244
��The Northern Vohmteers.
��DISCIPLINE.
Gen. Washington said that a most perfect despotism should exist in an army. It may be doubted whether, with the continental soldiers, who had taken upon themselves the title of rebels when that title was full of danger, or with the volunteers of our late war, such a despotism was as nec- essary as that which must prevail in an army of conscripts or mercenaries, in which the private soldier must sur- render his autonomy, and manifest the surrender by servility. In such an army obedience and respect for offi- cers must be made habitual by the minute exactions of a code of disci- l)line timed for every hour and fitted for every occasion. But our volun- teers enlisted with the purpose of obeying orders. What they needed was instruction. They were not ser- vile, but they paid the formal tributes of respect which the regulations re- quired cheerfully.
New regiments sometimes com- plained of discipline before they saw the benefit of it, but as soon as they had been in battle a new lio-ht dawned upon them, and they valued discipline at its true worth. In the supreme hour of battle, when exact and in- stant obedience to orders, even to death, was the price of victory, the soldier saw the benefit of discipline. Thereafter he entertained contempt for a badly disciplined regiment.
Gen. de Chanal writes that while our armies did not have the external marks of discipline such as may be seen in European armies, their disci- pline was as good, if not better, and that few troo})s are so submissive to their commanders.
The Armv of the Potomac at Get-
��tysburg was a conspicuous example of good discipline. The fighting was of the severest kind for two days, and nearlv everv reo;iment on the field was under fire, and good conduct was universal. The larger part of our men were those in whom respect for law and order had been bred from childhood, and their obedience rested on firmer foundations than the exac- tions of military rule and etiquette. Serious refusal to obey orders was of rare occurrence. Mutinies were al- most unknown. Of course there were the timid, who had to he held up to their work in battle, and the vicious and unruly, upon whom a heavy hand had to be sometimes placed. But these were the few.
I will relate an incident to show . how deeply the habit of obedience sank into the minds of the men. In our regiment it was a standing order that all wounded men who were able should report to the captains be- fore leaving the field of battle. At White Oak Swamp a cannon shot passed through our company as we rose from where we lay to change position. It struck down two good men. One gathered himself up out of the dust and followed to where we had halted. One arm had been al- most severed by the shot, and hung by a shred. Holding it up with his other hand, the brave man came slowly up to the captain with reso- lute, pallid face, and gravely said, — "■ Captain, I am wounded, and would like to go to the rear." What soldier in the world could carry obedience further.?
MILITARY SKILL.
The military skill which the indi- vidual soldier must attain before he
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