Metropolis weekly gazette. (Metropolis, Ill.) 1???-19??, 1917-02-16

fensive value of the forces under him,
and he has left a vivid written record
of the relative value of unframed short
term men and of a disciplined long
term body made of individuals of the
same class. He plainly expressed his
opinion, fully confirmed by military
men since his time. of the army need
ed by this country when. soon after the
disaster at Camden. he wrote to con-
gress, What we need is good army,
not large one
Probably no war was ever carried on
where the one side was represented in
the field by so great u proportion OF
unorganized troops not under a central
national control. and no great COM
mander, before or since. has ever sue
ceeded with so rapidly shifting a body
of badly equipped men.
Where Training Counted.
The battle of Bunker Hill, an army
of unframed American minutemen and
militia. under the command, however,
OF veteran officers like Prescott, Stark,
Putnam and Knowlton of the higher
rank, and among the lower officers II
sprinklng of men experienced in the
French and English wars, from behind
intrenchments hastily erected. but Of
value against low power armament
successfully resisted two attacks Of
well organized and disciplined British
veterans, with a loss TO the latter OF
1904 killed and wounded But these
same troops, by virtue not of superior
individual courage, but of their COM
bined valor and discipline, were rallied
by their well trained officers, made a
third charge, and, although outnum-
bered. succeeded in driving the Ameri-
cans. at the ONT of the bayonet. from
their trenches. their supply of powder
being exhausted and their muskets not
having bayonets.
The American force was justly
proud of its resistance and of the heavy
punishment it had inflicted. but the re-
suit was. in spite of its good fight, a
defeat to its arms-perhaps only
through failure in the quartermaster's
department. The British. however.
carried the hill on account of the bet
ter discipline of their line. the better
control of their officers and because its
supply Of ammunition was not ex-
hausted. And they thereby prevented
the success of the colonial military
plan.
This story in various ways was
many times repeated in the war of the
revolution. always with the same re-
suit. In spite of the brilliant general
ship of Washington. Green, Schuyler,
Lee and others, the Americans did not
win a single victory over the British
regular troops when the latter were
not outnumbered.
When Congress Was at Fault
A brief examination of the powers of
the Continental congress will show
what werc the chief causes of this
weakness in our armies that led so
near 10 the collapse of our national
defense and caused the intense anx-
iety and distress TO Washington and
the band of patriots about him in the
army and in congress.
The congress presented as able and
devoted men as were ever gathered in
single body. but they were not train
ed in the systematic methods of great
deliberatiye bodies, and above all rep
resented one of the very weakest forms
of governmental power-a mere con-
federacy or league of several states or
colonies and without real government
tai functions.
Although IL assumed both executive
and legislative powers, it had no au-
thority to raise revenue and could only
emit bills OF credit, their redemption
being pledged by the twelve United
Colonies 1t is not singular that the
states refused to surrender to this
loosely connected congress the control
of the militia. with officers OF state Sc
lection, gathered by sacrifice for the
protection of its own state. not fore
seeing, as was proved eventually. that
victory for the colonies could be won
only by the long term organized and
disciplined continentals, composing IA
small but good army"
Congress in the winter of 177j. rec
ognizing the necessity of raising troops
to take the place OF those whose terms
expired. resolved To provide twenty-six
regiments, with power to Washington
to select the officers, which resulted in
many perplexities for him and his gem
eral officers, for, as Washington wrote:
"Connecticut wanted no Massachusetts
man In her corps. Massachusetts could
see no necessity for having a Rhode
Island man in hers and New Hamp-
shire says il is very hard that her ex-
perienced officers should be discarded
because her own regiments cannot pro-
vide for them"
Nov. ii he wrote: 'Many Of the Of
ficers expected promotion, others stood
nloof to see what advantage they could
make for themselves. The difficulty
with the soldiers was greater. il possi-
bic, than with the officers They re-
fused to enlist unless they knew their
colonel. lieutenant colonel, major and
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