Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1906-03-12
MODEL MILITIA SAYS GENERAL
CHARLES KING.
OFFICERS SCHOOL ENDS
Profitable Meetings Come to Close
With Interesting Addresses by
General George E. Bryant and c.
n. Russell on Incidents of Civil
War Days.
Madison, March 9.


Il would be doing less than my
duty if | were to refrain from saying
here, as l say many times before
military gatherings, that the Wlscon
sin guard is the model in excellence
generally, in character of personnel
in soldierly bearing and efficiency
in neatness and in discipline"
These were the parting words OF
Brigadier General Charles King as he
closed his remarks before the Off
GERS school yesterday. He spoke
to the assembled officers in the CAPT
toll ON his observations while at the
encampment at Camp Randall and
travelling through the state. Most
of his address was comprised OF lit
tie details of neglect or shortcomings
in the matter of cleanliness, camp
neatness, absolute order and observ-
ance of regulations. He admitted
that in criticising the Wisconsin
guard it was necessary to deal with
small things because OF the excel
1ence of the guard with respect to
the matters of larger Importance.
The address was a sermon on the de-
STABILITY of care for details that are
apt to escape attention on account
of their seeming minor importance.
Madison Volunteered First.
General George E. Bryant ad-
dressed the men briefly, barking
back to the thrilling days Of the civ
il war. He read from a volume of
history some correspondence be
tween himself as captain of the
Madison company and Governor Ran
dali, showing how the old contro-
versy as to priority of offer of serv-
ice in the civil war was settled in
favor of Madison. He also related
some interesting incidents that oc-
CURED during his service in the war,
particularly at the battle of Atlanta.
General c. H. Russell of Berlin
made the closing address, speaking
briefly on the soldier Of the civil
war and the soldier of today. He
said that had modern equipment and
military effectiveness been available
during the war, many of the success
full charges of federal troops had
ended in disaster. His remarks
were highly complimentary to the
citizen soldiers of today
In bidding goodbye to the officers,
Adiutant General Boardman eX-
pressed his thanks to them for the
interest and earnestness they put in
to the work He said the camp last
summer was the best in his 26 years
in connection with the national
guard, and the present school for Of
ficers also took first rank among
gatherings of the kind.
Raw Recruits in the Old Days.
The remarks by General Russell
we're in part as follows;
VERY few Of you have amy person
al recollection of the stirring events
and great excitement that was begin
ming to stir the people in our coun-
try, both north and south, As years
ago. In April, 1861 Fort Sumpter
fell shortly after President Lincoln
issued call for IS thousand men.
Wisconsin furnished one regiment,
which received it's baptism of fire at
Falling Waters in July. Shortly
after. in July, the battle of Bull Run
was fought Then came the call
for 100000 more men. August list,
1861, Colonel Daniels was COMM
stoned to raise a regiment of cavalry
to be known as the first Wisconsin
Cavalry. September LIST, l enlisted
in Co. E. A. B. G and D were full.
We were encamped on the college
grounds at Ripon. Up to the time
of my enlistment not much of an at
tempt had been made at drilling the
men. ALI were engaged in recruit
ing. About September 10th an eff
! fort was made to make soldiers out
| Of as fine a body of men as could be
! found anywhere. Almost every man
/
was a fine rifle shot, and from the
colonel down, all we're terribly III
! earnest and determined to make gooC
! soldiers, but all were absolutely ig
norant of even the simplest move
Iments. Not one Of us knew how tc
change step, but we sent to Milwau
kee and got number Of copies Of
Hardee.s Tactics and began to learn
! something of military life and work
ITO illustrate to you the difficulties
| that we and almost every company
and regiment in the state were labor
ing under at that time to make
| trained soldiers out Of these men
suppose 100 green men were given
one of you gentlemen to make sol
diers out of them in the shortest
possible time Your lieutenants
sergeants and corporals knew nc
more than the men. wouldn't you
think you had a big job ON you1
hands? And then imagine if you can