Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1919-05-30


. speak.
When the Civil War came upon us, President Lincoln
called at once for volunteers, and more men offered them
selves for service than could be accepted. During the
four years of the war there were from Wisconsin $3.50
enrollments, T9, 934 of them being volunteer enlistments,
the remainder drafted men and substitutes for drafted
men. The draft came in the last half of the war. The
government depended almost entirely upon volunteer
enlistments. During the war just closed the government
decided to take men by draft or selection. as it was
called-so that a large army could be recruited in the
shortest possible time. Out of a total of 100000 men in
the American army, there were, in round numbers LOCO
600 volunteers, and 2, 500, 600 men selected by draft. OF
these, Wisconsin had. in round numbers, $4,000 yolun-
teers and $4,000 selected men. General Holway, adj
jutant general for Wisconsin, tells me that the drafted
men have been just as eager as the volunteers TO go over
the top. It was a gallant army fighting in France.
The most of our officers in the beginning of the Civil
War knew almost nothing about military affairs Bright
young men were given commissions to command compan-
les and batteries, and sometimes regiments. They then
had to study military movements and regulations from
hooks-the next day to practice on the drill ground what
they had learned. Theirs was the school of experience.
In our late war young men who wished to become
officers were sent to training camps and received inten-
sive drill in all that would be required of them in actual
service. Ii they met all requirements satisfactorily they
were commissioned and assigned to duty.
Military discipline is always rigid, and / think has
been more so in the recent war than it was with us. Some
of our officers were very rigid and did not use much tact.
yet most of them p~racticed common sense in handling
their men and in most cases were from the same towns
and counties. We were not strictly bound to salute Off
GERS but as a rule did. In the war just closed men were
grouped with no reference to former residence and with
strangers as officers. AS a result there was less intimacy
but probably better discipline.
We were formed in companies of 100 men and ten COM
panies to a full regiment of infantry. Now there are 250
men to a company and fifteen companies in a regiment,
with :, $50 men with g corresponding increase OF commls-
stoned and n-on-commissioned officers.
Our Civil War uniforms Were-coat and cap navy blue,
trousers and overcoat light blue. Sometimes black hats
were issued to us to wear on parade. A regiment thus
dressed made a more striking appearance than one does
now in light brown khaki, though the khaki has the ad-
vantage in not being so readily seen by the enemy.
Most of us we're armed with muzzle loading muskets.
principally Enfield or Springfield rifles. A few regiments
had Sharp's or Spencer Observation-Disclosures with maya
zines carrying from seven to nine cartridges. One OF the
machine guns in the late war could do greater execution
than a thousand of US with our old muskets.
Most of our fighting was done in the open field. In
some sieges, like that OF V~icksburg, we did trench lighting,
yet our trench work did not compare with the trench
warfare in France. We had big guns sending up solid
shot and shell, yet no such tearing up of the ground
such shell holes as our boys saw in France.
The motor truck in France largely took over the work
of our army mule and artillery horse. Also the flying
machines in France replaced our cavalry. Two or three
aviators could find out in half a day what would have
taken a Civil War cavalry regiment a week to discover.
We ~privates in the Civil War received thirteen dol
lars per month, with a clothing allowance OF hfty-tWo
dollars a year. If we drew more than that in clothing,
the surplus was taken out of our pay; if less, it was paid
back to us. The "greenbacks'' in which we were paid
were worth, toward the close OF War, lorCy Genus Oh Gne
dollar in gold. That made our months pay $500 in gold.
Our privates now get thirty dollars a month, and the
money is as good as gold.
A marching army had the transportion wagons cut
down to the smallest number possible. We carried all
baggage-tents, blankets, clothing, keepsakes of home,
from one to five days rations sometimes "three days
rations to last fve''-some cooking utensils, canteen of
water. forty rounds of ammunition, and last but not
least, the twelve pound musket. The load was heavy in
the morning, heavier at noon, and oh, SO heavy on long
night marches. No army kitchens on wheels accompa-
MED us on the march or on the battle field. A campfire
hastily built, boiled our coffee in an old can or broiled
the piece of held over it on the end of a sharp stick.
There were no Y. M. G. A. huts, Red Cross stations
or any of the kindred aids that aimed to look after the
welfare and morale of our boys in Draining camps and
overseas. Such things as concerts, movies, cigarettes,
and chocolates we did not miss for we had not come to
need them. We know that everything practicable was
done for us in those days and are glad to have seen con-
ditions change SO that our boys in khaki lighting in the
great World War escaped much of the discomfort and
privation that their f%orefathers endured while wearing
the blue.