The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-11-11
OUR VOLUNTEER SOLDIERS.
raaiure To obey Orders Inquest ION.
fnEfy the Cause of Many ,cxtia
Especially sickness In Gamma
Instances Brought ont by Iuou,rx

thought they had most prominently in
fh-Sd vas one TO which 1ley hardly dared
20 give expression. And still Ia one WAY
ana another, this ,jea w.luta regularly rise
% me surface. and as promptly be apollo
sixsd foz or withdrawn. In plain English.
| ! Tie ssssTan eerlmasaers Of the regalar
army dared 10 ex press their MUD II would
| De ID about these words: The volunteer
sessftaIy speaking. is rot good for much >"
Os course. TIE uttsrance Of srch seati-
uistse would be aigh treason. Confidence
- Gie profess OF volunteer ssldeyy IS .
atssshGeS American idea. Our great wars
nave pesn fought by volunteers and tt
has Deem the glory of our r~eD,h,ie that
men would rush from the walks OF <,ivu
ttte 70 arms when the occasion demanded
aHA as quietly lay them aside when the
war was over. and return 70 he ordinary
occupations OF e1vil Efe. As distinguished
I from the barden.son. standing ARA. IS az
Europe tho American militia is certainly
= wonderful advance. But when Tia. old
West Pointers speak freely they say that
,HtHS aIsiasr-st1ons have led the Aners-
esh people 10 a decided overesilmation Of
the utility or the volunteer soid.ery
In the first place. the army officers tes-
t.nea that r. was next 10 impossible TO get
me volunteers 70 obey In letter and IN
The regulars are trained to Obedience.
Iney do not stop to question whether the
1udsment Of their supesdors In matters OF
nsacterioiogy or chemistry Is good or rot:
they simply obey orders The volunteer
or at least a sufficient percentage OF the
ciizsii-soadierr 10 affect the total, taxes
sanitary dfrsetons much as he does the
prescription OF his doctor in civil life. The
physician tells him 10 take a PA once an
noar during the next day. and he .soss
| forgets ii the second. aud concludes ,av The
third that ne needs no more med ,eat,on
la the physician complain. The yoasng
Ainefirsn reasons 50 long as hs gets IA
pay This same spirit many C,f tha haYr
lake into military life, and a VOLUNTEER
many nam ~ = r. Tsaiy made up q boys, Each
considers the hygtene preeautions SET
forth by his superior officers az wise ana
n ne .s, ne is lib ely to disregard them
tons were furnish ed hy the hearings and
y goes wi'-ioaat saying that the Violation
S,,., rn.es by thres or four men out Of
70 which they belong in disaster For in
stance. Gen. GraiAam told how diffleus IL
was 20 get tns sAaasiiers at Camp Alger to
DE little warmer, insteid of INA from
streams known 70 he polluted ON one oc-
cassoh I ~ se:eal officer and companion
S Mere ralnk by when they saw private
tising nus cantaen from a brock in witch
me sssSscEng OF the soldiers was regularly
1850 1850 not more than coo feet above.
lam. liar as the officers. They sinpg,cd and
ia de the man empty his cinteen After
.rey had reached little Hill some dis
'Anee away the attention OF the medical
onicer was called by his co.npa ion To the
T. fact that the man was filnng up his cam
Teen AGAIN srcm the polluted stream.
great were run. tn make breakfast OF
| a pint OF pistachio ice cake n csn Of sar-
Zines. and mixed pickles, the first named
deiicacy purchased at a nalshborang beash
and the oiher two corning In a box frnu
nome, would not be recommended By med
| ical experts, and yet Il was testified be-
fere the commission that such break
lasts had not been unknown. Ii was re-
iateu that during the celebrated march
20 Manassas. from which so much slck-
ness seemed 10 result. the Eirginil sun
was beating down at midday upon the
troops. when one OF the men was seen nv
witness 20 reach his hand nto his pocket
opinion OF tha witness. IL the young man
hal taken a sandwich made Of hararark
and bacon, be would have stood the r.gors
OF the march.
One OF the frs, things that the regular
learns is TO like the army ration, while
about the first thing the volunteer does n
20 write home that his food is not being
served IN Aston house style. and as a re-
-llt box Of delieaeies soon follow Y-ne
onicers In command cannot be SO I'd
hearted AZ 10 exclude these regneIaby eees
from home. any more than they can salH
OF entirely outside purchases ut booths
or at ns9ghhering towns. An emphatic
protest would come from the country at
any such procedure. In fact. It Was many
times asserted before the com n.ssioners,
that 1t was impossible 90 enforce regular
army discipline upon volunteers without
i gradual process OF breaking Ia. ANY
other course would provoke great diSsatis-
facaoD. The genius OF the American pea-
pie = NOT quite adapted 10 service In ar
mics; there - too much individuality. in
dependence and spirit in the young men
20 permit them 90 become al once az
doslia as privates In the Russian army.
One OF the most Interesting stories re-
lated. az showing the difficulty In enforc-
ing sanitary regulations. was II regard 10
the canal near Camp Nea ie THIS carried
IN part the sewage Of Harrisburg and 80
on arrival sfriot orders were given that
the men should not be allowed 30 hashe
there 1slsve was plenty Of other water
for all purposes. Including bathing, aad
this Ii ohibtion seemed to exclude al
o,ser uses OF the ditch. But one day Tho
commanding general rode ua % "A group
o. men who were washing dishes IN the
canal. lie called up the man responsible.
Tor tbs occurrence. aud; 70 taking with
against bathing had bssn carefully re-
specEsd. bat as washing dizbes was not
bathing, the men had thought Themselves
free to consult their own conveassnce IN
that particular. These fncldents-~aad otn-
ers which wih doubt BIZ supplied %
the commission In considerable quantity
~ they In part account for the preva-
lence % aisease-ehow the large amount
IT aFnafsuri~hness In our yo!usfteer army
IL goes without saying that war is a trade
which soldiers. no matter how good their
intentions. must learn. II there were 2Gnlo
brick -rnasons IN the country. and II were
suddenly necessary to ingFs their nnrn-
Der 10 20 90. we s'ould witness In the
laying Of brick "a hlfa ions nf considerable
crudeness
II ;s doubtful whether a republic IS AZ
good form Of government TOR the direc-
ton u an army as a monarchy. The
words OF Robert r.. lie this point are
not without Valu-. Joseph r Johnston
had been assigned Ia look after Saernan's
march 10 zne sea. since he knew now TO
make ths best ase - the .Tapa red re-
sources OF the South and was getting
ready finally 10 stEike "a 6arrq biow.
But public sentiment 10 the confesIerscy
proved unwilling To- wss for Johnst0ns
plans. which necessarily Rad net been
given n advance 10 the press. President
Davis was b.soggisf on ali sides 70 Pc
move Johnston ard appoint somebody
e<e, and 80 this ne finally yielded About
The time this change Was made President
Davis met HDherE X. Lee. and explained
10 him the pressure bEcaaght 20 bear upon
MIN for the removal of Johnston. Gen.
Lee. after hearing the story Ssld n ef-
feet. The weakne4s Of t7e CoafaaeFncy
from the star. hss been the fact taat her
great generals and aDse sfrateEisss have
invariably occupied editorial positions. Or
have been IA "a srs Of t0e ies s4stivs
branch 81 the government. u VS. could