The Rich Hill tribune. (Rich Hill, Mo.) 1903-1911, 1905-06-01
ouIekly Made Sec soIdIers.

Il was surprised said the doctor.
that the newspapers didn't give o
attention to Field Marshal Oyama's
Characterization Of the modern Japan
csc army. After explaining that un-
der the old rule military service was
limited to the hereditary fighting or
soldier class, the general pointed to
the result Of breaking away from the
old rule n calling men Of ali classes
into the army. He insisted that an
army including all classes had a finer
national spirit and fought better than
the old army made up exclusively Of
professional fighters,
This interested me greatly, be
cause il called to mind experiences
In the Union army OF the civil val
which illustrated the processes by
which the average man OF patriotic
impulse was transformed into a sol
der. II Is impossible for the pres
ent generation to understand how ut
terly ignorant the men Of 1861 were Of
the simplest details Of military ser
vice. There we're then very few mill
tary companies outside the large cities
and the members Of the few carried
themselves as superior beings.
When Fort Sumter was fired on the
members OF the military companies
in the county own constituted a sort
Of lighting caste, and they became the
drill masters OF the thousands OF
patriotic young men, not n Of whom
could come to an about face. II re-
member well when a hundred OF our
best young men organized a military
company. They sen TO Capt. Branch
in the nearest city. asking him TO send
One OF his crack company out 10 drill
us. A private in the company donned
a lieutenant's uniform and came out
to act as instructor at IS an hour. and
he lorded II over a hundred as earnest
and intelligent men as eve lived.
so anxious were we to learn. and
so much respect had We Tor a man who
knew military things hat We bore
with the autocratlc impertinences OF
the drill master and conceded all he
demanded In the way Of Difference 10
himself. He seemed 10 as a graf man.
although we discovered later that he
taught us very little. We went for
ward rapidly. however. after he lief,
us. and were soon al the front. where
we learned In a few months more than
any crack holiday soldier could teach
us. After several campaigns we were
with Buell's advance 20 Shiloh. and as
we climbed the bank OF the river.
where thousands OF stragglers we're
gathered. I heard a voice that I
knew.
The men OF the company had been
in service nearly a year. They consti-
tuted the crack company Of a fight
ing regiment They were going up
the river bank into battle. and they
were ready and eager 10 meet the enc
my. Imagine their surprise when they
saw their pompous little drlll master
OF the previous April standing among
the s~tragglers declaiming to the new.
corners about the glory. aud death.
that awaited them IN front
The captain. who had been among
the humblest OF the learners. In April.
1861. and was In April. 1869. one OF the
most resourceul officers In the regi
ment. looked at the declalmer in won
der. The orderly. who had been
roundly abused because he could not
hold his hands sim. said quietly TO
the shouting straggier. " you want
10 go 10 the front and glory fan in
al the "a OF the company Then
came the marching men. whose swing
into line and soldierly bearing al
fenced the man who had lordcd II
oye them Tor s. an hour less than q
year before. They had become aght.
ing soldiers. while he had stood sim
at 3iS a month Chicago Inter.
Ocean.
There had been surprises aud DIS.
appointments In the company. OF
course In the FIRST forced march Eve
OF the strongest and finest looking
men fell by the way. aud three OF
them did not recover their health for
several years. Slender young fellows.
given three months TO break down.
stood that march and all others we'll
Men OF refinement and education had
come into close fellowship with men
who could not write their names. aud
the h~odcarrier had become the CON.
rade Of his ole employer. but the thin
ming out and the leveling processes
had made dependable soldiers OF all"
Chicago Inter Ocean.