The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-08-03
"PRIVATE MICHAEL NOLAN"
A Private i'm the Regular Service VINO
Does His Duty and Dies UnsuhS.

Stephen Crane, in New York World
OF course people all over the United
States are dying to hear the names OF the
men who are conspicuous for bravery IN
Starters army But as a matter of fact
nobody with the army is particularly con-
spicuous for bravery. The bravery OF an IN
him to be pointed out by his admiring fell
lows; he is rather submerged IN tne gen,
eral mass. Now, cowardlce-tnat Woulo
make d man conspicuous. he would tnen
be pointed out often enough, but-mere
bravery-that is no distinction in the Firth
Corps of the United States army, = 80.
Santiago campaign is that the solder OF the
regular army is. the best man standng on
two feet on Gods green earth. This ract Is
nut forth with no pretense whatever OIL IN
tereSting the American pubic In H. Inc
public doesn't seem to care very much lot
the regular soldier
of Reginald Marmaduke Maurice Montmor-
enci Sturtevant, and for goodness sake now
the poor old chappy endures that oreaoLul
hard tack and bacon Whereas, the name
of the regular soldier is probably Mlcnaei
Nolan, and his life-siZe portrait was not IN
the papers in celebration of his enlistment
lust pIain Private Nolan. blast him-he is
of no consequence. He will get his name in
the paper-oh, yes, when he is killed. Or
when he is wounded" Or when he is
missing" If some good Spaniard shoots
him through he will achieve temporary
notoriety figuring in the lists for one brief
moment in which he will appear TO the cas-
ual reader mainly part of total, unit
in the interesting sum Of men slain.
In fact, the disposition to leave out en-
tirelv all lists of killed and wounded reSu-
lars is quite traditional one, since NOBODY
cares to read them, anyhow, ana their omls
sion would allow room for Oil paintings OF
various really important persons Hmneo a.
thew were in the very act of being at the
front proud young men riding upon horses
the horses being still in Tampa and me me
proud young men being at Santiago, Dut sui
proud young men riding upon horses.
The ungodly Nolan. the sweating, swear
ing overloaded, hungry, thirsty, site PFC
Nolan. tearing his breaches on the barps
wire acknowledgements. wallowing through the
muddy fords pursuing his way through tne
stiletto-pointed thickets, climbing the nre,
crowned hill-Noan gets shot. One Nolan
of this regiment or that regiment, prNale,
great chums liz time of peace with man
fight with Synder. Nearest relative is SIS
ter chambermaid in hotel in Omaha. aeh-
messy, old fool, is going around io0klns
glum, buried in taciturn silence, sl, ,stas
touching tribute to Nolan.
There is a half-bred fox terrier IN par
racks at Reno Who the deuce gets the dog
now? Must by rights go to Hennessy. Briel
argument during which Corporal Jenklns
intarpolates the thoughtful remark Inat
they haven't had anything to eat tnai uay'
The three Shining points about the Amer
can regular are his illimitable patience un-
der ANYTHING which he may be called upon
tn endure. his superlative Workmanship
and his ability in action TO go aneau anO
win without any example, OF IedolIlS, Oi
having or trumpeting whatsoever. He
knows his business, he does.
He goes into battle as II he had been
fehtine every day for three hundred years.
IS there is heavy firing ahead he does not
a1,an aslx a question about 1t. He doesn't
even ask whether the Americans are win
n;nss or losing. He agitates himself over no
aytTsneons points. He attends exclusively 20
hirnealf In the Turk or the Cossack there
is a combination of fatalism and wooden
besdedness. 1t need not be said that these
nnaIities are lacking in the regular.
After the battle, at leisure-if ne gets
an1,0the regulars talk is likely to be a
onrynniete essay on practical field opera
tinns He will be full of views about the
monooanent of such and such brigade,
the nTactice of this or that battery, and
he adniring or scornful in regard to the
onerafions on the right flank He will be
q tiraless critic bolstering his opinions with
technical information, procured heaven only
knows where In fact, he will alarm you.
Won may say: This man gabbles too much
to be a soldier.
Then suddenly the regular becomes i'm
penetrabe enigmatic. 1t Is question of
orders. When he hears the appointed voice
raised in giving an order, he IL changed
being When an order comes he has no
more to say; he simply displays as fine a
form Of unquestioning obedience as there is
10 be seen anywhere. 1t is his sacred thing.
his fetish his religion. Nothing now can
stop him but bullet
In speaking Of Reginald Marmaduke
Maurice Montmorenci sturtevant and his