The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1898-08-25
FIGHTING SEVENTH.
For Some Reason It Is Not In Its
Right Place.
4 Retired Army OAceP Gives Hia
Views Concerning the staAeh
OLD Fighters - Should
Ne In Cuba.

When q retired army officer opens
right up and says what he thinks
of the government in any of its rela-
tions or actions, it may be put down
that he is in deadly earnest; for his
whole training has been to silence
or the most discreet utterances. This
fact adds force to the language re-
Gently used by one of these gentlemen
in Detroit.
II want this country to know one
thing" he said, Indignantly, land I'd
like to see an explanation demanded
from the war authorities. Everybody
knows the famous old Seventh cavalry,
the regiment of Custer and of Forsyth,
Of Little Big Horn and Wounded Knee
There is a body of the toughest, hard
lest troopers in existence. They have
done more hard service in the field
and had more Oembers killed since the
civil war than has all the rest of the
regular army put together. That
sounds like an exaggerated statement.
but 1t Is absolutely true and verified
In the records.
do you 1mow where the Seventh is
In this time of the war when they
could do more to hunt down and ex-
terminate the skulking Spaniards in
Cuba than could any other like Or
Xanizatiol in the service of the ma
ton, who know most about therstyle
OF fighting and how to meet it.? They
are scattered through the southwest
in little army garriscns of one and
two companies, keeping an eye on the
Indians to see that they behave them
selves on issue day and the brief Pc
riod of exuberance that follows. They
faithfully carry out the daily routine
of military life, go through the usual
evolutions on the sun-baked parade
grounds every day, mount guard and
attend with prompt precision to every
other duty. Not a man among them
utters complaint, but their bronzed
faces bear the marks of ,disappoint-
ment as they read and discuss the
war news which reaches them through
beiated newspapers. Every old sol
'dier knows how they feel, fhow their
blood warns and their nerves tingle.
Ietthey, the tried and seasoned fight
ers lof the army, the mel who have
followed the most daring leaders, are
out there doing police duty while raw
recruits are sent to the front to COM
bat "a foe that employs the same tao
tics with which the Seventh is so ia
miliar and has always SO successfully
met.
My own opinion is, and it is shared
by other disintercsted military men
of the country, that the Seventh has
taken up too much space in the army
history of the country for the past 30
years. that there are certain men and
cligues of influence that are Jealous
OF its record, and that at is being
ruthlessly suppressed. More than
once its dashing officers have been
brought upon the carpet after some
brilliant victory over the Utes. Apaches
or Sioux, only to be exonerated and
compiimcnted from the war depart
ment There is some unworthy animus
behind such harassment of bra men.
and believe that it is stiu operative
against the Seventh. Pubic sentiment
should De aroused, at least to the eS-
tent cf tnmanding an explanation. 1t
would have been gust as foolish and in
eNcuaabie during the civil war to have
placed the followers of such men as
custer and Sheridan on post duty in
some peaceable section of the coun-
try."-Detroit Free Press.
SALUTES ON A WARSHIP.