The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1916-12-20
aonpay H
] rouble.

on account of dependent fam
lies. One officer has resigned
and another elected in his place.
This leaves us today with six
ty-five men and three officers.
The enlistment period of the
following men will expire in
December, January and Feb
ruary, viz;
Sergeant Thomas Il. Cochran,
Sergeant Hugh l.. Young,
Sergeant Amos +. Hammond,
Cook William Is. Wax,
Cook Jerome H. Wells,
Corporal David +. Wright,
Musician Leslie G. Skccn,
Private Hiram Sizemorc,
Private Joe Nickcls,
Private Henderson n IIorslcy.
Corporal Herbert Brown,
Private George a. Rhoads,
Sergeant William q Mathews.
Not one of these men will re-
enlist-and who can blame
them? If we were certain that
we were going into Mexico, it
would be ditfereut;their patriot
ism, and soldierly spirit OF new
or running from danger, would
hold them, But when 1t comes
to hiking" here on the Border
at fifty cents day, the bravest
and the best and all the rest,
say" Nay, Nay, Uncle Sam
may 90 to hell and get his sol
diers where he can-I am 60
ing home!"
This feeling is wellnigh uni
versai with the men of Com
pnny II. This Company is re-
garded as enc of the best on
the Border. IL won out over
all others in the Seco d Regi-
ment in the competitive drills
in August, The report for the
tests in October has Just been
published, and, again Company
II leads tho list. The other
companies i'll the Regiment got
from one TO as many as twelve
"blue marks, which mean de-
ficiency in the subject marked.
Company II was the only com
pany without n single ''blue
mark" against it--Company q
of Petersburg came next with
only one mark and Company l.
of Pulaski third with only two
marks.
Ii the spirit referred to pre-
walls in Company II, one may
be well assured that it is even
more prevalent in the other
companies, aud such is the
fact. They are all, not only in
the Second Virginia, but in all
the Regiments on the Border.
being rapidly reduced to mere
skeletons-None can now mus
ter more than five or six squads.
and some not over four-aai
recruits hare absolutely stopped com
ing.
The Regulars are in equal or
greater trouble. They.have full
compliments of officers, but
comparatively few enlisted
men. They hare been trying to
drdc from the National Guard, but
Jew. Gerry Jew, hare responded.
rms Is trnl y pitiful and, like
wise, shameful and disgraceful.
To think of a great country of
over one hundred million PEG
Pile not being able to raise, for
emergency. an army of two hun
dred thousand 1t would be
unbelievable if it had not been
demonstrated beyond possibility
Of dispute by tile past six
months of effort and failure.
But, for the shame and dis
grace of it, the National Guard
IL in no manner responsible.
Neither is the Regular Army.
They have both done their duty
well. Wherein then does the
trouble lie?
ln my judgment the follow.
ing are the chief causes.
First-Dormant Patriotism
am willing to believe that
the people of the United States
are lacking in patriotism; but
there is no doubt that what
there is of it is fast asleep. We
need a good spanking from
Germany or England or Japan;
or, perhaps, who knows? We
may get it from even poor old
Mexico! Then, and not till then
Will we be aroused.