Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-05-26
THE COWARDLY nth
BY CHARLES B. LEWIS.

-
It did not take men long to learn com.
pany and regimental drill after being
called into the field by the outbreak Of
OWL war, and it was only a question OF
weeks when every soldier knew how tc
take care Of himself in camp. 1t was
grand material for an army-far1ners,
miners, mechanics, clerks, day laborers-
men of Drawn and men of pride, and such
was the rush at first that the recruiting
officers would reject a man almost on &C.
count of an old scar. When the raw ma
terial was drilled and disciplined and
hardened up, every man was a fighter. A
grave mistake was made by the company
and regimental officers in the very begin
ming, and, though recti1ed in most in.
stances before the year was out, gross in
justice had been done to thousands of
brave men.
There was but one officer in the Fourth
infantry who started in right. He was
ridiculed and burlesqued for months, but
timo proved his sagacity and brought him
his promotion. He was the captain Of
Company g, and his very first move was
to know every ma in his command by
ann His next wal to study each man
by himself. Company 6 was made up Of
all sorts Of men, from the sturdy farmer
Of 40 to the boy of 30 who had always been
coddled as a pet. Not q man had ever
been under fire. Not 10 out Of the 100 had
ever had their courage tested. Taken al
together they were a fine looking body Of
men, and after six week of camp life they
showed up better than a-ly other company.
Most captains would have been proud and
satisfied and boosted a little. Captain
White was simply pleased. Camp life was
but the picnic preceding war. There would
be long marches, and he vent at 1t to
tougher his men. Every day, rain or shine,
they marched In squads for so many miles.
They wero taught the easiest step; their
loads were gradually increased; their fest
were hardened by degrees.
When the Seventeenth was brigaded
with us, everybody spoke in praise of its
stalwart rank and file. No better material
could have been found in America. A
couple Of weeks, however, showed the COL
onel to be All egotist and a drunkard. and
few of the regimental or company officers
seemed anxious to give him credit. One
day the Seventeenth came out to relieve
the Fourth On the outpost duty. Not q
man Of them had ever fred his musket,
not a man had ever seen a Confederate,
q man had heard the ping Of a bullet.
were detached to cover a long
front and to guard a bridge and a railroad
crossing. At midafternoon 100 C~onfeder.
ate cavalry, divided into squads Of %, at
tackled four full companies Of the Seven
at about the same moment. One
discharge Of carbines, followed by a yell,
the business In each instance. The
same 100 cavalry then fell upon tho reserve
Of the Seventeenth and routed 500 men at
q dash. One thousand men were beaten,
routed and disgraoed by 100, and all be-
cause the officers had not coached them.
Just . week later so men out of Company
@ fought $50 Confederates for an hour and
prevented them from burning a bridge.
That was the beginning Of the hoodoo Of
the Seventeenth. 1t had disgraced itself
and disgraoed the brigade, and nothing
Of a gallant fight would restore its
The officers cursed the men for
towards and skulks, and the men lost con-
ddenoe in themselves. Two weeks after
Its disgraoeful rout five companies were
$1,000. ~l =. O.
.esN ouS o. .lens ~ at.ve . soole =. oon,
oueIoto s~nalpsnUoeers uuo VI az Ola inliA
snu yaAc possesslon. Ing MAJOR IN com
manu- nau scaIUe'y oeem seen ~ any OF tne
men Delore. ne nafG1y knew n OF tne
sapeains y name. ~ swageered ana
ommanaea, ano me ooo marched u
Woulo nave marcned IN open
Oroer, reaay 20 sopporg eacn other; me
nao no sense. He mafoneG nus oOo
N Q so'id oooy. Wild q tramp TO be heard
J mile away. q s~ndrpsnooters neard the
ramp OF iniantfy: suspected what was
Ooming, ano 40 Of tnem went into ambush
Aione tne roao ana az a proper moment
nle. inav minnpes sne nve COM
WeFe oeiedted ana nying oack to
.lnP Saving = score OF oeao ana wound.
Y re enenay 2 n oncers Q
nen Haoe q LOOT race OF ~ ana ~ 2 9
1919 seseamin8 INTO camp me nragaaier
aungeu ous me MAJOR and . at him:
!. y -, -. OuC y0u arg 9 consempti
49, ~ ~ ~ hr,ss na 'n, = = y, sn sSa o,st