The National tribune., 1902-10-30

May, 1861, as q hlgn private IN 20. IL, "a
Wis, I was all unaware of the wide and
almost impossible gulf that yawns be-
tween the enlisted soldier and commits
stoned officer. My first introduction to
real official dignity, or pomposity, as it
appears in military life, came few days
later, and before / was mustered into the
United States service. Lieut.-Col. Peck
was temporarily in command of the regI-
ment, and having business with him,
was admitted into his quarters, where
found him with his hat on his head and
his feet perched upon the table "a very
dignified position), luxuriating in fra
grant Havana. l was only country
boy of % years and imagined that no SOL
dier of the Republic was a menial, and
that had no call to uncover while stand
ing in his presence; but the noble Colonel,
knowing that such unsoldierly conduct, if
not at once rebuked and eradicated, would
lead to the defeat of our armies in the
field and the overthrow of the Republic,
said to me very firmly, but with with
ering sadness in his voice, which fingers
in my ears even to this distant day:
.'Take off your hat, sir, when you come
into the presence of your superiors."
Well, Sumter had been fired upon, and
the old flag that waved above the fort rid
died and torn, and notwithstanding TINS,
the first command had ever received from
a Colonel in uniform was damper to the
patriotism that filled my heart. l had
started out to lend a hand in righting that
wrong and in avenging that insult to our
National honor and l took off my hat,
but right there and then l vowed in my
heart, that if l ever succeeded in cross
ing the gulf, / would stand on the other
shore adorned with gilt buttons and shoul-
der-straps, still retaining sufficient man
hood and common sense to treat a private
soldier as gentleman and as an American
citizen.
MY FIRST PROMOTION.
Time passed. Promotion from the
ranks in the American army is always
rapid and certain for all who possess mill
tary genius and natural official dignity,
and in the month of March, 1S63-less
than two years from date of enlistment
l rose to the rank Of Eighth Corporal!
Just think of that, all ye aspiring young
Americans. Think of it, ye ambitious
sons of the great Republic who long for
military honors, and fear not to enter the
service of your country as private sol
diers. Be not alarmed if you are worthy
soldiers and possess military ability, your
country will find you when you are needed.
Did not their country find" Grant, and
Sherman, and Sheridan, and Meade, and
q host of other heroes as long ago as when
they attended the Military Academy at
West Point? During the latter part of
the great civil war their country found
tens of thousands of men who would have
preferred not to have been found"
If private soldier can reach the rank
of Eighth Corporal in less than two years
of service, he can surely count on becom-
ing q Brevet Brigadier-General before
the close of a long war. The first step is
always the most difficult, and although
Corporal is not q commissioned ofhcer Dy
any means, once soldier has reached
that rank he is in the line of promotion,
and on the high-rOad to honor and fame
About that time, when l first ran up
against that line of promotion, the United
States conceived the idea of calling upon
those people who had lived for many gen.
erations practically beneath the Stripes,
although it was hardly possible for them
to have discerned the Stars in our glorious
flag, to take up arms in defence OF Ma
tional unity. The Government needed of1
GERS to command these new regiments Of
black men, and Just after the return Of
paign to our old position north of the Rap
pahannock, the following appeared in the
Washington Chronicle:
IA Board Of Examination has been
established in Washington, D. c., Of which
Maj.-Gen. Silas Casey is President, fol
the purpose of examining all applicants
for commissions in the U. s. Colored
Troops Soldiers recommended by their
company and regimental cOmmandants
Ill - Ill 10 hafo ii Roo rd
for examination, and any applicant reject
ed by said Board shall not be allowed the
privilege of a second examination"
This was really an official order from
the War Department, signed by the Ad-
jutant-General of the Army, and splen-
did opportunity for any ambitious soldier
in the line of promotion. l imm ediately
applied to my Captain, Nat. Rollins, for
such recommendation, which he gave, and
Gen. Fairchild, then Colonel commanding
the I'd Wis, approved the same, which
was thereupon dispatched to the War De-
partment.
On the morning Of June u, 1863, as the
Army of the Potomac was in the act of
breaking camp near Fredericksburg, Va,
for that long march to the northward
which resulted in the battle and victory
of Gettysburg, received by mail from the
War Department a document Of which the
following is copy:
"War Department. hdjutant Generals
Office,
Washington, D. c., June 8, 1863.
"The following named enlisted man Is
hereby permitted to appear before the
Board Of Examination, of which Mai.
Gen. Silas Casey is President, at Wash
ington, d. c.: Corporal r. K. Beecham
Go. III, ID Wis. Vols
"By order Of the Secretary Of War.
'fSigned.l E. D. TOWNSEND, A. A.-Gen
Vols"
RED TAPE IN THE ARMY.
Truly I was greatly elated over thi!
carly and favorable reply to my applica
tion, and, very foolishly, supposed tina
such a permit emanating from the Secre
tary of War and signed personally by tn,
Adiutant-G General Of the Army, was au
thority sufficient to visit Washington; bu
I had much to learn. Red-tape, a tern
used to designate the vexatious routin
and delay in business matters as practice,
by bombastic military sapheads, could no
forbear a hand even in this transaction
so plain and simple to men of ordinar,
common sense.
reported to my Captain, expecting +
take the benefit of my permit without an
delay. The Captain advised me to repor
to the Colonel. l expressed the opinion
that such was unnecessary, as an orde
from the War Department covered tn
whole situation, and he had but to repor
me absent by said order; but the Captai