north america-2-第37部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！

unition；　or　wagons；　the　forage　of　horses；　the　transport　of　troops；　or　any　of　those　incidental　expenses　of　warfare　which　are　always；　I　presume；　heavier　than　the　absolute　cost　of　the　men；　and　which；　in　this　war；　have　been　probably　heavier　than　in　any　war　ever　waged　on　the　face　of　God's　earth。　　Nor　does　it　include　that　terrible　item　of　peculation；　as　to　which　I　will　say　a　word　or　two　before　I　finish　this　chapter。　The　yearly　total　payment　of　the　officers　and　soldiers　of　the　army　is　as　follows。　　As　regards　the　officers；　it　must　be　understood　that　this　includes　all　the　allowances　made　to　them；　except　as　regards　those　on　the　staff。　　The　sums　named　apply　only　to　the　infantry　and　artillery。　　The　pay　of　the　cavalry　is　about　ten　per　cent。　higher：

Lieutenant…General*　　　　　1850　pounds。　Major…general　　　　　　　　　　　1150　　　　〃　Brigadier…General　　　　　　　　800　　　　〃　Colonel　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　530　　　　〃　Lieutenant…Colonel**　　　　　475　　　　〃　Major　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　430　　　　〃　Captain　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　300　　　　〃　First　Lieutenant　　　　　　　　　265　　　　〃　Second　Lieutenant　　　　　　　　245　　　　〃　First　Sergeant　　　　　　　　　　　　48　　　　〃　Sergeant　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　40　　　　〃　Corporal　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　34　　　　〃　Private　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　31　　　　〃

*　General　Scott　alone　holds　that　rank　in　the　United　States　Army。　**　A　colonel　and　lieutenant…colonel　are　attached　to　each　regiment。

