The Canon City record with which is consolidated the Canon City cannon., 1917-08-23
cheerfuIness.


trait of good soldiers. Here again
Americans may be counted upon to
make a splendid showing. even in the
\ face OF any unexpected iiardships or
difficulties that may be ahead OF us
| There are numerous episodes in Amer
lean military history to justify this
confidence.
In january, 1861. the Union army
iny in camp at Falmouth. Va. About
a month before had occurred the dis
astrous and bloody defeat of Frcder-
icksburg- In the north it was the
darkest hour of the war Everywhere
outside the army there was depression
and fear. On January 2ist the com
manding general ordered the troops
To break camp and move forward. AT
the same time "a cold. drizzIing rain
set in. the ground speedily became
like sea OF glue; everything upon
wheels sunk into The bo,tomless mud:
II tock twenty horses to start single
caisson; hundreds of them died in
lslarness; but still the general persist.
I'D. But the rain persisted also and it
soon became a simple impossiblIity to
| go forward" After two DAYS OF ef-
tort il was necessary to have the men
struggle and founder thru the viii
derness OF mud back TO their camp.
Picture the situation: Recent de
feat with heavy losses; retreat: a
cheeriess m5d-sirtor camp: rain, cold
mud. discouraseinent at home. long
march under ii.e NEST trying eondi-
tions ending in return to the same
camping ground from which the troops
had started. little srumblins might
reasonably have been expected But
the men OF 1868 weno too good sol.
diers TO draw long faces. The histo-
rian goes on: THE march was made
in high good humor. the soldiers laugh
ing and joking at their ni-luck with
that comic brightness characteristic
OF Americans in difficult .circum-
stances
Three Qualities of Battle.
Finally. there are three battle quail
ties Of the good soldier:
Spirit.
Tenacity.
Seif-reiiance.
Unless a man has these three quai;-
ties-eyen tho he possesses all the
uiii-r -is in sood iii.asure-ile is af1er
all only camp fire soldier.
Spirit
Spiri, fighting Spirits far from
being mere hatred OF the enemy OF
blind fury. on The one hand: nor Is /,
mere passive obedience to orders. on
Tire other. IL means cool. seif-oon.
trolied oouIase the Kind OF courage
which enables man 10 shoot a.,I
straight on The oaifieneid as he does
IN target practice. However. reven
goes step beyond that point p,.ci
sive victories cannot be- won by mere
ly repulsin, The onenv. only the OF.
fensfse wins. Unfan,ry Drin Reeig
lations, paragraph SID.
Like all the other qualities OF a.
soldier, spirit can be cultivated. An
unframed army seldom possesses ii.
But it can be developed You can
and viii deVeion i. unin II becomes
as much a pam OF Yourself as any OF
your easy -guing civilian habits are
now.
Tenaeity.
Spirit carries a body OF soldicrs fni-
ward. Tenaciiy Is the quality thai
makes them stick. The thoro sol,
dior is never ready To stop hgh,inr
uni.l his part Of the battle Is won
renaoity was never better expressed
than in the words OF John Paul Jones.
Standing among his desd and wound
cd ON his sinkins ship which was
leaking like basket he replied to
his adversar's invitation to surrcrs
der. Sir. | have NOT YET begun tc
nghL" TWO hours later the battle