HONOR THE PRIVATES ON BOTH SIDES

[8thvacav]

Here is something I have thought about for a long time and all I can say is right on Sam, I'm with you

Co. Aytch
(Page 65 and 66)

Now, citizen, let me tell you what you what you never heard before, and this is this, there were many men with the rank and pay of general, who were not generals; there were many men with the rank and payoff privates who would have honored and adorned the name of general. Now, I will state further that a private soldier was a private.
It mattered not how ignorant a corporal might be, he was right; it mattered not how intelligent the private might be (and so up);
The sergeant was right over the corporal, and the sergeant- major over the sergeant, the lieutenant over him, and the captain over him, and the major over him, and the colonel over him, and the general over him. And so on up to Jeff Davis. You see, a private had no right to know anything, and that is why generals did all the fighting, and that is today why generals and colonels and captains are great men. They fought all the battles of our country. The privates did not. The generals risked their reputation, the private soldier his life. No one ever saw a private in battle. His history would never be written. It was the generals that everybody saw charge such and such, with drawn sabre, his eyes flashing fire, his nostrils dilated, and his clarion voice ringing above the din of the battle---“in a horn,” over the left.
Bill Jones and Marsh Pinkard would have made Generals that would have been distinguished themselves and been an honor to the country.
I know today many a private who would have made a good General. I know of many Generals who was better fitted to be excused from detail and fights, to hang around a camp and draw rations for the company. A private had no way to distinguish himself. He had to keep in ranks, either in a charge or a retreat. But now, as the Generals and Colonels fill all the positions of honor and emoluments, the least I say, the better.
Sam R. Watkins

_________________
"I want to bury myself in a den of books. I want to saturate myself with the elements of which they are made and breathe their atmosphere until I am of it."
--Lew Wallace, 1885
http://www.tctc.com/~msuiter/

[johan_steele]

Sherman had a nice quote: "...good corporals, good Sgts, good Lieutenants and Captains... far more important than good Generals."

"Good Soldiers would save a bad General if he lets his Sgts and Captains do their jobs. But more often than not Bad Generals just killed a lot of good soldiers." Unnamed GAR member.

[gary]

Webfoot Sam Watkin's "Company Aytch" remains one of the Civil War classics that is a must read.

Here's quote I came across in Bruce Catton's "Reflections on the Civil War" -

"Why, President Lincoln can make a brigadier general in five minutes, but it has taken five years to make you an engineering soldier."

Captain James C. Duane
Engineering Battalion (AOP)

Apparently, Capt. Duane's men were being offered commissions in volunteer infantry regiments.
Regards,
Jim Pickering

[traveller]

I realize there were political appointments and I believe some commissions were even purchased, but there were men such as Forrest who actually earned their rank. How would a simple private move up if he had no connections or money. Could bravery and smarts actually do it? Can anyone enlighten me on this? By the way I think I'm up for a promotion soon. LOL

Traveller

[unionblue]

Rick,

Yes, absolutely, bravery and smarts could get a private moved up rather quickly through the ranks. Check out Elijah Hunt Rhodes. Man enlisted in the Union Army as a private with no political connections, just one of the hundreds of thousands of volunteers who enlisted right after Ft. Sumter. Four years later, he is mustered out a colonel! Not bad at all, don't you think? And there are plenty of examples of this happening to others on both sides during the war.

Sincerely,
Unionblue

[tamaroa]

I'll have to find the full quote but during my research I found an article in the Rockland County Messenger in 1861. They referred to politically appointed officers as Cowards and Block heads.

[traveller]

I believe that the political appointments may have worked if the politicians had known what they were doing. I think it was essential to have good leadership. That hasn't changed over the years. Is it not true that in many cases the appointees had little or no military knowledge. When appointed by the politicians was it considered a commissioned position, and what about non-commisioned officers, who was in charge of their promotions? For example, who would decide to promote a private to corporal, etc? Could someone please enlighten me on this?

Traveller

[gary]

For the private's perspective, read, "How George Peck Put Down the Rebellion." Do a search at this website and you'll find a link to parts of it that one of our members graciously in placing into WWW. It's one of the funniest books on the Sybil War.

[tamaroa]

Here is the quote to which I was referring to earlier.........


“as long as political influence gives military commissions to blockheads and cowards, just so long will we experience defeat and disaster, with a corresponding prolongation of the war.”

Bill