The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1898-07-29
Not all From West Point.
(New York Herald

\4SC" I1cldlu.)
TO the Editor: Is the MI. Poultney
Bigelow who is rampaging in your col
umns every now and then the same
gentleman of whom we saw it stated
just after the war was declared by
the United States against Spain that
he was leaving England to offer his
services as a cavalryman in our army?
On his arrival here did he offer his
services?
If so, were they rejected? And has
he found this rejection cause sufficient
to justify him in his attacks upon every
n who has charge of the conduct of
the war?
Or is he one of those who believe
with Richelieu according to Bulwer)
that 1.-The pen is mightier than the
.sword?" And does he think with a
chaplain of one Of the regiments that
did not go to the front with it because
he thought he could do more good by
fighting their enemies at home than
by giving them the consolation of relig-
ion when they required it, or by sett-
ting them an example of a plus life IN
camp hat with his pen he a slash
more effectually h he could with a
sabre?
We recall to Mr.. Bigelow's attention
lieu is preceded by the qualification lin
the hands of men entirely great
Whence does he derive how an army
should be called into existence, dis
ciplined, Unanswered or used? and If
he has no knowledge or experience of
what value is his criticism?
But, above all, what excuse can he
give for showing an ignorance OF his
tory of which any boy in one of the
higher classes Of the public schools
would be ashamed? Has the time ever
been, will it ever be, in this country,
when appointments for office, except
as regards high grades in the nav
have not been governed by political
necessity or in furtherance of political
schemes? Who were the generals and
other field officers whom PRESIDENT
Polk appointed under the act authoriz-
ing the increase Of the army during
were wings? And, in later days, how
many generals and other field officers
and subordinates did President Lincoln
through pulls and policy appoint who
did not know the difference between
a pruning hook and a sabre? A list
of them would fill a page.
Mr.. BigeloW says: The. mexican
war, which was the most brilliant cam
paign of it's kind in military history,
was conducted by graduates of West
Point" Will he name those officers.
Will he mention subordinate officers
who distinguished themselves more
than Shields, P. S. Smith, Butler, OF
Kentucky; Quitman of Mississippi, or
Pillow (even if the latter did dig his
ditch on the wrong side of his fort1fl-
%cation)? Which of these officers was
graduated from West Point? And Gen
eral Winfield Scott, did he graduate
from West Point? He was a practicing
lawyer in Virginia when he was APP
pointed captain of artillery. He prob
IDLY never saw the Point until AFTER
the battles of Chippewa n Lundys
Lane.
And General Taylor? He was a Ken
lucky backwoodsman when he was APP
pointed first lieutenant in the Seventh
infantry, to fill the vacancy caused by
the death of his brother, who held ina
rank in the army. At that time he
knew nothing more of literature than
enabled him to read n write.
Did any West Pointer distinguish
himself more than these two generals
did in Mexico? Did any American gen
eral ever achieve a greater victory than
General Taylor achieved over General
Santa Ana at Buena Vista?
No disparagement to Grant, Lee,
Sherman, B~eauregard, Sheridan, Stone
wall Jackson, Beauregard and a host of
other graduates of West Point whose
| illustrious deeds will live in history
| SO Ions as history is read. No dispar-
| agement either to the academy at West
| Point. No other country turns out
| more accomplished soldiers. At the
same time, do not slight those who,
though not graduates of that institu-
| ton, have yet carried u flag gallant
ly in the very front of war.
Above all, do not too lightly estimate
the power and manhood of u volun-
teers. They may not march with the
solemn tread and mathematical pre-
cision of soldiers who have long been
| drilled by experts in the profession
they may growl at delay, grumble at
their necessarily improvised camp; but
rest assured, Mr.. Bigelow, that when
they meet the Spanish soldiers on the