The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1915-08-27
MILITARY SCHOOL NEEDED

active service he became the most
popular officer of the regiment; they
discovered that while exactinp in dis
cipline he always looked after the
needs and comforts of the men, that
he was always ready for duty and
knew how to prcform it; the regular
ity with which the colonel was sick
when they were to 60 into action and
the lieutenant colonel drunk. was
noted by the command, and that in
every battle of the first two years of
the war the major led them. During
the second and third years of the war
the northern Governors were con
Istantly calling home the majors and
captains who had proved themselves in
service and putting them in COM
mand of the new regiments, while the
colonies were being pushed up to
brlgadiers by the general movement;
during o2 and 90 Governor Andrew
repeatedly offered this major a new
regiment; but the men were unwilling
to "art with him and he felt it nee
essity to stay with them to properly
care for and lead them; the battle Of
Gettysburg was the first time the Bos-
ton gentlemen, the colonel of the
command went into action with his
men; early in that engagement he re-
ceived a flesh wound, and, an eve Wit
ness said, slid from his horse, hastily
going to the rear, left the field and re-
turned to his home, and went about
the city with his arm in sling, saw
ing he hoped he should save it! All
the men knew he was a coward. And
it is a strange and interesting fact
and equally significant, that that regi-
ment was the only one of the three
year regiments" which came home
with the same colonel and lieutenant
colonel which they had on going out:
they both were notorious for their
incompetence and unreliability in the
hour OF need which prevented pro
but somehow family or social
influence was sufficient to retain them
in commission; whether these two
were detailed for other duty | do not
know; but such was often the case
with officers who were unfit for field
duty but who held on to their com
and 1t only fair to say that
sometimes such men did excellent
duty in other lines. After the battle
of Gettysburg Governor Andrew in
sisted that this particular major should
come home to Massachusetts on fur
Tough, and, being the iance Of a re-
lative, used often to meet him and
learned the inside history Of the repi-
ment; while at home some veteran
regiments were recruited and this
man made colonel of one of them.
and almost as soon as at the front
put in command of his brigade, where
at Petersburg he soon won distinc-
ton and death.
Once travelling in the mountains of
Colorado | met a man with a C. A. R.
button and learned he was a member
OF the above named regiment; and his
praise of his competent and brave
major was unstinted, as was his con
tempt for the two superior officers.
and he related an incident which oc-
CURED some years after the war
which showed the feeling of the pri-
vate soldier toward the notoriuslv
cowardly colonel of that regiment. For
some sort OF public function in Bos-
ton the old soldiers were invited to
prominent participation; it was ru-
mored that this colonel was to be
placed on the program; those in
charge were warned that if that man
was called to the platform the men
in the audience who had been under
his command in the service would
show their feeling leaving the hall; the
warning was unheeded, the colonel
belonging to prominent city family
was called on for an address when the
old veterans arose in body and left
the hall! Think of that for a re-
buke!
Some of the southern states, such as
and, l think, one of the Gulf
states; had military schools, and sup
piled many trained men for the Con-
tederate army; "Stonewall" Jackson
was a teacher in the Virginia school.
While such state schools might serve
a good purpose, and the Agricultural
colleges, having been endowed by the
national government, might we'll help
such purpose, it seems to me that
Taft's suggestion is better. And why
not another naval academy on the
Pacific coast? And a lot of selected
youths thoroughly educated by the
government for the army and navy:
during peace they would be in de-
nand in business lines. and if the mis-
fortune of war should come we should
have at hand a goodly number of men
htted to organize and lead a volun-
tecr army, and help the navy.
| also am believer in the National
Guard, and wish much more could be
made of it, But Chat ;s apotbor