The National tribune., 1900-10-18
BUILDING A FIGHTING MACHINE.
Organization of Modern Volunteer Regiment for Philippine
Service.


During the troublesome times of 1861
It was necessary for the country to have
regiments at short notice, and men who
had received no military trimming, who
were physically unfit and otherwise handi'
capped for the duties of Il soldier IN ac-
tive campaign, Were frequently enlisted
This practice was not tolerated in the or
caniZation of the volunteer regiments
formed for Philippine service during the
Summer and Fall of 1899. No man over
S5 years was enlisted, and after the Sur
geons had selected the best material Sc
cured at the hundreds of recruiting sta
tions throughout the country, another SET
of Examining Surgeons proceeded TO thin
the ranks by dropping many men who
had succeeded in passing the first physical
examination. This weeding-Out process
was continued in all the volunteer regi-
ments while the drills were in progress,
and whenever a man was found to be in
capable of performing the duties of sol
dier he was recommended for discharge.
Men who We're in the habit of drinking
excessively and who We're seen frequently
staggering about the streets or barracks
were promptly discharged. Others who
eyinced q dislike for soldering were in
many cases dropped from the rolls, for a
dissatisfied soldier will cause no end of
trouble among his comrades. Men who
fell out exhausted during the dOuble-time
WOTh uTOuHu lue pdTdue STOuiu Ut Tue
morning settng-up exercises received the
attention of the Surgeon, who usually
found some defect on which to procure the
discharge of the soldier, for such 4 man
would be a drag upon his company in the
great Philippine campaign, in which it
later developed that good runners were
essential as good soldiers, for the reason
that the insurgents usually ran after fir
ing a few volleys, and some sprinting
was required to capture the feet-footed
rebels.
This process continued on the train
across the country to the Preside at San
Francisco, and even on the transport to
Manila, there being one man in the writer's
company discharged for general disability
after the regiment had landed at Iloilo,
Isle of Panay, and had gone on the firing
line to meet force Of several thousand
insurgents intrenched about 1000 yards
from Jaro, the latter place being about
a mile from Iloilo. When the regiments
went into actual fighting there were very
few men in the ranks unable to perform
the duties of soldier in the hardest
campaign.
FIGHTING WITHOUT PAY OR HOPE OF
REWARD.
As an illustration of how difficult It is
to dispose Of some men who are discharged
by the Surgeons for general disability, or
dropped from the ranks because of habit
ual drunkenness or incompetency, I will
mention one, named Jordan, whom the
Surgeons pronounced unfit for the per-
Torrance Of soldiers duties owing to
defective eyesight. Although Jordan was
supposed to have been dropped and
provided with transportation home,
he would always pop into sight
whenever there was anything for the
company to do. He was good
man and a fighter, and like hundreds of
others who wanted to serve their coun-
try and their flag, stayed with the regi-
SIGHT at Balantang Jordan, with a bor-
rowed rife, did good work He was in all
the mountain expeditions in which. our
company chased guerrilla bands from 10
to Is miles each day over the toughest
sort Of country, wading rivers, climbing
peaks, ETC., and never complained. He