The Washington herald., 1920-01-04
PIea for Old -ReEuIar.-

The strenuous Indian campaigns
were being discussed by a bunch
Of former fighting men. when
| WILLIAM l. HULL. national in
spector of the Army and Navy
Union. handed out this one:
! I'VE are hearing a great deal just
now about the new army. and incl
dentslly something about the old
time regular. II is claimed on all
sides that the oId-time regular was
a dissipated and altogether worth
4 less character. and not to be COM
pared with the grown-up Tommie
Reds who form the rank and file OF
the new army. We are told by the
sapient magazinists that the old
time regular was often chrome
kicker and growler and sometimes
deserteT,' and the country is we'll
rid OF him.
"An this harrows up the soul OF
the poor old-time regular as he
thinks Of his twenty or thirty years
service: of the many weary marches
in the face OF Dakota billiards. OF
Z in the broiIing sun OF Arizona
deserts: of the headlong charge at
break of day through The sioux
tecpees or Apache ranches; Of the
score Of dead comrades DuTIco
where they fell. from the ever
gIades OF Florida to tho canyons Of
Sonora.
Whatever else can be charged
"a inst the old-time regular. il can
( not he said he ever betrayed his
country or deserted a comTadc even
in the face of torture. He remained
uTe to his flag when his officers went
over to the enemy, and scorned all
brides. remaining true TO his alleEi-
arce through many weary months Of
Imprisonment.
Many 4 Tiot-Iidden community has
hailed with joy the coming OF the
regulars as they marhC in quietly
and without swaEEeT. and relieve the
teIrorized people Of the double curse
OF riotiouS hoodlum and undiscipIincd
militismen. But the poor regular has
no friends: he is a back number. Sit
ting Bull. Crazy Horse. Cochise Nat
! chez. Victoria and Geronimo are all
Cood Indians now. and there is no
more need Of the old-time rcrular
with his old-time gun and his homo
made thmble-belt
Whether IN the plains Of Mexico
with the gallant Worth. or covering
the retreat Of the go-as-you-pleasc
militiaman at Bull Run. or holding
down the field at fredericksburg, the
old-timc regular was always to be
relied on not 60 stampede. And though
he sometimes growled when there
VAS work for him 10 do il was done.
though he often died in doing it-died
with his face to the foe.dicd, per-
chance. in some belesguered buffalo,
wallow with his haIf-sCore comrades
-Nak.
cartridge left with which TO put him
self beyond the reach Of the hends
who never knew mercy-the noble
red men,
The old time regular has long
since learned that his twenty-five
years count for less than three
months service in the volunteers.
though the three were served in
some safe casematc. and he says
nothing about his army experience,
and his papers arc slowed away in
I a box. They arc useless AS rc""m-
'rendations. He is used to hearing
himself and his comrades spoken Of
as uniformed loafers,' 'mercena-
ries.' etc.
Now and then he meets a man
with the empty sleeve or the gov
eminent leg: the man who bore the
hrunt of the battle and says moth
/ ing about il; the man whose rec
ord is written on his body: the man
with the bronze button on his coat:
/ the man who believes that who
I Ioveth the flag is man and
brother anG they have good old
soldier talk-the soldier of the war
Of the rebellion and the soldier Of
the wars of the republic.
The general officers OF the army
are often heard from at camp-hres
and other gatherings OF the volun-
Iteer veterans, and they have much
to say on many subjects. but never
a word in behalf OF him who fought
at the Rosebud, the Big Horn and
Slim Buttes"
Much Appreciates Remembrance.
/ Commander-elect CLAlBoRN S.
CLOSE. of Cen. Nelson A. Miles
Camp. No l. United States Span
ish War Veterans, sent to some OF
his comrades : and friends most
appropriate and beautiful remem-
~ A~0snnNa1 -