Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1902-09-20
THE FIELD OF BATTLE
INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES OF
TIE WAR.
The Veterans of the Rebellion Tell of
Whistling Bullets, Bright Bayouets,
Bursting Bombs, Bloody Battles,
Camp Fire, Festive Bugs, Etc, Etc.

Camp Fire, Festive Bugs, Etc, Etc.
Il would like 60 see this new army
uniform" said the Major. They say
we old fellows will not like 1t as a
matter of sentiment, but that practical
soldiers putting aside sentiment. IA
yor It, Great Scott! As IL we were
not practical soldiers. who saw more
actual service in battle in four years
than all the civilized world has seen
| since 1860. There is more than senti-
| ment in this question Of uniform, and
| believe this experiment will end. as
have others, in return to the service
uniform so thoroughly tested under all
| circumstances of battle and conditions
| of weather during the Civil War.
'The blue uniform was no more CON
| spicnous in maneuver. skirmish. or bat
| tie than the Confederate gray or but
| ternut. At a distance the one could
| not be distinguished from the other.
| At Shiloh. the rebels We're taken for
| our own men, and were almost in our
camps before the difference In dress
was noticed. At Stone River, heavy
masses Of rebels came out Of corntields
| or out of cedarS and we held our fire.
| believing them to be our own men, In
| hundreds of cases during the Civil
| War mistakes were made through fail
| ure to distinguish uniforms. the but
| ternut looking in the haze. or rain, or
| smoke, or at distance as dark as the
| blue.
II venture to say that heavy masses
| of men in this new drab uniform will
| be as conspicuous as were the rebels
in gray or butternut. and if they are.
| nothing has been gained in utility and
much has been lost in appearance, for
| old soldiers are not the only ones who
| believe that the service uniform of the
| United States army is the handsomeSt
| for field work in the world. And it is
| TO be remembered that pride in dress
| has much TO do with the morale and
| spirit of an army. ! remember once
| when we followed close on the heels
of a rebel brigade in marching through
| Raymond that Southern women ex-
pressed their disappointment at the APP
| pearance of their own men.
| 1T had been raining and our blue
blouses seemed the better for the wet
| ting. But the butternut of the rebels
was very much the worse for the
! drenching and the men looked sloven-
| ly and low-spirited, whereas our boys,
| erect and trim IN their blue called out
| praises from their enemies. One of
| the ladies' said to me. as ! stopped to
| answer question: We ought TO have
taken the old uniform and given you
| the butternut. 1t is a shame to put
such gallant fellows as ours in such
| unbecoming dress. They look dull and
dirty In the rain, whereas your men
| look clean and high-spirited. | really
| believe the dress has much to do In
making the soldier. Was the woman
rightY'
When the war broke out in 1861, vol
| unteer regiments went to the field In
| all sohs of uniforms, most of them
| fanciful, snowy, and unserviceable. In
| the three months service several of
the Illinois regiments wore gray jack
cts and blouses The First and Sec
ond Kentucky and the Twenty Sixth
| Ohio went to the field In dark gray
| jackets and gray trousers with black
| stripes down the legs At Shiloh we
| found the dead Of the Washington bat
terry Of New Orleans in black coats
| and black trousers with red braid. At
Bull Run Zouave companies and 9th
ers went into battle in most fantastic
uniforms. There was In neither army
| much unity of action or Of feeling.
In three months. however. there was
in the Union arny strict uniformity of
dress. A few regiments were given
dress coats, but not one volunteer in a
thousand ever wore anything but the
service uniform Of dark blue blouse
and light blue trousers. Many Off
| GERS wore the same dress in the field
and their dark blue frock coats and
trousers Of fine cloth only in camp.
And the blouse and trousers wore well.
washed well, and there were few Tn
ION soldiers who did not have pride In
the dress and fight the better for the
pride. / doubt whether any soldier
will ever be proJd of blouse and trou-
sers Of dull drab.
Battles are rarely fought i'm the open.
and don't see wherein drab In the
woods OF IN green cornfelds is better
than blue. And If all armies are to be
dressed in tan or dun or drab. how are
the troops Of one to he distinguished
from those of another in action As a
rule, troops will fight from behind
breastworks or rocks or trees. and
color of uniform will be no greater
factor than it was in the Civil War
The Beers wore dark clothes all
through the South African war. and
yet not often did the British soldiers
see the riiicmca who decimated the
ranks in khaki. As long az cavalry
and artillery are used Ia warfare there
viii be horses IN battle and quite as
conspicuous as soldiers In blue. Who
would think OF blanketing cavalry
horses IN draU or painting rifles and