Early Days of the Great War

1905

"The volunteers," said the captain, "went into the army in 1861 with queer notions of military service. In the first year of the war I heard men well informed on general subjects contend that a commanding officer could not compel his men to march in the rain or to fight on Sunday or to make a campaign in winter. All these things they declared were in the army regulations, and if any general dared to disregard them there would be trouble.

"Before our company had been six months in the service it had made several forced marches in the rain, had waded rivers on three different occasions, had fought its bloodiest engagement on Sunday, and the boys had revised their army regulations to read, 'An officer may do with his men what he pleases, providing always that he licks the enemy.'

"At Stone River a captain of the best disciplined company in the regiment ordered his men, retreating in line, to stop and pull out a gun carriage jammed in between two trees. The captain and two men stepped out and the company went on. The captain and his two helpers were prisoners in five minutes, and word came to the company that the captain had sworn he would have them all punished for disobedience of orders as soon as he was released from prison.

"In due time he was released and returned to the regiment in a new uniform. He came up with the column just as the men had been ordered to throw up intrenchments, and when he reached his company the men were as muddy as so many ditchers. They suspended work only a minute to give the captain a cheer. In that minute the wag of the company asked: 'Where is the captain, Cap?' This forced the issue, and the captain, laughing, said the joke was on him. In fifteen minutes he was working as hard as his men, but his new uniform was a sight to behold." — Chicago Inter Ocean.