The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-01-22

Scattered through the West, as every
one knows, are many little army posts.
They are the homes Of our regular
army in time of peace. If the people
of the United States could have lived
at any of these posts they would now
understand why it was that the regu-
lars did not fall at Santiago. The fine
craftsmanship Of the American blue
jacket has been traced to an unlimited
amount of target practice. The Won
derful discipline of the American Tom
my Atkins under fire can be traced
directly and indirectly to his extended
order drill
An extended order drill is very
fine thing to witness. and the only way
to see one Is to keep with the officer in
command Of the line. He viii always
find a place from which he can OBJ
serve and control it. and if you stay
with him you will be able to take in
each detail. The line generally starts
out across a beautifully even field with
a woods full Of hostile skirmishers at
its border, which is perhaps mile
from where you start. At first the
companies go forward quite carefessly,
but when the little white dots begin to
show along the edge of the woods
they. hear the commanding officer
talking to them through the sharp
notes of the bugle, and then the line
breaks up into companies and then into
platoons and squads, all keeping a
beautifully even line, but one that COW
ers a very great extent of ground, with
long intervals between each company.
1t is like a vast serpent, and each of
the many men who compose 1t seem
like the dead parts Of some wonder
full machine, controlled and moved by
some other power than its own It viii
turn and go forward, or come back, or
lie down so suddenly and together at
the call of the bugie that 1t seems to
you as though each man had quickly
changed his mind and decided to lie
down and fire, or to turn to the right
or come back. And then you COM
mence to realize what fine thing dis
ctpline Is and wonder why any govern
ment should be foolish enough to put
undisciplined troops in the field. But
before you have been long in a camp
of instruction you learn that it is not
easily acquired, and not at all the sim,
pie thing it looks.
Practice marches may be included
under the head Of extended order drill
They are equally Indispensable. The
officers and men take them very seri-
ously, and if we were in state of real
war they would not be conducted with
more skill and care and activity. [
went on one Of these marches, and
what impressed me most was the lack
of confusion. Now I had always sup
posed a battlefield to be a place of ut
ter confusion, and, instead, 1 found it
one of perfect order; where every COM
mand was eagerly awaited for and
promptly obeyed. It gets the men used
to being fired over, and it is my opin-
ion that men who have been in sew
eral sham battles win go into~real ac-
ton with a great deal more confidence
than men who have never seen any
field service.
The practice march may take several
days, and much new country may be
tramped over. There will be advance
guards and rear guards and baggage
guards. and there Will be attacks and
skirmishes, and camps will be estab-
lished at night, and the young officers
will be called upon to choose the
camping places. This will give them a
chance to learn something practical
BILE in regard to moving a field coll
umn. It will also show the quarter