Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1901-01-12
Americas regular soldiers.

Americas Regular Soldiers
How distinguished record the regu-
lar soldiers of the United States have
maintained through much more than
century of pretty constant fighting
it is left for Brig.-Gen. George A. For
syth's THE Story of the Soldier" to
tell us. Belonging to the nation rath-
er than to any one of its component
states, it has been the misfortune of
the regular to get the reward which
oftenest comes to those who do their
full duty in this wor1d-his country
men have taken advantage of every
thing he has done for them and kept
silent about the rest. Whenever the
entire nation has been aroused it has
been needful to call for volunteers, and
with these in the field there have
been no eyes except for them; when
the nation is not aroused there is
nothing the regular can do to arouse
it and his fate is to be passed over
in silence in either event. This new
book is one of the STORY of the West
series. Imagine the tale of western
exploration and settlement told with
the soldier left out, if you cant From
the Narragansett war almost to the
the frontier. George Washington had
his first experience under fire with
Braddock's regulars against the In
dians long ago, and many a hero CT
the war between the states and of the
recent wars in Cuba and China gained
his place in his comrades estimation
in the same manner. Yet the regular
is passed over in favor of the civilian
with influence at any time, and the
American ideal of a standing army
has always been doing without one!
In 1855 the anxiety of the members
of the continental and state forces to
return to civil life, coupled with the
profound distrust of a regular estab-
lishment which is sign of health and
peace in a republic which does not
know the lust for conquest, left the
confederation of the thirteen states
with eighty enlisted men, and the
commander-in-chief under the govern
ment bore no higher rank than cap
tain. The need for something more
elaborate was early impressed upon
the new nation, when the present con-
-stitution went into effect in 1889. Gen.
Harmer and 800 regulars. with quotas
from Pennsylvania and Kentucky,
enough to raise the number to 1,400
men, set out on an expedition against
the Indians, who had been devastating
the frontier and were induced to take
| the war path by the British authori-
ties in Canada.
Harmer met the enemy at Chilli
| cothe on the Maumee and suffered a
serious defeat, the militia refusing to
stand and the regulars being badly
cut up. The endeavor of the volun-
4 Iol
to another attack being made upon
| the aborigines, when another defeat
was inflicted, the militia fully redeem
ing themselves by splendid courage.
| Congress heard the news and at once
grasped the idea that the ,savages
| must be made to respect the national
authority unless the frontier was to
| be abandoned, and Maj.-Gen. Arthur
| St Clair, who was then governor of
| the northwestern territory was au-
thorized to take the field with a suffi-
cient force to maintain order. In No
vember, 1871 his forces met those of
| Joseph Brant. the Indian chief, and
again the regulars fought we'll and the
rest ran. The First Infantry still do
| ing most gallant service is the direct
descendant of the regiment authorized
by the continental congress in 1884
and for many years it was the entire
regular army. Gen Washington
sought to have a military academy es-
tablished to provide proper training
| for an army, but it was not until 1902
| that West Point came into being, at
once taking the highest possible place
among the seats of military knowledge
in the world, position it has never
| allowed to retrograde. In addition to
| the West Point graduates, certain ap-
/ continents are made from civil life.
/ generally during war times, and many
an enlisted man who shows the nee
| essary capacity is permitted to leave
the ranks for a position of command
More than $50 of the best officers in
| the army list of 1898 had obtained
their commissions in this way From
the first struggles against the Indians
until the wonderful flight of the Nez
Perces in 1877 and the subsequent sur
| render to Gen. Miles by Chief Joseph,
| which ended the last organized resist
ance of the natives to federal author
4 ity. the American army has been in
I almost constant war and the training
It receiv4 placed it high among the