Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1898-07-30
ARP MAKES APOLOGY
lie Did Not attend to Wound Any
body's Feelings.
The Comparison He Made Claiming
That Volunteers behaved Bet
ter Than Regular Army
Soldiers,

error he should apologize. From va
rious letters received from gentlemen
Il don't mean Gregg l have become
satisfied that however bad the mate
rial out of which the average regular
is made he can and does in time be-
come disciplined and makes a good
soldier. OF course no young man who
has pride or ambition or pleasant do
nestle relations or loves n pretty girl
would willingly offer himself 10 be en-
shaved as q private in the regular
army. The reasons for doing this
must be peculiar and extraordinary.
1t is simply an escape-a refuge from
a worse condition that is impending.
! have known 4 few Of those who en-
listed and they did well. know some
now who ought to. tits fortunatethat
there is a regular army for this class
Of u~nfortunates 10 join.
\ gentleman writes me from Macon
and says: You are too hard upon the
regulars and doubt If You have had
much experience with them No. l
have not, for but few have ever been
made down south. especially in the in
terror. where there are no ports OF
entry and no floating population. Our
only experience vas during the civil
war. when We were unable to listin-
Guish regulars from volunteers so far
rs conduct was concerned on their
march &c the sea. This Macon gentle
man says that the only big camp row
that has occurred in this war was in
the camp of Georgia volunteers. and
he hecs me not TO write 50 thoughtleSs-
~ and says: You would dissuade
every decent nan from joining the
standing army and we would have only
an army of tou-hs and brutes who
would disgrace Christeudom. No
camp OF regulars was ever guilty Of
such b1s'iality as occurred at ChicIa-
manga"
Well, there is now a good chance for
a moral fight between the regulars
and the volunteers and I hope the dis
cusSion will do good and raise the
standard OF 60 soldiers. Hundreds
Of them have Jisgraced their calling
and spread terror in their march 10
the gulf and paralyzed the patriotism
Of our people. Ny Macon friend says:
Il Travelled with a few regulars not
long ago who had just reenUsted for
another five years and talked 10 one
who was more than ordinarily inte'i-
gent and when l expressed surprise
that he should recnlist he said there
was O fascination about army life and
It operated alike on the private and
the epaulet, and that II offered a iue
opportunity for S~elt-culture and The
acquisition Of book learning. lie gave
me new views upon the subjec-- and I
was glad 10 talk 10 him" Wen. of
course there is e light 10 every >lal-
ow and there are many men Of many
minds. Some men turn heruits from
disappointed hopes or for c-rtemr,a-
tion. and suppose that a private II.
the regular army who draws So 4
month and is led and clothed and has
no responsibility and there is no PROS
reet of war c,r
is,snce Serf.s,-a- b~, rs,
does be live fore
Nv ideal of,ra- .-rs:.-.L
volrn,ser-,la mn vr, ~
luton Of 1--f 1s,-.bs -r-v. All -
shops. and sz-- ,t.i- -,r --7
their k~nsrsar. sb;-- -
invaders. Thrsz - .fs La L..
Tough, for tie .--.y i- ,bs l-..
war. forrb. -r4s - -
one and pu, q ~-rs,- cr 49, -
rolls. Can II be ras.fars ,ts, he ..r.
OF those veterans arr Tho s,r5fs-s ~ha
are disgracirr -pa-- s7.h.-.- "a ~
Uniform. ii ~.
shameful conduct No, Nv ~
friend j. mistaken The -o,e- -
not Georgia volunteer. I'm h.. 80
it. The Constitution -arr. ~ .ors
Iowa soldiers the Tv-ar.,.rfr.h 80;
nent. who werr down m ~ So.
ern the other rf-r. and t--l. al l.
lamDs and vi7fgvy o., H. 4
and at a station wAara ,ta 80
STONED awhile rbav vsr, or. -
ran the Daoola -t,- n b.t-r
the dead of rioh-
But a ,houpb-fu1 ,,lor,, .-i.ra
saws: NV friend +. i r-.ar.[s ~
impolite 10 cri.-ciss the .rr,- -
var We INNS, srrs- IN a.
and endure what We ca7ro, baI,r
| reckon thar i r,o5 ,dr;,a IL
am reminded Of Tho ola ,ror,,n -
little dog barkej ircas.,r,tr a. H.
soldiers who passed. and ,hs said.
flush. Fido busb yo,ri - -.
little self TO dea-b Won c,r., hi;a
army"
And so | will hush and 10, ,ba
cession proceed hrt I ar, n,sas.5 =,
see that Cant. Dawes NJ i,lan,a ~
drawing the lines and roiao,r"
tramp, and bonds oyd -.
men who apply IN ioin HE oonmauJ
Every veteran NJ ~, 49,, -. -
ern Virginia remembers bour -
trouble the Louisior, Tin,rs !
officers. They were the wharf "a.
of New Orleans-deyiIs incorna,a m.hs
feared not God nor ranarSaI Tno
they fought like t;osrS md faTi ,;ut
their f,oas . a. ~, 49,