The Savannah morning news., 1902-06-08
THE AMERICAN SOLDIER
BY HON. JOHN A. T. HULL. M. C..
and Author o ing Army

The great advance in the lines of
Invention have been as marked in the
military establishments of the world
&c in any other lines of human indus
nv. The great civil war of this coun-
~, was fought out before modern i'm
movements in arms had been devel-
onad and the men who served in the
ranks in those days were accustomed
10 coming up near enough to see each
otber and using the muzzle loading gun.
The organization of the army was but
rtt1e changed from the organization
nrevailing during the Revolutionary
war There was a two-line close order
formation. and it was supposed that
soldiers would not fight we'll unless
they could touch elbows They ad-
vanced and retired as a body, and a
regiment of infantry was composed of
single battalion of ten companies,
with only three field officers in charge.
The old muzzle- loading rifle would not
do much execution at over 900 yards
range. so that the lines were always
within charging distance of each other
If il was determined a charge should
be made.
Deadly Modern Weapons.
With the modern breech-loading, rap
id-fring gun, carrying a bullet a mile
or more and doing execution at long
range, the close-order formation WCiGld
be utterly worthless, and would insure
the destruction of any army attempt
ing to fight battles with such organi-
cations. The modern organization of
the army gives three battalions to me
regiment, and makes the regiment con
sist of twelve companies, instead of ten,
and gives three majors, one for each
battalion, in addition to the colonel and
lieutenant colonel as field officers.
The modern line of battle is formed
more on what was formerly u skirmsh
line, and makes each individual SOL
der more of a fighting unit. The
larger part of a regiment is handled
now in reserve, so disposed as to
promptly strengthen the weak places
and relieve frequently on the fling
lines.
The character of the American SOL
der is not changed. He always was
and always will be, while our national
character remains the same, the best
material for a soldier to be found in
the world. He has the knowledge nee
essary to enable him to recognize the
value of discipline and the character
to sustain him in all the trials and
dangers of warfare. He has demon
strated in Cuba, Porto Rico, the Phil
ippines, and in China the same splendid
characteristics his forefathers pos
sessed from the foundation of the gov
eminent. He is first of all an Ameri-
can citizen, possessed of the same quail
tiles, the same aspirations, the same
love of country prevalent throughout
the entire body of the American peo-
pie, and to charge him with conduct
unbecoming an American soldier is a
libel upon the American army.
In all great bodies of men some will
be found not averaging to the highest
standards Of Americanism. But as a
whole the American army during the
last war were brave in action, patient
in enduring hardships, generous to
their foes, and at all times an honor
to their country. No individual case
of cruelty can be cited as rejecting
upon the army at large. To cite indi-
Vidual cases of cruelty is as unfair as
il would be to charge a community
with being all criminals because at
some time a murder might have been
committed in their midst
know personally that in the Philip
pines the conduct of the troops as a
Whole has been the most forbearing
and patient. and the people of those
islands almost without exception, bear
willing tribute to the splendid services
Of the American soldier.
Best Ratio in the World.
The ration of the American soldier is
SO much superior to that of any other
nation that it is hardly worth
mentioning, and certainly cannot
afford opportunity for COM
parison. officers serving with our
fcers of foreign armies, declared that
the private soldiers of the United