The public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1913-1968, 1917-08-13

face of the enemy's fire, and brought
it to the rear
On October IL, 1868, Private Michael
Dougherty, 18th Pennsylvania Caval-
ry, "at the head of a detachment of
his company, dashed across an open
field, exposed to dealy fire from the
enemy and succeeded in dislodging
them from an unoccupied house,
which he and his comrades defended
for several hours against repeated at
tacks, thus preventing the enemy from
thanking the position of the Union
forces"
From May to IL, 1864, Private
John B. Lynch, Sd Indiana Cavalry,
carried important dispatches from
the President to General Grant, passt
ing through the enemy's country, es-
Gaping ctpure, delivered his messages
and returned to Washington with re-
plies thereto"
On April 81, 1899. Private Edward
White, goth Kansas Infantry. during a
fight with insurgents in the Philippine
Islands. Swan the Rio Grande de
Pampanga in face of the enemy's fire
and fastened rope to the unoccupied
trenches, thereby enabling the cross
ing of the river and the driving of the
enemy from his fortified position"
On May 6, 1900, Private William p.
Maclay, 43d U. S. volunteer Infantry.
charged an occupied bastion, saving
the life of an officer in hand-to-hand
combat and destroying the enemy"
In all these cases medals of honor
were granted. The incidents, however,
are typical of the army. Thousands
of similar stories might be told. They
represent the spirit that will inspire
the National Army when the time
comes to show the stuff of which 1t is
made.
Tales of heroic courage can be
found in the annals of all armies and
Of all nations. But the American Army
has its own special tradition, which
these incidents illustrate. 1t is the
tradition of intelligence, self-reliance
and individual daring on the part Of
men serving in the ranks.
The Individual Soldier Counts
Other things being equal, an army
made up of self-reliant, thinking mer
has great advance over a merely
machine-like army, and this is espe,
cially true in present-day warfare
Maj. Gen. Hugh l.. Scott, Chief o.
Staff, U. S. A., remarks on this point
"The conditions under which mod
ern wars are fought are ever making
increasing demands on the individual
soldier. The individutl sol
diers must know how to interpret &C
curately orders and signals, for tn,
enemy's fire may often so isolate hin
from his leader and comrades, perahp.
only step away, that he may b.
thrown on his own initiative in max
ing his actions conform to those O
the whole line; he may have to us,
his own judgment in opening fire, il
advancing in intrenching."
Fair Play
A second tradition of the American
Army, which need only be mentioned
Is that of fighting fairly and treatin.
even the enemy with as much human
ity as his own conduct will permit. Al
for slaughtering or enslaving the civ
ilian population of captured territory
attacking prisoners or assaulting wo
men, American soldiers would as lit
tie commit such crimes in time of wa
as In time of peace. In this respec
most Of the civilized nations of tn
world think alike
Fighting For Rights and Principle
There is a third splendid tradition
OF the American Army which you will
help to carry forward. 1t has tough
always and everywhere in defense o
principles and rights--never merel
for territory and for power. Even tn
Civil War resulted from the clash o
opposing principles---the principle o
an indlvislble Union upheld by Tn
North. and that Of freedom to with
draw from the Union upheld by tn
South.