The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-08-06

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! iliZation.
But even that explanation did not salts
fy most OF the volunteers. II appears
never to have occurred 60 them tina
when they reached the field that they
could not have as bounteous and as plea!
ant repasts as they had enjoyed around
their own tables at home. Many of them
particularly the country boys, had beer
brought up on liberal allowances of pie
and cake, and had been accustomed tc
help themselves to fruit wherever they
saw it. Coming into camp they found nc
pies and cakes at hand, and certainly
no fruit; so on their first visit 10 a place
where these things could be bought in
with the result of turning up on the sick
list 1T the next mornings roll call. Such
things would never have been thought
of by regular troops, who, accustomed to
plain fare at best, have learned the re-
spective value of different simple viands
in sustaining strength, and who habit
ually pass by the pastry-cook shops and
those where unripe fruit is sold without
pang of longing.
dtwas a striking but wholly characte
istic fact that on landing in Cuba, after
some days of confinement and unappetiz-
ing rations on the transports, the volun-
teers greedily availed themselves of all
of the undigestible things to eat and
while the regulars confined themselves,
like men in training for an athletic con-
test, to the regimen prescribed officially
for the army. In the flooded trenches
and during the marches through the hot
sun there was the same difference to be
himself and the volunteers lack of all
care. The result may be seen, in part at
least. in the respective records of the
two classes of soldiers in regard to yellow
fever.
1t has been remarked that the volun-
teers have proved their courage on the
hardest fought fields, and that no criti-
cism can be passed upon them in this re-
spect. But neither can there upon the
regulars. who. with less brilliant exhi-
billions of individual daring have done in
the mass most effective worok thus far.
The regular is taught TO fight just as he
is taught TO live. There is wise and
foolish way to do the same thing, and
the regular istaught the wise way as
part of his army education. It does not
guards and fight from tree-trunk to tree
trunk instead of getting out in the open
and defying the enemy to come on; yet
If the object of warfare is to produce
difficult results with as little injury to
your own side and as niue to the other
side as possible, the regulars have an
ample justification for their more cautious
method of fighting. A veteran solder
thus describes the first order given to
him as an enlisted man by a regular army
officer: Men, we are going into these
woods TO drive out force the enemy
1t will be hard fighting every foot of the
way. Cover yourselves as best you can;
and if there are any trees left after the
officers hav ben srved, let each man get
behind one" But whatever we may say
of the volunteer soldier. certain things
must be set down to his credit as a factor
in any war the nation may go into.
How did your company get from A to
B?" inquired one old volunteer ficer
another, as they were discussing at a hotel
table their recolIections of the civil war.
When we left yaou, you were beside a
railroad track. with plenty of cars. but
two totally disabled locomotives. and I
never learned how you made that quick
trip"
Il called for volunteer mechanics to
mend those engines" answered the other.
and out Of the ranks stepped a half dozen
men who had worked in the rial
road shops. In a few hours those loconti-
yes, If Mt as good as new, We're at least
20 denough for our purpose. l then called
FOR volunteers to run them. and fur men
VIII mad been locomotive engi-
leers in tn cold time. We found our fire.
men in the same way; all hands turned in
,or coupling the cars and sanding the
racks, and doing the other necessary hand
work, and we made up a big train. filed
I with men. and took the whole lot into
in one-tenth the time it would have ia
Ken us 10 march that distance"
Here was a specimen case. very briefly |
described, but full of significance. If il |
lad been necessary for a regiment Of vol |
lnteers to lie in camp In one neighbor- |
rood for several months, undoubtedly |
here wuld have been farmers and garden |
rs enough in the ranks to keep the cooks |
uppled with fresh vegetables. When |
irants troops entered Vicksburg they |
ound a printing Office with a newspaper |
lalf printed in it, which was to have been
ssued that week. In a few minutes the |
handful of troops who had taken posses
ion of the Office had fund amng their /
lumber several cmpositors and set them /
o work sticking type to complete the |
ages and bring the newspaper out with /
ONE quaint inconsruit.es as contribu- /
ion to history.
There is sill lauother line in which the |
-olunteer may prove his usefulness a little |
alter. when the prospect of peace nego-
iation comes in sight. We have heard a |
-ood deal OF what the senate VIII and will |
ot DO. The president may be trusted.
Judging by his previous conduct. to take
sensible view Of the demands 10 be made
pon Spain. and the question OF a reason
Die peace or a further unreasonable war
sIll hinge upon the disposition OF the up
er house Of congress. The president can
oc drive the senate into agreeing with !
i'm. but tle people can. The volunteers
re essentially the soldiers o fine people.
hey have come out % the homes all over
ne isnl and their fathers and mothers.
.s,ers and wives are looking forward
TO their return. These indivi-
uai families. when aggregated. become
he people Of the United States Their
dice, united in one strain. Is the voice
the nation BY the time the discussion
{ peace or any respectable basis shall
a fairly unde rway. the friends whom
he volunteers have left az home viii
now IT'S terms ana be indignant Il cheat
! Of il by the votes % politicians The
saator who stands between the country
nc peace. except in an effort TO serve Us
-om national disgrace may wei feel that
{ is taking ais political life in his hands.
I'd that as career Is an unsolved prob
m from that hour. l. would be an in