Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-01-28
Courage Not Questioned.

l have witnessed the conduct Of these
men upon many battlefields. 1 have seen
them stand shoulder to shoulder with
volunteers on the firing line, falling dead
or wounded. and no man questioned their
courage nor asked the manner Of their
enlistment. 1 have seen them endure ex-
posture to cold and semi-starvatiOn with
the fOrtitude of veterans.
When recruits reached the army in the
front a few were assigned to each regi-
ment and these took their places in the
ranks with volunteers.
The total number of drafted men con-
stituted but 4 1-3 per cent of the total
ton of drafted men and substitutes to
volunteers was SO small as to pass un-
noticed.
The United States Volunteer army from
beginning to end was composed almost en-
tireIy Of the flower of American youth.
There were hundreds Of thousands of
young men who reached the age of
eighteen who voluntarily enlisted during
the protracted conflict.
Carelessly Marked "Deserters."
There were 1924 soldiers carelessly
marked deserters on the bi-monthly rolls,
but more than one-half of them were re-
lieved of the charge when proof appeared
on subsequent rolls that the soldier. was
Ouiy dUScul WlluOuI IchNCs dHu SIlOuiQ
have been SO marked. Undoubtedly there
were some bounty jumpers, all of whom
should have been shot when captured, but
the fairy story of Union soldiers deserving
to the enemy excites ridtcule among sur
vivors Of the Union army
The statement that drafted men or
substitutes were ill-treated by volunteers
is untrue, for the excellent reason that
by the time they reached the army many
regiments were SO reduced by battle and
III
rades in what all knew to be a death
struggle with a brave and vigilant foe.
Examination of the rolls shows nearly
one-half of McClellan's army absent
sick" after its bitter experience on the
peninsula, which accounts for the lament
of Lincoln that one-half his army was
absent. Nearly the same condition ex-
listed In all the Union and Confederate
armies. When Beauregard evacuated
Corinth in May, 1862. 50 per cent of his
army was absent sick.
The Real Test.
The important fact to be determined.
and one to which the writer appears to
awe paid no attention, is, not by what
toor the recruit entered the army. but
how did he perform the duties of soldier
after he joined his regiment. 1t is worse
| than folly for him to heap abuse upon the
substitute Hundreds of poor men with
families to support would gladly have en-
listed at the outbreak of hostilities but
for their fear to leave them unprotected.
When finally reward was offered for SUBJ
stitutes they embraced the offer. and.
giving the money to their wives, went
to the front and bravely fought and many
died for the flag that now shelters us all.
the poor substitute the rich man and
the muckraker. AS the men to whom the
writer refers had no knowledge of the
conduct Of recruits in battle 1t would
seem best. If he cares for the facts. to con-
suit army officers who commanded them.
i venture the assertion that no regf-
mental commander living would in
dorse his statement that the drafted
man or the substitute was held In con-
tempt by the volunteer. AS time went
on the recruit, becoming accustomed
to life in the army, found himself in
the midst of battle. The supreme test
of manhood had come, and those who
had made good, whether volunteer or
substitute, won the honors of the field.
It was test Of bravery In which the
one quality of courage counted for
everything. and was as likely to be-
long to the man who had sold himself
to the service as to the man who had
enlisted voluntarily. Men who enlisted
in 1851 found, to their disgust. when
confronted with a line of battle that
they were deficient in courage. and. as
at Shiloh and Bull Run, ran away from
the dreadful cannon and musketry in
their front, and there were no drafted
men or substitutes on either field A
soldiers value is rated by his fighting
ability and, measured by that standard
the men bought and sold and deliv-
cred like bullocks" we're not handf-
capped by the manner in which they
had entered the service.