The times., 1898-02-22
HOW TO MAKE A SOLDIER.
The Process BY Which Volunteers
Would Be Made Veterans.

1 ue ToceSS W
Would BE Made yetera
| To the Editor of The Times:
| / have been asked the question, How
are soldiers made?" To this / reply that
soldiers are born, not made. l must,
| however, qualify this by saying that in
my experience ] have seen fairly good
/ soldiers made out of men who have nei-
ther inclination nor ability for the life,
but 1t takes years of strict discipline and
| continual training to accomplish this.
| Such a man may eventually become a
| machine. but in an emergency would be
| likely to lose his head and be utterly
| worthless.
The born soldier loves his profession, or,
1 If he be civilian, has always Il longing
| to become a military man. 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. l do not say this in
an excess of patriotism, but because
| have handled men of many nationalities.
| The American people are martial peo-
| pie as a whole. Then, too, they are in
| tellgent 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.
/ will not endeavor to describe the
making OF a soldier" in the event of war
| being declared with Spain. which, by the
way, / trust will be the outcome of the
disaster to the Maine.
1t must be remembered that the pro-
ceeding would differ somewhat from the
methods employed in time of peace, but
the principle remains the same, with
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 Superfiuous.
We Will suppose that the President
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. unbend-
ing discipline of the men placed over him
would, in a few days, teach him much.
He is taught to always respect supertors
and then is ordered 10 drill. y non-com-
IniSsioned officer, probably soldier with
several years of experience and a gruff
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
ia nxfrep1alz raftiI ole ha will off nd
his monitor.
He is taught the use of his hands. feet
and legs; how to salute his superiors and
how TO 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 10
seven hours Il day.
1t must be remembered that Ii is easier
to drill from four to twelve men than one,
and there are probably sight 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 fours. 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 skirmish drill.
In four days more he is a fairly we'll
drilled soldier, as far as any Military ma
neuver he would have to execute on the
battlefield is concerned, and his company
or regiment is sandwiched in with regrl-
lar companies or regiments. Here he ac-
quires a confidence in himself and his
officers and fights like a veteran.
During all of this drilling he is learn
ing the usages of military life among
his fellows and in his company quarters.
be they in tent or building The average