In　every　grade　named　the　pay　is；　I　believe；　higher　than　that　given　by　us；　or；　as　I　imagine；　by　any　other　nation。　　It　is；　however；　probable　that　the　extra　allowances　paid　to　some　of　our　higher　officers　when　on　duty　may　give　to　their　positions　for　a　time　a　higher　pecuniary　remuneration。　　It　will　of　course　be　understood　that　there　is　nothing　in　the　American　army　answering　to　our　colonel　of　a　regiment。　　With　us　the　officer　so　designated　holds　a　nominal　command　of　high　dignity　and　emolument　as　a　reward　for　past　services。　I　have　already　spoken　of　my　visits　to　the　camps　of　the　other　armies　in　the　field；　that　of　General　Halleck；　who　held　his　headquarters　at　St。　Louis；　in　Missouri；　and　that　of　General　Buell；　who　was　at　Louisville；　in　Kentucky。　　There　was　also　a　fourth　army　under　General　Hunter；　in　Kansas；　but　I　did　not　make　my　way　as　far　west　as　that。　　I　do　not　pretend　to　any　military　knowledge；　and　should　be　foolish　to　attempt　military　criticism；　but　as　far　as　I　could　judge　by　appearance；　I　should　say　that　the　men　in　Buell's　army　were；　of　the　three；　in　the　best　order。　　They　seemed　to　me　to　be　cleaner　than　the　others；　and；　as　far　as　I　could　learn；　were　in　better　health。　　Want　of　discipline　and　dirt　have；　no　doubt；　been　the　great　faults　of　the　regiments　generally；　and　the　latter　drawback　may　probably　be　included　in　the　former。　　These　men　have　not　been　accustomed　to　act　under　the　orders　of　superiors；　and　when　they　entered　on　the　service　hardly　recognized　the　fact　that　they　would　have　to　do　so　in　aught　else　than　in　their　actual　drill　and　fighting。　　It　is　impossible　to　conceive　any　class　of　men　to　whom　the　necessary　discipline　of　a　soldier　would　come　with　more　difficulty　than　to　an　American　citizen。　The　whole　training　of　his　life　has　been　against　it。　　He　has　never　known　respect　for　a　master；　or　reverence　for　men　of　a　higher　rank　than　himself。　　He　has　probably　been　made　to　work　hard　for　his　wages　harder　than　an　Englishman　worksbut　he　has　been　his　employer's　equal。　　The　language　between　them　has　been　the　language　of　equals；　and　their　arrangement　as　to　labor　and　wages　has　been　a　contract　between　equals。　　If　he　did　not　work　he　would　not　get　his　moneyand　perhaps　not　if　he　did。　　Under　these　circumstances　he　has　made　his　fight　with　the　world；　but　those　circumstances　have　never　taught　him　that　special　deference　to　a　superior；　which　is　the　first　essential　of　a　soldier's　duty。　　But　probably　in　no　respect　would　that　difficulty　be　so　severely　felt　as　in　all　matters　appertaining　to　personal　habits。　　Here　at　any　rate　the　man　would　expect　to　be　still　his　own　master；　acting　for　himself　and　independent　of　all　outer　control。　　Our　English　Hodge；　when　taken　from　the　plow　to　the　camp；　would；　probably；　submit　without　a　murmur　to　soap　and　water　and　a　barber's　shears；　he　would　have　received　none　of　that　education　which　would　prompt　him　to　rebel　against　such　ordinances；　but　the　American　citizen；　who　for　awhile　expects　to　shake　hands　with　his　captain　whenever　he　sees　him；　and　is　astonished　when　he　learns　that　he　must　not　offer　him　drinks；　cannot　at　once　be　brought　to　understand　that　he　is　to　be　treated　like　a　child　in　the　nursery；　that　he　must　change　his　shirt　so　often；　wash　himself　at　such　and　such　intervals；　and　go　through　a　certain　process　of　cleansing　his　outward　garments　daily。　I　met　while　traveling　a　sergeant　of　a　regiment　of　the　American　regulars；　and　he　spoke　of　the　want　of　discipline　among　the　volunteers　as　hopeless。　　But　even　he　instanced　it　chiefly　by　their　want　of　cleanliness。　　〃They　wear　their　shirts　till　they　drop　off　their　backs；〃　said　he；　〃and　what　can　you　expect　from　such　men　as　that？〃　　I　liked　that　sergeant　for　his　zeal　and　intelligence；　and　also　for　his　courtesy　when　he　found　that　I　was　an　Englishman；　for　previous　to　his　so　finding　he　had　begun　to　abuse　the　English　roundlybut　I　did　not　quite　agree　with　him　about　the　volunteers。　It　is　very　bad　that　soldiers　should　be　dirty；　bad　also　that　they　should　treat　their　captains　with　familiarity；　and　desire　to　exchange　drinks　with　the　majors。　　But　even　discipline　is　not　everything；　and　discipline　will　come　at　last　even　to　the　American　soldiers；　distasteful　as　it　may　be；　when　the　necessity　for　it　is　made　apparent。　　But　these　volunteers　have　great　military　virtues。　　They　are　intelligent；　zealous　in　their　cause；　handy　with　arms；　willing　enough　to　work　at　all　military　duties；　and　personally　brave。　　On　the　other　hand；　they　are　sickly；　and　there　has　been　a　considerable　amount　of　drunkenness　among　them。　　No　man　who　has　looked　to　the　subject　can；　I　think；　doubt　that　a　native　American　has　a　lower　physical　development　than　an　Irishman；　a　German；　or　an　Englishman。　They　become　old　sooner；　and　die　at　an　earlier　age。　　As　to　that　matter　of　drink；　I　do　not　think　that　much　need　be　said　against　them。　English　soldiers　get　drunk　when　they　have　the　means　of　doing　so；　and　American　soldiers　would　not　get　drunk　if　the　means　were　taken　away　from　them。　　A　little　drunkenness　goes　a　long　way　in　a　camp；　and　ten　drunkards　will　give　a　bad　name　to　a　company　of　a　hundred。　　Let　any　man　travel　with　twenty　men　of　whom　four　are　tipsy；　and　on　leaving　them　he　will　tell　you　that　every　man　of　them　was　a　drunkard。　I　have　said　that　these　men　are　brave；　and　I　have　no　doubt　that　they　are　so。　　How　should　it　be　otherwise　with　men　of　such　a　race？　　But　it　must　be　remembered　that　there　are　two　kinds　of　courage；　one　of　which　is　very　common　and　the　other　very　uncommon。　　Of　the　latter　description　of　courage　it　cannot　be　expected　that　much　should　be　found　among　the　privates　of　any　army；　and　perhaps　not　very　many　examples　among　the　officers。　　It　is　a　courage　self…sustained；　based　on　a　knowledge　of　the　right；　and　on　a　life…long　calculation　that　any　results　coming　from　adherence　to　the　right　will　be　preferable　to　any　that　can　be　produced　by　a　departure　from　it。　　This　is　the　courage　which　will　enable　a　man　to　stand　his　ground；　in　battle　or　elsewhere；　though　broken　worlds　should　fall　around　him。　　The　other　courage；　which　is　mainly　an　affair　of　the　heart　or　blood　and　not　of　the　brain；　always　requires　some　outward　support。　　The　man　who　finds　himself　prominent　in　danger　bears　himself　gallantly；　because　the　eyes　of　many　will　see　him；　whether　as　an　old　man　he　leads　an　army；　or　as　a　young　man　goes　on　a　forlorn　hope；　or　as　a　private　carries　his　officer　on　his　back　out　of　the　fire；　he　is　sustained　by　the　love　of　praise。　　And　the　men　who　are　not　individually　prominent　in　danger；　who　stand　their　ground　shoulder　to　shoulder；　bear　themselves　gallantly　also；　each　trusting　in　the　combined　strength　of　his　comrades。　　When　such　combined　courage　has　been　acquired；　that　useful　courage　is　engendered　which　we　may　rather　call　confidence；　and　which　of　all　courage　is　the　most　serviceable　in　the　army。　　At　the　battle　of　Bull's　Run　the　army　of　the　North　became　panic…stricken；　and　fled。　From　this　fact　many　have　been　led　to　believe　that　the　American　soldiers　would　not　fight　well；　and　that　they　could　not　be　brought　to　stand　their　ground　under　fire。　　This　I　think　has　been　an　unfair　conclusion。　　In　the　first　place；　the　history　of　the　battle　of　Bull's　Run　has　yet　to　be　written；　as　yet　the　history　of　the　flight　only　has　been　given　to　us。　　As　far　as　I　can　learn；　the　Northern　soldiers　did　at　first　fight　well；　so　well；　that　the　army　of　the　South　believed　itself　to　be　beaten。　　But　a　panic　was　createdat　first；　as　it　seems；　among　the　teamsters　and　wagons。　　A　cry　was　raised；　and　a　rush　was　made　by　hundreds　of　drivers　with　their　carts　and　horses；　and　then　men　who　had　never　seen　war　before；　who　had　not　yet　had　three　months'　drilling　as　soldiers；　to　whom　the　turmoil　of　that　day　must　have　seemed　as　though　hell　were　opening　upon　them；　joined　themselves　to　the　general　clamor　and　fled　to　Washington；　believing　that　all　was　lost。　　But　at　the　same　time　the　regiments　of　the　enemy　were　going　through　the　same　farce　in　the　other　direction！　　It　was　a　battle　between　troops　who　knew　nothing　of　battles；　of　soldiers　who　were　not