The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1898-06-10


ment, and by the colonel for he
ment, which is the unit for the army.
The company is q family, the regiment
a tribe. The captain is the father Of the
Il and the colonel the patriarch Of the
ether. 1t is hot enough that supplies Of
clothing, food and equipments are form
ally delivered at headquarters for dis
tribution in routine fashion. The COM
manding officer must see that the quail
ity is good and that every ma gets
what belongs to him aud what is suited
to him. ,
Il often happens that a commanding
officer by laying out q small sum from
his Wa pocket can supply the men
with Il comfort beyond their reach in
dividually. II it is a necessity, it viii
to a good investment, but a ~parnpering
luxury will simply create & demand for
moro. While a captains Fay is not too
high it is ten times THAT Of y private
soldier.
There is q notion abroad that social
class distinctions are and must be sharp
" drawn between officers Wlu mon.
This is true and it is not true. The
idea spreads from the military school
and the regular army. 1t has no place,
in the volunteer service. Men should
see that difference i'll rank is :: necessity
Of the service and not u social distinc-
ton. They will respect the Office ii it is
we'll filed regardless CT the social status
Of the incumbent. But woe to tEe up,
start who tries to Owe up a shady past
by putting on official ans! lie viii end
by being hootcd out Of camp. The "cat
CALI is a ready aud all powerful de
Tense against sEObs i'll the army. And
as for tyrants who attempt to force dis
cipline upon the ne"ks Of Volunteers
we'll, bullets can fly from the rear as
well as from the front III battle.
In great volunteer armies there are
thousands Of captains and hundreds of
colonies who come home with the same
rank they began with. 70 outsiders this
seems a blot Oh their ability. 1t is an
evidence Of their high sense Of honor
and duty. Il will not leave my men"
is the reply OF these high minded Off
GERS when higher rank may be had for
the taking. Sometimes the force Of the
compliment is turned upon the mon. Il
have q good regiment (Or q good cOnr-
pany) and will let wcll enough alone
by sticking to it." Conduct so noble
does not 80 unreWardcd OF the ranks.
They back an officer Of that stamp to
the last drop Of blood.
At the front the instincts for fathcrly
headship have full play. In the tribal
formation there is the word hcadman
for chief, and the word for captain III
the language Of the greatest military
nation On earth, the German, means the
same thing. The captain is simply the
headman of 100. He stands between
feeds and clothes and pays and sway
the Gestinies Of all.
If a maj is killed or injured or take1
sick, he no longer counts as a duty sol
der, but must not therefore be forgotten
AS a follow being his case is to b.
treated extra officially. The sick ant
wounded must be visited in the hospital
even if the head mai loses his rest TO!
the purpose. The poor sufferer has risk
ed all for the good Of the company, ant
shame to the company if it's chief repre-
sentative fails to console him in hi
hour of trouble. The true soldier hate
the hospital, hates to be shorn Of hi
strength and no medicine is equal to tn
handshake of a captain still with tn
, fighting line and the CHEEKY prophecy
you'll soon be all right again, m.
boy"
The good captain will not forget tina
there is a mother or wife or sweethea1
somewhere waiting for news Of the fat
I Of every boy in his family and if tn
worst should happen he will see to
4 that the last rites are attended to al
Q friends told Of it, that all the legal +
, pers pertaining to the soldier are flee
Q SO that his record may be traced fro
the moment of volunteering at his oul
!, try's call to that Of his martyrdom Il
the flag.
It A ma who shirks the petty routin
u and details of official headquarters
. not the one for captain.
Il He need not attend to all the detail
. himself, but he must see that the con
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