The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-09-12
2 AVS TRIBUTE
TO VOLUNTEERS
REGULAR ARMY OFFICERS
PRAISE rs ELOQUENT.
Major Billiard, Well Known In the
Twin Cities, Reckons the Citizen
soldiery a Large and Important Fac
tor in Time Of War Some Deeds Of
Daring.

!. Major Robert L. Billiard Of The
TWenty-eighth infantry, u. s. 4. who
was recently stationed at Fort Smelling,
and IS remembered by many twin CITY
people, mas written an ELOQUENT defense
OF the volunteer soldier for the Journal
OF the Military Service Institution
W. ! VIII De, read WIN much interest
py = an who have had anything to do
~ Misn an s rn h1: The article has been
nal and commended by the editor Of
mat a publication to the attention Of the
oHlcers OF the: regular army. Of the
volunteer, Major Billiard. speaking
Iroms experience, says enthusiastically:
I Faa a. y. Hereon need say no
s WHY. = he We're not, he would be no
sotIo1er, Tor ne is one of his own will.
B5I g He does such deeds as this:
alone alone without food and without drink.
wounded, burned and bruised, for five
whole days: from the head Of a cannon
f! te ghtS Two companies. of Aguinaldo IS
insurgents. He literally shot them to a
sta! still; he killed some thirty men;
pelng at last too weak and exhausted
10 sfas stand and unable longer to bear the
stencil OF dead enemies about him, he
c era away, Undiscovered. Dragging
himself along, he. saw patrol Of the
enemy, and without need, of his own
accord, opened another fight with these.
HIS shots brought comrades to find him
weakly but calmly sucking an orange
beside the body Of his last victim.
fessional, is the avocation Of the vol
unteer. 10 the former it is the usual
humdrum; to the latter a well-spring
Of novelty; his enthusiasm bubbles and
etfervesces; he rushes headlong at the
smallest things-a1 is new to him That
Is foolish, you will say. I answer, it
works sometimes the most wonderful
RESULTS. 1t may lead him into many alb
sqrdities; it is likely at any time to run
world. A little volunteer in the Phil
1pplnes was constantly running out on
wild goose chases after every guerilla
and partizan he could hear of in the
woods. He got himself greatly laughed
at, until one day he bagged the head of
the. whole insurrection, Aguinaldo his
His (the yolunteer's1 predominant
the exclusive mastership of self to
which he has always at home been used
and which he is slow, very slow, to
yield to military authority. His pre-
dominant virtue is his patriotism, his
zeal, his readiness, his absolute anxiety
to do something. To you who may
command him IN war L say, use these
and again use them. They will cover
every vice. ~ f@ " In
stWhen volunteers are gathered, you
gather the intelligence and patriotism
Of the land These are military assets
Of the very highest value. The COM
mander who fails or neglects to use
them Is worse than fool, he is a Grim
inal.' 49,. ,*a.a. i. :
Again Major Billiard says: ''1n ag.
gressive campaign with an end in view
and the purpose of his leaders under
stood, the volunteer is at his best. The
world can show no greater labors and
fatigues more unhesitatingly undertak-
en-, more zealously pressed or uncom-
plainingly borne under heat and col.
or in the deadly damp and mlasms OF
forests and swamps." / >>%>.E I'll.