The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-11-09
THE MAN BEHIND
THE GUN COUNTS
TIE OFFICERS MUST RELY ON
SOLDIERS INITIATIVE. $50

An officer In our regular army. who
saw fighting in the Spanish war
pointed our the other day that most
persons had a very wrong conception
CT how soldiers fight In modern bat
ties.
After regiment has wheeled into
position to attack the foe, and the ae-a
tual fighting has begun" he said, sths4
officers really have little to do with
noise, for one thing, that commands
cannot be heard, and for this rea10n9
whistles. In many armies. have be0ns
substituted for bugles. because their
shriil blast carries better than thu
heavier notes OF the brass. Beyond
giving the signal for the charge the
officers can do little. The men, ones
they see the line of the enemy in front
OF them, know what is expected suf
them. and carry out their work with
surprisingly few orders.
''Skirmish drills in times OF peace
have taught the troops how to act to.s,
eether. and 1t Is amazing to see how
quickly the men adapt themselves to-
the conditions OF the actual battle. M
is the corporals and sergeants who
are III the line with the men who are
the real steadying influences In fight.
They know the characteristics OF the
individual privates in u way that the
commissioned officers can never know
them and are prepared To give =
calming word to this or that one when /.
The emergency arises. In my own ex-s
perience. | have known a private who
had served .hree enl.stments to take
charge of a company in charge. and
The officers and non-coms were very
glad to Ieave il to him. After the scrap
WAS over he became a private one
more, but while that row was on.
80 far az actual influence with the
men was concerned. he was OF great
deal more Importance than his cap
tain The way that man could wrik-
gle into cover was a revelation, and he-
went through three campaigns without
IA scratch, His example in the reEir
ment was a big asset.
There has been much discussion Of 1
bravery in the battle since the war
started. According to my experience
1t Is very much matter OF trneperA~
ment. Some men are carried along ~,
sort OF ecstacy. others hold tnoup-
selves to the work by sheer force az
will, while others. and these are thAs
best. so through fight with = AOx&S
Of grim interest as IL it was highly
amusing though somewhat dangerous
sport they were engaged In, like potot
or football fEsF
II had an instance Of this In the
Philippines in the battle in which GEM
eral Lawton was killed. That was one
Of the hottest fights have ever seeu.
Our men had been ambushed by tbs
Filipinos. WHO were hidden In great
force. while our men were exp0ea6 II
their Are In the open. ] had been t.
10 the rear for reinforcements al
was passing along our column when
saw lying off to one side an Irish m
vate He was loading and firing rAy
idly. but a. calmly a. II he was on th
target range. I stopped for q sec0n
or 30 to watch him. Not shot we
wasted. He was devcting himself q
picking off the good shots on the 0the4
side, and every time he fired he "a,
o man. Furthermore, he wes hAvin
the time Of his Hfes as you could ~ n
plainly from the expression on n
face. To him that fight brought ulur 4
solid enjoyment than anything TIL
had ever come his way. and you VIII
find that that spirit q the 6M4lan
Army Wls what made n ~ AeS4
ths 0erssan@ - ~ tross RelstuI ~
ynxiA sss Ss IA