Year: 1865

bat sample OF many Others raised L


the west. II is of course necessary 70
the health of the men that they hav
some exercise, and their minds nee
some employment, and to preserve dis
cipline with the prospect Of a speed,
return home, becomes a. once, nor
difficult, and quite as necessary, as l
there were actual warfare. More diff
fcul, becsuse the apprehension and e1
element of danger as well as its in
citement, is wanting more necessary
because in a section of country wher,
so many of the inhabitants are loya
people, any violation Of their civi
rights by the soldiery, would have .
doubly ill-efEect; and though the mas
of the regiment are law-sbiding mel
and good citizens at home, yet there
will always be found, wild and thought
less boys who in very wantonness oi
animal spirits may occasion trouble and
disgrace to others.


And yet while the War Department
wisely orders that the men be kept EN-
ployed and under discipline, it would
be well for commanding officers to re-
member that labor, whether Of fatigue
or drilling, never seems SO irksOme as
when its usefulness is chiefly to be
found in other than its professed
aim; and an hour spent at drill now
seems far longer than twice the time
thus employed ere Lee surrendered,
and the rebel banner trailed in the
dust. II is quite natural that COM
manding officers, if trained at West
Point, and making arms the business
of a life, however intelligent, highly
cultivated or deserving Of respect, for
their rank and soldierly qualities
should insensibly become to so great an
extent creatures of 8 system, that they
forget that the volunteer, useful when
the exigencies of the country requires
his services, and effective on desperate
movements beyond the mere precision
of the highly trained, mechanical sol
dier, is, after all, at least q citizen, and
at best submits awkwsrdly even when
willingly, to that destruction for the
time being of his individuality which is
the very essence of army life. And the
line officers, at home, neighbors and
friends of their men, who have elected
them to a csptaincy or heutenancy by
their votes, are often but little superior
in education and culture to their pri-
Yates, and unfrequently the choice Is
unwisely made, or carried through by
some hocus-pocus which the recruits
dimly suspect, yet cannot plainly see.
Now, a Irregular" commander Of a regl-
ment thus organized, even presuming
he is an amiable and accomplished Off
Ger and gentleman, and that the line
officers and men are unusually intelli-
gent and tractable, have naturally
much to contend with, especially when
the hand of danger and the desire for
glory cannot come in for peace makers
between the two. His practical hand
and cultivated mind sees all their faults
of bearing and want of mental train
ing They. with tho asaural jealousy
of men suddenly elevated to shoulder
straps, with local attachments still
strong, can hardly keep their men at
that distance that would be expected
in the regular service. If drilled more
than formerly, the men charge their
fatigue to the Colonel, and if unhappily
there arises any GOODNESS between line
officers and commander, trumpet
tongued rumor comes to make bad
worse. If the Colonel is too easy and
lax he loses control of his regiment; if
he draws the reign too tight, the men
grow restive and champ the bit even
while obeying its counsel.


1t unfortunately happens too fire.
quently that more or less petty piifsr-
ing of rations will occur as commissary
stores pass through various hands. The
United States provides literally for its
soldiers, but sometimes they see food
disappear very mysteriOusly. OF course
there is a remedy for all these frauds
but the newly enlisted man either does
not know the process, or fears to com
plain to his officers, and hence discon'
tent and irritation, distaste for the ser.
vice, and the fact that the enlisted mar
too often becomes brutalized. Now
the war is over, these things may be
said, and with pride, pointing to what
our armies are and what they have
done, let gratitude take the form of 10
vestigating, not charges against indi'
viduals, but the entire military system
endeavoring to find some means o
bettering the soldiers condition while
maintaining that discipline so essentia
to military success; and preventing 81
far as human prudence eau do, thos,
disgraoeful though petty frauds b.
which even the sick suffer, and the ser
vice is tarnished in honor and use
| fulness.


Some other day may describe t
you some traits Of camp life in thi
wane Of the war, that have their hu
morous as well as sombre side.


Yours, truly, E. f. l.