The Columbus journal., 1898-08-24
The Fighting Seventh.

From the Detroit Free Press: When
q retired army of1cer opens right up
and says what he thinks OF the govern
ment in any of its relations or actions.
1t may be put down that he is in deadly
earnest; for his whole training has
been to silence or the most discreet ut
terances. This fact adds force to the
language recently used by one Of these
gentlemen in Detroit.
Il want this country to know one
thing" he said. Indignantly. 'and I'd
like to see an explanation demanded
from the war authorities. Everybody
knows the famous old Seventh Cav
airy, the regiment of Custer and OF
Forsyth, of Little Big Horn and
Wounded Knee. There is a body OF
the toughest. hardest troops In exis-
tence. They have done more hard ser
vice in the field and had more mem
bers killed since the civil war, than
has all the rest OF the regular army
put together. That sounds like an ex-
aggerated statement, but 1t is absolute
ly true and verified in the records.
DO you know where the Seventh fs
in this time OF the war when they
could do more to hunt down and exter-
inmate the skulking Spaniards In Cuba
than could any other like organization
In the service Of the nation. who know
most about their style of fighting and
how to meet It? They are scattered
through the southwest in little army
garrisons Of one and two companies.
keeping their eyes on the Indians to
see that they behave themselves on is
sue day and the brief period Of exuber-
ance that follows. They faithfully
carry out the daily routine Of military
life. 60 through the usual evolutions
on the sun-baked parade grounds every
day, mount guard and attend with
prompt precision to every other duty.
Not q man among them utters a COM
plant, but their bronzed faces bear
the marks of disappointment as they
read and discuss the war news which
reaches them through belated newspa-
pers. Every soldier knows how they
feel, how their blood warns and their
nerves tingle. Yet they, the tried and
seasoned fighters of the army, the
men who have followed the most dar-
ing leaders, are out there doing police
duty while raw recruits are sen to the
front to combat q foe that employs the
same tactics with which the Seventh
Is SO familiar and has SO successfully
met.
MY own opinion is. and it is shared
by other disinterested military men of
the country, that the Seventh has taken
up too much space in the army history
of the country for the last thirty years,
that there are certain men and cliques
Of influence that are jealous of its
record. and that 1t Is being ruthlessly
suppressed. More than once its dash
ing officers have been brought upon the
carpet after some brilliant victory over
the Utes, Apaches OF Sioux. only to be
and complimented from the
war department. There is come un-
worthy animus behind such harass- |
ment of brave men, and I believe that |
it is still operative against the Sew
enth. Public sentiment should be
aroused, at least to the extent OF de-
manding an explanation. 1t would have
been Just as foolish and inexcusable |
during the civil war to have placed the
worthy followers of such men as Gus
ter and Sheridan on post duty in some
peaceable section of the country"