Evening journal., 1898-08-20
IF THEY WERE IN CHARGE.
The Georgia Recruits Tell one An
other How TO Manage
the War.

umes in history, but it is evident that
he would be a very common and ordi-
nary soldier il he were living to-day.
All OF these strong and revolutionary
statements are made after stroll
through Fort Mcpherson reservation,
where there are $500 embryo generals
and war heroes.
The luster on the glorious war rec
ords of every great general who has
lived and died is dimmed in the at
mosphere of Fort Mcpherson. where
SO much greatness lies loose and rest
less. None of the famous military
strategists who have won fame could
plan battles and accomplish brilliant
victories so well as do these raw re
cruits at the fort, who are just simply
itching ter git at EN-"
They seem TO have been born gener-
als-these recruits at the fort. One
is led to believe after listening to them
that this great government is making
& mistake by sending Miles, Shafter,
Brooke and others TO lead the great
armies. The recruits themselves do
not doubt that a mistake has been
made. They say that Gen. Miles
should be on sentry duty at Fort Nc
Pherson; that he is entirely out of his
sphere when in command of the army.
wy, if old Miles had er been fitten
fer to command, he'd er licked them
air Spaniards long ago" said one long.
ganging recruit the other day This
critic of Miles was sitting on the fence
Of the reservation, nibbling at an ice
cream cake and licking its paper wrap
per to be sure that none of the rapidly
melting cream escaped. He thrust his
left leg through the interval between
the planls of the fence and strength
ened by this new hold on the fence
he continued:
"Col. Miles amt no,more fitten to be
commander of this yere army than
that ere feller over there 'thout any
shirt on" designating a recruit who
was attired in ragged striped trousers,
rolled up above his knees.
81 jest wish l had ter run this war;
struck in a greasy-loolsing soldier
whose sole uniform consisted of a
campaign hat. He also wore an un-
dcrshirt and the relics of pair of last
years trousers.
"Lemme tell yer, boys" he contin-
ued, "the right kind of er way to eT
walloped them Spaniards wuz ter went
straight across to Havanny and blow
up Morro castle the first thing. Then
after smashing Gen. Weyler's board.
ing house I'd gin them fellers q lessin
in fghtin'.
"Now, jest know as how ! could Ell
took a regiment er you boys and eI
sent ther whole Spanish army eT hump
in"
"Ah. git out, yer don't know whu'
you're talldn' bout" snarled q recruit
with a large ginger cake in his hand
He took "a large swipe at the cake witt
his mouth and continued in a muifieC
tone, caused by an overclogging of the
gingerbread: If you wuz TO go over
there to blow up Morrer castle you'd
git blowed up higher'n that ere flag.
pole. wy amt you got sense ernud
to know that ther 'arbor down there
In Cuba is packed full er torpedoes an
mines ser thick that ther fish has Ia
go outside ter swim?
"Ther onlyest woy to git Cuba is tC
starve old BlancO. Now, il wuz in old
McKinley's place I'd jest take all el
these here volunteers and regular,
and git out erbout 40 miles this side M
Havana; then I'd march right down tC
ther back side er town and pitch camp
Every time market wagon 'ud com,
along I'd jest stop it and take all tn,
vegetables. Then I'd send the empty
wagon on to Blanco to let him know
that / meant business. 1 wouldn't LEI
q single dairy wagon go in that BLASTED
town, and it wouldn't take me two
weeks to make old Blanco wish he hat
a good supply of hardtack. It's all bosl
10 be blockadin' aroun' on the lake sid,
of Havana. Them fcllers is too sharI
for old Admiral Watson, and they car
git all the grub they want. My plan
is ter starve 'em by putting soldiers
on ther back side er the city"
The plan met with a food of disap
proval. Howls of condemnation Of tn,
starvation plan arose on every side
| bAN NAN NOuAh-bD AAuAlNhtN
his ginger-cake undisturbed in his con
fidence in his own ability to crush IT,,
Spanish.
'Derned If I see any militerry erbil
ity in sittin' down by Havana and wait
ing fur the people ter die. / say
gimme blood. The way ter end thi
here war is ter go at 'em with er rusl
and bayonet the whole skeedattlin
that amt kilt at the first shot," fire,
in a young man who looked very meel
in all respects except his mouth.
This warlike declaration was re
ceived with cheers, and half hundre
recruits protested that this was tn
only way to capture Spain.
81 wish Col. Coo, 'ud gimme n chanc
tew set on them blamed spaniards,
yelled a red-faced young fellow. II
had come up from the direction of tn
cantecn, and looked more bloodthirs
ty than water thirsty.
I'D like to frickersee some NV um
and toast um on er bayonet," said
; demonstrative young recruit who ha
evidently been cooking. The other re
cruits were so busy in advancing plan