The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-03-14
WEARING ENEMY,S UNIFORM.
Precedents for the Beers Alleged Psaetc.

Precedents fer the Beers Alleged Psaeuc<.
To TIE EDITOR or THE sus-Sr: In A
cable letter 10 TIE Sun from London. pub
llshed to-day. describing the effect In Eng
land Of the latest regretted" British reverse.
at the hands Of the redoubtable Deiarey, I
find this statement touching the Beers use
OF khaki:
The soreness Of En- glishmen over the fact
that Gen. Delarcy's men wore khaki Ia not
salved by those who find satisfaction IN
precedents. Among other dictn on tho sub
ject is 'Stonewall' Jackson's threat 70 shoot
any Of his men found dressing themselves In
captured clothes. even to cover their partial
nskedness."
II the other dicta,- TO be oited, have no
more foundation In fact than what is herein
alleged Of "0ld Jack. the many friends and
WELL wishers Of the Beers need have no con-
Germ as to the outcome Of the a~cademical
controversy. / have this winter been read
ing Lieut. Col. q. +. r. Henderson's stone
wall jackson and the American Civil War
n vols, lo1gnans. 1907 The Colonel. BY
tho way. / believe accompanied -Bobs- 10
South Africa In his great meteoric campaign,
and he has written what Ia accepted on all
hands as the authoritative life Of jackson.
Naturally he would be expected TO treat
his subject exclusively from q military
point OF view. Consulting the index to this
work / note under the head ing Dress or
uniform. ten references In the course Of the
two volumes OF these some may be put
put aside az not bearing on the subject nov
In hand The remainder. which / shall cite
land / hope you will grant me 30 much Space.
read In connection with the recent Boer ex-
plot. khaki and all. far from discountenanc-
ing and disorediting the victors In this cass
tell the Other nov so far as -Stonewan- Ia
invoked. Thus ~. lis; Vol. ~:
Jackson's two assistants . like Air-
set. still wore the plain blue uniform Of the
virginia. military institute" This, however.
In the first month OF the war.
Again %. 1921. three months later, j. x. u.
Stuart. operating along NTH Jaekson. re-
member. against the Federal. Gen Patterson,
still wore the uniform OF the United States
Army" He had moved with fifty troopers
10 attack the enemy's right flank As
he rode along a winding lane he saw resting
in a field a com pany OF Federal Infantry:
the enemy suspected nothing. taking him
for one of their own cavalry, and he deter
mined TO effect their capture. Riding up TO
the fence he babe one Of the men remove the
bars. This was done with respectful alacrity
and he then Halloped among them. shouting:
Throw down your arms, or you are all dead
menr The stentorian order was at once
their rifles but fell upon their faces. and the
Confederate trooper coming to their leaders
aid. marched the whole company OF prison
But the beet testimony of all-ren oeu
tan gems ia met with, on page 22i, thus: They
and with as little. regard. for uniformity. as
the defenders OF Torres NedIas or the Army
OF Italy Ia I1S Ike Wsliinston ana Ma,
little what the soldiers wore so long as they
did their duty. The only stspdins
which referred 10 dress forbade the ,weAring
Of the enemy's uniform. 1t was the same
in the Army OF the Valley. although az Q az.
appropriately, and appositsIy, italicized let
me f TSpy o sn1s I nre% MADE sse f in the Sei valley ni In the
Peninsula lof virginia.. and in the second
Manassas campaign proved of inestipsble
new. smooth, bore cannon for rined guns.
c so9 Ms.Isl.I Ba Rlss:.lf h'f lad i1 furnished f sGesiii
enemies with the materials OF war. with
tents, medicines a~mbnlanoee and emmn-
federats heodquarters bofs. on iEoir, hhs the
initials, u s Al many OF Les soieieIs s ~
fomiue, may We not apply this 70 the boersf
Thus history repeats itself.
Further on %. $50 our author dweiis thus
now veterans, though the war was only hall
over: IF HE boots wore out he made shiit 70
march without them; ana wneh ms x hi,rosH
t ten sa sp S,9i himself ss WITH a pew optat'. -.
One more quotation. the last " $50: y
has already been Telateu thdt inc SonItu.to,V
armies depended, to q largo degree, Tor tnelr
clothing and on what they CAP
t,red 80 abundant WAS this source Of supply,
that the soldier had come 20 look. upon his
Enemy AS a movable magazine OF creature
comforts. and II he marched cheerfully 20
battle, il was not so much because he loved
| nRhting. but that he hoped to renew his
Ali which, from the pen Of Henderson
who is one OF their own. should help 20 recon.
Gle Enslishmen 20 their fate, NO. matter II
II Is their OK that's being gored.
II il pleasant to see Sir Charles Dixie cal
ever when worn by Boer aRRressors IN the
Uay of the morning Should there Dc more
Sir Charles Dnkes-this controversy would
oIvddite goes" with the English. though
the immortal Joubert protested, they VIII
NOT exchange prisoners tthey may, however
now WITH the "emhattled farmers" OF South
Africa. the "trocha, " block houses and bsrbed
wire embarrsssments, a la Neyler-ot thesy
time. But the Beers must abjure, KHAKI
because forsooth they've captured Il! WHY
Uncle Sans boys wear khaki! They wore
Il In Cuba, China, in the Philippines IN
happy Bocrsl Ye set your prisoners fTee
land have set them free by the thousands
Yet what proof have We. or has the Moilu'
that the seif-sam me men viii not be your an
In gonists. fresh-clothed and n~ew-equippr''
Tomorrow? The least they might alcN
Won is 10 wear the khaki when you havH
fo. rht for It. It's sad pathetic At mos,
an az the worst, your Khaki dress Is but the
notn IN a brothers eye-not the besm 10
he found. slasl In another's. j 7. r.. q.
HAyRR DE GRACE, Nd March Is.