Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-01-29
AMERICAN SOLDIERS
SUBJECT OF A PAPER READ BE-
FORE HISTORY CLUB.
Types of Warriors in the Civil Strife
and in the Conflict With
Spain.

TYPES OF the American Soldier was the
subject of an interesting paper by Capt.
H. e. Vincent which was read before the
American History Club at a recent meet
ing. Major j. H. Slime. president of the or
ganization, announced that public his
torical recital. under the auspices of the
club, would be held the evening Of the ami
versary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln,
February IL, at the Church of the Reforma-
ton, Capitol Hill, to which many distin-
guished men would be invited Addresses
on the life and character of Lincoln will be
delivered by orators Of national reputation.
Mr.. Edward NJ. Heines, a soldier Of long
standing, was elected to a vice presidency
Of the club.
President Slime announced the following
committee in charge of the Lincoln anniver-
sary celebration: Chairman, Mr.. Edward M.
Heines; Capt; Homer J: Locking of the
Spanish War Veterans, Mr.. John c. Foster,
Capt. H. F. Vinvent Capt. ]. Walter
Mitchell and Major Slime, member ex-officio.
The Distinct Types.
Speaking of the types of the American
soldiers as he had seen them In the civil
war and the war with Spain. Captain Vim
cent said, in part
''There were several distinct types of the
American soldier developed in the war of
the rebellion. and latterly In the war with
Spain, which deserve mention. While dis
cussing this subject with the late Gen.
Rosecrans several years ago, just before the
bottle of Chickamauga brand-new colonel
was admiring a passing regiment of Union
troops which had been recruited in one of
the large cities-Cincinnati, l think-and re-
marked what fine body of men it was,
adding: III bet those fellows can fight
like the dickens
You are mistaken. colonel said old
Rosy. Many of those fellows are what are
known as bar room DULLES and pugilists
and they will run away under the first fire
They have plenty of the bulldog in them
when they are engaged in fistic encoun-
ter with some less scientific and weaker ad-
versar1es, but when they get on the battle
line, where the mimic ball and grape and
canister gives a dwarf or consumptive as
great prowess as a muscular giant, they
will weaken and show the white feather.
For good, reliable work under fire. give me
those moral youths whom the DULLES dese-
nate as Sunday school boys. When they go
under fire with firm, set features and paled
faces there will be some good work done
Gen. Rosecrans words were prophetic
for the bully regiment weakened under the
hrst fusfllade from the men in gray, and
retreated in rout, throwing aside their
guns and the long bowie knives with which
they had provided themselves.
There Were Exceptions.
"Old Rosy did not apply this observation
to all troops from the large cities. On the
contrary he said on a later occasion to me:
AS between a regiment Of country lads
and one composed of city boys, give me the
city chaps for general campaign work. The
country boys are used to going to bed With
the lark and getting up at daybreak with
the chickens. They have also been used to
three square meals a day and their consti-
tutlonS cannot stand a reversal of these
rules. Hence when country enlisted troops
have been called on to make forced marches
at night and on short ratiOns they were Of
ten whole or partial failures. The men en-
listed in the cities. on the contrary, were
used to dissipation to a great ter or less ex-
tent: to keeping all sorts of hours and eat
ing at irregular intervals, and could, there
fore stand more fatigue and rough usage
at unusual hours than could their willing
and none-the-less brave country cousins
My observations of the volunteers in the
7th Army Corps Gen. Fitzhugh Lee's) at
Jacksonville and in Cuba in 1898, gave me
some interesting insights Of the latter day
types Of the American soldiers. A Wiscon-
sin regiment was composed of big, braWny
giants with an air Of bravery and defiance
in their every movement. l thought, What
grand heavy infantry those boys are Near
by was the camp Of the I'd and 4th Virginia
infantry regiments. The men were tall
slender and athletic. Their movements
were quick and graceful-human grey
hounds. it. seemed. What ideal light in
fantry,' I thought as in my minds eye 1
could see the gray legions of Picketts Vir-
ginians rushing UP the shot-swept slopes at
Gettysburg. their fierce battle cry and death