Evening star., 1898-09-12
THE REGULAR ARMY
Its Splendid Work in Front of San
tiago.
ALL WERE TRUE AMERICANS
Some Mistakes Due to inexperi-
enced Staff Officers.
Il III E N z d G A L g 0 r P S
z II E NJ z D l G A L co r P S

that our regular soldiers constitute body
of lighting material without a peer on the
face of the earth today. This fact was
proudly proclaimed by the military repre-
sentaives of England and reluctantly ac-
knowledged by those of other and less
friendly nations who witnessed our army's
performances in Cuba.
l know that there are those who have
been led to believe that Spain only decided
on a surrender when 1t learned that
the Rough Riders had made up their minds
to take Santiago by assault. There are
others who think San Juan hill was carried
by the list New York in a gallant and al
most unsupported charge. 1t is with
wish to detract one iota from what the vol
unteers really did that the real credit for
the splendid victory before Santiago is
credited to where it justly belongs-the
United States regulars. The Rough Riders.
the I'd Massachusetts, :he 33d Michigan
and the 34th Michigan all participated in
the fighting of the first week of July. and
all acquitted themselves with credit. Those
organizations are all made up of brave
men led by brave officers, but naturally
know but little about modern warfare. But
for the regulars the Rough Riders would
have been eaten up in the first brush they
got into with the SpaniardS. The 33d Mich
igan will know better the next time they
go out than to march up a railroad track
in a column of fours when battery i'll
front has the perfect range. 1t takes time
and experience to make a soldier, just as It
does to make successful business man.
The regulars have had both, and how we'll
they have profited by the training their lat
est performances bear brilliant testimony.
True Americanfsm.
But it is not of their fighting prowess so
much some other less well-known traits
of the regulars to which / wish to bear tes-
timony from personal experience. The gen.
eral impression of the regular soldier is
that he is a sort Of social outcast most
frequently of foreign birth. who has no
local attachments-a sort of half-human
animal who has been thumped into the
business OF standing straight on parade.
who has been taught to shoot accurately
and. for the rest, to do exactly what he is
told to do and, above all else not to think.
The regular of today is about as far re-
moved from this ideal as are the antipodes.
First. and most important of all, the regu-
lar of today is an American of the truest,
highest type. | do not mean by this that
all our regular soldiers We're born in the
United States, although the percentage of
what is termed foreigners is remarka-
bly, small in the army now. 1t is that al
most indescribable combination of charac-
tcristics which stamps the genuine Ameri-
can and which. like pure gold, is readily
recognized when seen even by the most in
experienced that one meets with now in
our regular army. And upon reflection
why should it not be so? The regular SOL
der * drilled and trained by men graduated
at q school where patriotic Amertcanisnn is
the all-permeating though unwritten sub
Iect of the curriculum. Whatever defects
West Point Military Academy NAV have
peen charged with. it's most unjust detract-
ofs nave never even whispered the accusa-
tlon OF want of patriotism or a lack OF
the truest spirit of Americanism.
Besiies having the graduate of this insti-
tutlon for his leader and his model the
regular possessed good material out Of
which to model the genuine American SOL
uler- The depression in business during
the past ten years has furnished to the
regular army most excellent material TO
draw from. II the ranks of today will be
found the merchant, the mechanic. iudced
the business man of nearly every walk Of
ne Ihey turned to the regular army when
support at their occupations in civil lifa
failed them. With these older men is i
considerable percentage of younger ones
VINO have been well raised. well educated
and are highly respected members of the
localities from which they hail They have
sought service in the regular army as a
profession which offered them better in
ducements than anything open to them in
civil life. 80
The result is the regular army is nou
composed of a body of men Of which any
nation might well be proud. What such NJ,
army Is capable of accomplishing the deeds
OF the 9Th Corps in Cuba bear witness
Though these men did nine-tenths of the
hshtlng they modesuy forbore to make
public claim for the distinction Though
lhey suffered Just as great hardships as the
volunteers, little has been heard of the suf-
1eflnSs OF the regulars. Yet these men have
tEe same local ties the volunteers they
are second to none in their America nism
ana ana rove OF country, and it is shame that
Ihey nave been ignored as they have been
Splendid Work of the Regulars.
II was these men who, almost without
direction, went against what was consid-
cred invuinerable positions of the enemy
an
rifles. The training they had received at
the military post bore fruit on the battle
fields before Santiago. As one of their
most valiant officers told me. 1T kent the
ofncers busy To lead the men in the fight
ing on July l. They seemed to understand
without being told what was to be done
and how to do it. All they wanted was the
wcrd to go in"
There is prevailing impression that
there Is a great deal of jealousy and blck-
er!nS among the officers of the regular
army. that they are a naughty oye..Dear-
ing set of upstairs, who are above their
business and whose main occupation is eth
er in attendance on some social function or
swelling around parade ground In uniform
like peacocks displaying their gaudy plu-
mage.
/ will cite just one instance as to the
former charge which came to my knowl-
edge from most reliable source When
the hght opened on the morning of July
Gen LawtOn in command of the right
OF the line. which was molly engaged by
one of the crack Spanish brigades at Ell
CaneF ours was a very thin blue line
and our troops We're assaulting the enemy
In their own position, in block houses and
behind trenches. The result seemed oues-
uonable. About noon Gen. Bates came up
with his brigade and went in on I.awton's
left Bates ranked Lawton. He found that
MS gallant Junior already had the battle
well Won and that there was no danger of
disaster. He took part long enough to give
the enemy an accelerated boost out of his
stronghold and then magnanimously with
drew his force and swung around to the
extreme left, where there was still beau
uful hghting' at San Juan Hill, and into
which this gallant OLD hero threw himself
with rejuvenated military ardor Now. If
Bates had remained at FL Caney, as rank
ing officer. it would have been ''all Bates
instead of "all Lawton.' like It was "all
Sampson, instead OF Schley at Santiago
in the official reports. Bates modestly
withdrew in order to let the man who had
earned the victory enjoy all its honors Yet
the record of deeds like these do not aDpear
in the official reports and too iufreauentlv
hnd their way into public print Bates
change of position merely appears as an
order in the official reports and EXPECT
that order was written by Bates himself
Hard Work for Officers.