Evening star., 1915-02-21

soldiers is to expect what never did
and perhaps never will happen"
In urging Congress to avoid the short
term enlistments he concludes: THE
hazard is too great; the trouble and
perplexity of disbanding one army and
raising another at the same instant.
and in such a critical situation as the
last was, are scarcely in the power of
words to describe, and such as no man
who has experienced will ever undergo
again.
After the occupation of New York by
Lord Howe with about 10000 troops,
New England not now being in danger.
Washington could oppose only force
of 5000. He felt constrained to write
to the President of Congress: Our sit
uation is truly distressing. The militia
are dismayed, intractable and impa-
tient to return. Great numbers or them
have gone off, in some instances almost
by whole regiments" He says that
their insubordination brought disorder
to other parts of the army. with the
deepest concern I am obliged to confess
my want of confidence in the generality
of the troops" he wrote. This harsh
criticism of the militia was not dl-
rected to the individuals, but to the
system, for with sufficient training, un-
der experienced officers, some of these
men demonstrated their courage and
efficiency
In the same missive he adds: Men
who have been subject to no control
cannot be reduced to order in an m
slant. The privileges they claim will
influence the conduct of others, and the
balanced by the disorder. irregularity
and con usion they occasion" He adds
that on account of their unreliability he
cannot undertake the defense of New
York. He concludes: 1T is painful and
extremely grating to me to give such un-
favorable accounts, but it would be
criminal to conceal the truth at SO criti-
cal a juncture.'
sons that made unframed men, especial
ly the Americans of his day, of little
value. 1t is not because they were mi
litia. instead of volunteers or regulars.
what constitutes good soldiery team
work. He says: "To place any depend
ence upon militia is assuredly resting
upon a broken staff Men just dragged
unaccustomed to the din of arms. totally
unacquainted with every kind of mill
tary skill, are tirnid and ready to fly
from their own shadows. Besides. the
sudden change in their manner of liv-
ing, particularly in their lodging, brings
on sickness in many, impaden in all
and such an uncomfortable desire of re-
turning to their own homes that it not
only produces shameful and scandalous
desertions among themselves. but in
spires the like spirit in others
Gen. Greene, the patriot and devoted
friend of Washington. had the same view
of the short service man. About this
time he wrote to a friend: Don't be
frightened cat our retreats); our cause
is not yet in desperate state. The policy
of Congress has been the. most absurd
ina ginable, pouring in militiamen who
come and go every month People COM
ing from home are not sufficiently forti
fed with natural courage to stand the
shocking scenes of War-to march over
dead men, to hear without concern the
groans of the wounded. There must be
d good army established, men engaged for
the war, d proper corps of officers. and
then. ter a proper time to discipline
The men, everything is to be expected" "
1t is estimated that in 1876 the Amerf-
can army, including militia, ran between
40, 900 and so 900 men as against 10000
to $4,000 British. The only offensive
operations undertaken were in the Vicin-
jty of Trenton. Boston and Princeton.
They failed to hold New York city and
Long Island. and failed in their second
campaign against Canada, not through
any inferiority in strategical leadership
by Washington, but because so many
short-term unframed men We're thrown
in to meet emergencies for which they
We're wholly inadequate.
This was not due altogether to lack of
money. for in the end much more was
expended in keeping up the war than
it would have cost to secure the eff
cheney to have ended it. 1t was really
attributable to the weak nature of the
governmental body. if the Continental
Congress may be SO termed, due to the
utter inexperience of its members in
handling such matters. and through the
country'S being thrown into the war
without preparation.
Both the states and Congress opposed