The Ekalaka eagle. [volume] (Ekalaka, Mont.) 1909-1920, 1916-02-25

enemies and by which no other end is an
! swered than to waste their ammunition
and keep their own companies in Pregnant
and continual alarms, to the hurt and
detflHent OF every good soldier. which is
hereby disturbing his natural rest, and at
length will never be able to distinguish
between a real and false alarm.
After forbidding all persons to pass
the outguards without proper author
iZution and declaring that any one
offending in this will be considered as
a common enemy, to be fired upon as
such, the order continues:
The colonies of regiments and command
ers of corps are ordered to see to it that
the rolls OF every company be called twice
a day and every mans ammunition exam
ined at evening roll call, and such as are
found to be deficient are to be confined.
In other words, some of the soldiers
of the Continental army needed to have
their stock Of powder examined just
as a boys pockets need a nightly over
hauling by his mother.
This seeming severity was made q
necessity from the great danger Of the
situation Of our troops. During a fort
night they We're virtually without pow
der. The British, from their position
on Bunker Hill. commanded a full view
OF the American works on Winter and
Prospect hills. Indeed, the sentries of
the two armies We're near enough to
converse together and occasionally did
so on the sly.
We find our noble general 'hears
with establishment that not only sol
diers, but officers, Unauthorized, are
continually conversing with the officers
and sentinels of the enemy
How great must have been his anx-
iety lest they should betray to the enc
my our lack OF the necessaries of war,
lie thought that the British conn
mandcr must have heard either in this
or some other way of our alarming
condition, but that the boldness with
which our army maintained its posi-
ton made him think the story could
not be true.
Washington's constant appeals to
the patriotism and honor Of his sol
diers show how thoroughly he appre-
ciated their bravery and sterling vir-
tue. His reproofs to them should be
considered as h necessary rehukcs of
their chief to his military children.
Drums Must Not Be Beaten Before Day.
Thus too great and early a zeal ONE
times animated the drummers, as on
July 20, 1919:
Certain drums in Or near Cambridge
very improperly beat the reVeilIe this
morning before lav. Although the trooDs
are ordered to be under arms half an
hour before daylight, it does not follow
that the drums are to be beat at thai time.
The revcille is to be beat when a sentry
can see clearly 1000 yards before him, and
not before.
What the sentry was to do in foggy
weather does not appear.
Washington was obliged to insist re-
peatedly that his orders should be read
every evening to all the soldiers. Since
this important duty was too often neg
lectcd, and to declare that ignorance
"excuse of amy d~elinquency.'
The persistency Of the men in asking
leave to go off on furlough troubled him
very much. No doubt he symputhized
with their desire to visit their fumi-
lies. but what was to become Of the
army if So many Of it's boys Went home
for recess
On july IS he thus reasoned with
them:
Inc general hears with astonishinent
Inc frequent Applications that are made to
him, as We'll by officers as by soldiers, for
burroughs. Brave men who are enpaae4I in