The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-04-14
WAR EXPERIENCES.
Why the City Boy Makes the Better
sH 1 Soldier.

FROM the 81. Louis Republic.
What kind of a man makes the best
soldier? My observation and experience
is that the city young man. from Is to %
years of age, is to be preferred.
Why? For the reason that the country
boys cannot stand the fatigues and hard
ships which a city reared boy can. When
night comes the country lad must have
mis- sleep, but the city boy, who has been
in the habit of going to theaters and PAL
ties, and often working late at night can
stay up all night if necessary. 1 think
all old soldiers will agree with me on
this point.
Isn't the country boy just as courageous
as the city boy? AS to that 1 cannot draw
any conclusion.
If were about to raise a company or a
regiment 1 would take the city boy every
time, and the more dressy he was the
more l would be pleased. What has a
young mans appearance got to do with it?
Just this. AS a rule a man that takes a
pride in dressing well makes good SOL
der. The fellow that is negligent in his
dress, don't care if his boots are BACKED
or not, would just as soon wear a shirt
for week, has no pride, and while he
would do his duty, is not the kind of a
fellow that would perform any great deeds
Camp Jackson. There were assembled
inrthat camp the finest body of men I
ever laid my eyes on. They were all
young, web dressed fellows, and when
the war broke out in earnest between the
North and the South they were about
equally divided as to politics, but there
was scarcely a man that did not offer his
services to the North or the South They
all gave good results, and many of them
returned To their hOroas oaotaipS colon
els, brigadier generals and major generals.
They were clerks, as a rule, from the varl-
Gus stores throughout the city. These fell
lows could march all day, get into camp
and play cards half the night That kind
of man is trained up. like race horse,
and has the staying qualities.
Do married men make as good soldiers
as single men? As a rule, they do not
make the best soldiers.
Why? Well they have their wives. their
children back at home and they have a
tWo-fold duty to perform. Families are
dependent on them, besides they have the
discretion that comes to a man of mature
age. While he is always ready 10 do his
duty, he will not expose himself unneces-
sarily TO danger
Do soldiers who have seen service make
the best soldiers? l would rather take
the young man, who has drilled in our
militia companies, such as we have here
and in every state in the union Soldiers
who have never faced the enemy Such
men want to carve out name for them
selves
How did the soldiers who went through
the Mexican war behave? AS a rule 1
was greatly disappointed with those who
came under my observation. Most of them
were married, were too old to have the
fire of youth. and content TO do their duty
and no more. Tney knew what war was
and were not eager for a fight.
Does experience make great generals?
Yes up 10 certain point but man
must be born soldier poets or ora
tors are born. Military education helps.
but il does not necessarily make the great
general Lee, Grant, Stonewall Jackson
and our lamented Joe Shelby were born
soldiers
WHAT was my experience about the
bully at home? Well, he never fought
lick ] know of 'at least dozen that
went out from st. Louis They were gen.
orally teamsters, quartermasters or COM
missary clerks and would not fight at all
Has not the man who has the patriotism
TO volunteer as soldier the courage TO
light? Yes. as rule; but some fellows
are constitutionallys towards and may not
know IL. One notable example was a
major in a Missouri regiment He had
been sergeant and drill-master in the
regular United States army That fellow
wanted TO fight and could not He was
as proud as Lucifer, and determined to
break himself of his cowardce. He had
himself tied TO a gun carriage at the siege
of Vicksburg, and was killed at the post
of duty.
Other instances? Yes. One was an ad-
1utant attached to Missouri brigade He
was friend of mine, and has often talked
over his misfortune with me. At the first
sound of the artillery he would shake as
If he had chill, and away he would go.
not to be seen until the battle was over
and we got into safe quarters. Whatever
became of that man? 1 do not know, I
have often wondered.
Are such instances common? No; they
are very rare. The average man will fight.
and, fortunately, no soldier thinks that he
is the man that is going TO be killed.
Did l ever have any experience with
gunboats? Yes and with mosquito boats.
too.
What is a mosquito boat? Well. a mos
quito boat is one of our ordinary boats
clad with boiler iron. II would turn a
minnie ball, but did not amount to any,
thing when cannon was turned loose on
IL.
What about the gunboats? They were
very formidable, and our artillery could
make no impression on them. I recollect
two of them to my very great sorrow, for
had five men killed at one shot. The