The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-02-23
With Fighting That r Gcing
On in Europe.
Volunteers IN THE SIXTIES
Now the COmbatants Are Men
Killing for Hire.
Not One Knows What 1t All Is
About.
INV Burton X. Standish. ]

-
not what it was in the olden days.
More specifically. there is vast diff
ference betw. en- the fighting that has
been listed in history under the name
Of the Civil war. and the fighting OF
today in Europe, for which the 1lnal
name has not yet been found.
General /. r. Sherwood, congress-
man from Ohio, the only member OF
congress who served in the Civil war
as an officer, has been drawing COM
parison for himself and his cOnclu-
sions are interesting.
Eyes, indeed, there is a difference
he said 1.-The destructive power OF
modern arms and armament is prob
ably ten times as great as In our
Civil war, which was at the time
the greatest, bloodiest and most de-
structive war of modern times. But
the ethical differences are most start
ling.
"Our war of over four years dura-
ton was fought on both sides by vol
unteers. With the exception of the
English, all the great armies in this
European conflict are regular SOL
diers. trained to kill for hire. In the
Civil war the one vital question in
volved had been in the arena of fierce
contention and debate for a whole
decade preceding the war.
'In our war every soldier behind a
gun knew what he was fighting for.
In the European war, not soldier
behind a gun knows what the war is
about, or what is involved in the con-
flict.
ut is conceded that the power of
modern killing machines on land is
ten times as destructive of human life
as the man killers of our Civil war.
And on the sea, the killing power is
probably twenty times as murderOus.
In the signal battle. between the Mon
itor and the Merrimac. in Hampton
Roads March 8. 1862. few lives were
lost: now the submarine, which only
carries crew of from IL to 20 men.
sends the heaviest armOred dread
naught carrying 500 trained middies
to the bottom Of the sea in twenty
minutes.
I'm our Civil war. the soldier in
the ranks carried gun with a killing
range of 500 yards. and according to
Casey's Infantry Tactics he required
six distinct military motions to load
and fire that gun. And he carried In
his cartridge box on his left hip only
forty rounds of shot. And that SOL
der could not pass the mastering Off
Ger without a good strong set OF front
teeth, to bite the deadly charge
wrapped in strong brown papet In
the European war the infantry man
behind. the gun needs no teeth to kill.
He carries gun that shoots ten
times, while the old muzzle loading
Springfield rifle of fifty years ago
fired once and the modern gun car
ries to kill over one mile. The mod
ern artillery guns not only carry six
times as far as the guns 1 used to
hear in battle, but the death missiles
they carry are more than three times
as destructive.
Many Generals Killed.
Another striking difference be-
tween the two wars is the large num-
Der of generals who were killed in
battle in our war. and the remarkable
absence of any distinguished victims
in either the armies in the European
combat, where at least twenty times
as many colonies and generals are en-
gagged. Up to date, and on battle
front of over 200 miles in East Prus-
STA and France. 1 have heard of only
two generals of the line killed in bat
tie. while in five hour battle at
Franklin, Tenn, Nov. 30, 1854 or
a battle front of only two and one-hal1
miles. twelve generals were killed OF
desperately wounded.
1--WE read also Of .bayonet charges
reported from Paris, Berlin Petrograd
and London. almost daily If 1 were
betting man, l would wager my
January salary, 1925. against a Pan.
anna bond that neither in any Russian
or German or French or English field
hospital can ten soldiers be found at.
flicted with bayonet wounds.
I'm our Civil war our field trenches
were only waist deep. generally
thrown up over night. while in the
deep, and covered with adequate pro-
lection against the havoc of exploding
shells. The infantry arm of the SER
vice is under ground and out of sight
And when the field hospital record OF
this war is written it will be foun6
that six soldiers died from pneu.
monia and malignant fevers, con
tracted in the damp trenches, to one
killed in battle.
Singing Soldiers.
I'm our war the soldiers on thu
march. or around the bivouac fires a
night sang patriotic songs. written b!
lied to We are Coming, Fathe
Abraham" I'VE Have Drunk From
the Same Canteen," Tramp, Tramp
the Boys Are Marching" and 9TH
Battle Cry Of Freedom while tn
Bonnie Blue Flag" Somebody's Oar
ling" Maryland, My Maryland" II
all some fifty inspiring battle song
were sung: The only song so ia
heard in the damp and distressfu
trenches is "Tipperary," a rolly-pol
ditty without an inspiring idea
''On the 14th OF June, 1864. 1 com
manded the skirmishers of second di
vision. 23 army corps. which assault
ed Pine Mountain, Georgia, at tn
right of kenesaw. 1 saw the shot fire
by 2O-pound Parrot gun whic
killed Bishop Polk of the Episcopa
church. a distinguished leutenan
general OF the confederate army, VIII
was right on the front line of battle
! saw General Joe Hooker at Resacs
Ga. riding at the front of the ad
vance skirmish line. splendidly mount
ed in the shining uniform of a majo
general, with a yellow sash across HI
breast, the most conspicuous figure o
that line of battle. 1t was at Look
out mountain that General Hooker lie
the advancing blue columns in this
fight immortalized in story and hero
song, as THE Battle Above tn
Clouds" At Franklin. Tenn. just b.
fore the veteran legfons of Gener;
Hood made that series of despera1
charges, heard the Federal band pla
that pathetic war melody, as the ps
fhatic Worf1a WEIR well remeinhered: