The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-02-11
SOLDIERS BY INSTINCT

An ogden correspondent asks the fol-
lowing questions:
l. Was General Lawton graduate Of
,. Have we any distinguished generals
who were not West Pointers?
g. Is West Point any longer necessary 10
the welfare of the United States army?
If so. why?
General LawtOn was not graduate
Of any school, military or otherwise
He volunteered as private in the civil
war: re-enlisted az regular after the
war was over. He was active, intelli-
gent, brave and sagacious, so he rose
step by step until at the time of his
death ne was regarded by regulars and
volunteers alike as the IDEAL soldier Of
the American army
We have now, and have had many
able and distinguished generals who
never attended a military school or
graduated from West Point. General
Miles, present head of the regular ar
my. was a dry goods clerk when the
war of the rebellion called him to the
front as a private. He liked the profess
sion, remained with Tie army and rose
gradually to the position he now holds.
General Logan, whose son was killed
on Luzon, was a dashing, popular and
creditable commander in two great
/ wars, yet he was an uneducated man
and an undisciplined soldier when he
entered the army. General Taylor was
a Kentucky backwoo6sman when he
was appointed first lieutenant of the
Seventh infantry. to fill the vacancy
caused by the death of his brother. VINO
| held that rank in the army. At that
time he knew nothing more Of literature
than enabled him to read and write.
Yet what American general ever
achieved more complete victory over a
foreign foe than General Taylor won at
| Brena Vista?
General Winfield Scott, conceded to
have been one Of the leading military
/ heroes and strategists Of his time, was
a practicing lawyer in Virginia when
/ he was appointed captain of artillery.
He probably never saw the Point until
after the battles of Chippewa and Lun-
dy's Lane.
| While no disparagement to Grant,
Lee, Sherman. Beauregard. Sheridan,
StonewaH Jackson and a host Of other
/ graduates of West Point, whose illus
trious deeds will live in history, is
( intended. it is nevertheless a fact that
many Of our most distinguished gener-
I ais. including Shields Butler, Pillow.
Quitman, Funston, Wheeler and many
others, have demonstrated 70 the youth
| of America the possibilities even in the
military department where rank counts
| for so much.
Neither is it to the disparagement of
our national military academy at West
Point. No other country has such an
institution, and no institution turns
out more accomplished soldiers.
1t takes the place Of the military ma
chine which grinds out the lives and
ambitions of the masses in foreign
/ lands by the maintenance of large
/ Standing armies. So long as we depend
/ on our citizen soldiery, as we always
| have, that long will the academy at
West Point Ill an important place in
! cur military affairs. Although voIun-
teers develop soldierly qualities. they
must have men Of technical knowledge
to lean upon and to carry out their
/ larger plans of warfare. When a man
combines the elements Of leadership
with the technical training of the sol
der, he is that much better equipped
| as a general.