of which 50 per cent are
Americans. They are as well disciplined
as the men of any army in the world,
and have the utmost confidence in their
! officers.
l will not endeavor to describe the
making OF soldier in the event OF war
being declared with Spain, which, by the
| way. I trust will be the outcome OF the
| disaster to the Maine.
| IL must be remembered that the pro-
| ceeding would differ somewhat from the
methods employed in time of peace. but
the principle remains the same, Win
| few of the details omitted.
We will omit the raising OF companies
| and regiments and come to the point
| Where the soldier has been furnished with
| his clothing and accouterments We have
now raw but patriotic volunteer. Will
ing and anxious to learn. but woefully
ignorant of even the first principle Of
military usages and customs. He wants
to fight and probably. in the excess Of his
| fervor. considers the technicalities of drill
as superfluous.
We will suppose that the Presiden,
| wants our soldiers in. say two weeks.
The first thing he must learn is implicit
obedience to orders, right or wrong. and
no matter what superior gives them. His
feelings would be hurt and rehurt time
and again. but the stern. rigid. unbenti-
ing discipline Of the men placed over him
would. in few days. teach him much
He is taught TO always respect superiOrs
and then is ordered 10 drill. A nOn-cOn-
missiOned officer. probably q soldier with
several years OF experience ard q gruf
military voice, has charge Of him. Nom
commissioned officers are usually jealous
of their right to respect and obedience.
and the recruit soon learns that he must
be extremely careful else he will offend
his monitor.
Ia &c ha 90 Te nd
and legs; how to salute his supeTiors and
how 10 march and face. This an ordi-
narily intelligent man could learn in three
days by drilling. say. five hours a day
Next he IS instructed carefully in the
handling Of a gun He first learns the
manual of arms and then is taught TO
load. aim and fire. For this instruction
we will allow four days. drilling five to
| seven hours a day.
1t must be remembered that II is easier
TO drill from four to twelve men than one.
and there are probably eight or ten more
in the squad with our recruit. For the
next three days the squad is drilled in
movements in sets Of twos and tours and
the recruit learns how TO move in unison
with other men.
Ten days have now been used in drill
ing him thus far and he is turned over
for duty with his company. where he
learns extended order or skiTTnish drill
In four davs more he is a fairly we'll
drilled soldier. as far as any military ma
neuver he would have 10 execute on the
battlefield is concerned. and his company
or regiment is sandwiched in with regu-
lar companies or regiments. Here he &C
quireE a confidence in himself and his
officers and fights like veteran.
| During all of this drilling he is learn
ing the usages of a military life among
his fellows and in his company quarters,
I be theygin tent or building. The average
American. after having gone through the
course | have described. would make a
better and more intelligent soldier than
! three-fourths of the men in the armies
! in Europe.
ROY l. QUACKENBUSH
Late of the First L. :. Cavalry.