The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-02-26
THE AMERICAN VOLUNTEERS.
,cyr,p SERVICE IN RECENT WAR
AND THEIR FUTURE STATUS.

u.nnonse of Gen. w. w. Gordon to
.ba Toast of the "Army OF the
,.i.ed states" at the BANQUET of
-, sons of the RevOlutiOn-The
De,iciencies of the Volunteers and
.,o Di9ficuIties Under Which They
hored Reyievved-The Need for
ARMY of Citizen SOldiery to Re
onJ to the COuntry's Defense
II HOW II should Be Maintained.
NJ, resnonse by Gen. w. w Gordon at
.aa recent annual dinner of the Sons OF
.h, revolution to the toast, THE Army
- tba United States" was generally IN
5orsad by those present for Its happy pres
o,tatloD of the questions now confront
4,, The country with regard to its military
e,r.o Having been connected with the
volunteer service a large part OF his life
and having served - volunteer officer
in command of volunteers in the recent
war with Spain, it was only natural that
Cen Gordon should devote the greater por-
tion of his remarks to the volunteers. BY
reason of his experience and service Doth
in war and in peace, Gen. Gordon, to
draw conclusions as to the future use
fitness of this arm of the service, which
are of more than passing interest.
II is worthy Of note in this connection
that Al immediate and hearty Endorsement
of Cen. Gordon's remarks was given by
Mai. C. W. Ruthers. the only regular
army officer present at the banquet, ana
one who has always commended for the
euperiority of the regular soldier under all
circumstances.
The future of the volunteers or state
militia is a subject of wide interest ana
one which is likely in the near future 10
receive even more consideration than at
present.
After a brief review of historical events,
Gen. Gordon. mentioning the volunteers,
said
The first impression made upon those
who saw the volunteers in June was the
Youthful appearance of the enlisted men.
There was scarcely one per cent. with full
boards: the muster rolls showed a larger
number under 20 than over 30
wears. of age They seemed a reproduction
of the soldiers Of 1861, before there was
conscription in the South or drafts in the
North and when the regiments from all
the states represented the cream Of Amer
lean manhood.
In 1861 the physical examination of
volunteer was nominal-if at all. In 1898
1t was most rigid. So that, taking into
consideration their physique, their intelli-
gence and their previous training as citi-
zens the volunteers of '9S were, as Cen
Fitzhugh Lee often said of them, superior
TO any 100000 volunteers the world had
ever seen.
In Froudes' Caesar "a Sketch" he says
Of Caesars army: THE Roman Legion
aries were men more completely trained
in every variety of accomplishment than
have perhaps ever followed a general in
TO the field before or since" If this de-
scrption was applicable to the Romans
1t was far more applicable to our volun-
teers. Their ranks contained men of every
profession. every trade, every vocation II
the war had continued longer this fact
would have been more in evidence. Even
during its brief duration in almost any
regiment a detail could be made of en-
gineers, civil or mechanical, of electricians
or plumbers of carpenters Of blacksmiths,
Of tailors or bakers of horsetamers or sad
dlers, of wood cutters or ploughmen-in a
word of men fit for every kind of work.
One example VIII suffice. In one of the
camps the bread was unsatisfactory. An
officer was detailed specially for the pur-
pose. He had been a Texas Ranger. He
could grapple with emergencies in peace or
war. He called for bakers, got their views,
drew field oven from the government,
bought materials, built bakery and in a
few days was supplying daily 1900 loaves
Of excellent bread to his regiment Ger
tainly our men were as superior as intel
igence and skill could make them. There
was sound stuff in the American volun-
teer.
SO long as the war tasted the volunteers
never tired of drills nor shirked fatigue
duty. They lacked clothing, equipments,
modern arms and smokeless powder; but
they were willing to condone all this and
go just as they were if, only, they could
reach the fighting line.
The reaction from this nervous tension
came When the protocol was signed. Then
tendencies and surroundings, overlooked
or disregarded before, began to influence
their spirits and their health.
inns Is natural. The regular enlists for
Term OF years and during that period the
army Is his profession and his home. The
volunteer gives up home and business at
uhe call of patriotism to enlist for the
war. when the fighting is over he feels
u',ied 10 return to the comforts and
profits Of civil life.
Even If camps were ideal abodes Amer
Icahs, accustomed to action and movement
at Will would soon tire of the monotony
anu pecome restless at the restraint. But
amps are not IDEAL even if nature is pro-
pl.lous In every camp the soldiers are as
crowded as the inmates of depsely popu-
i@'eu tenement districts in every great
etS' IN tair weather or foul the soldiers
must come and go as ordered: must sleep
~ ms clothes, without beds and closely
packed together; must eat and drink VIII
s provided for him. In a word he is MOI
l,ve 70 follow his own inclinations nor to
are Tor his own health. Hence those who
Command must care for him.
a large majority of the regimental Of
Hcers mad served in the state troops. They
e.e me best selections the Governors
Dou'u make. Naturally they had less ex-
ro 9,,TIce N caring for their men than the
, suldr officers and the ante-belIum rela-
, IONS OF officers and men made the task
more difficult
o, im rne regulars, recruits rarely knew each
s,cra5 0r thelr officers until enlisted and as
uog IN the volunteers, each company
wa, Was composed of neighbors and friends