If officers get all the praise, then what did privates do?

lelliott19

Brigadier General
Moderator
* OFFICIAL *
CWT PRESENTER
Forum Host
Silver Patron
Regtl. Staff Chickamauga 2018
Joined
Mar 15, 2013
1618703428993.png

WHAT DID THE PRIVATES DO?
Our papers teem with daring deeds,
And books are filled with fame,
Brass bands will play and cannons roar
In honor of the name
Of men who held commissions and
Were honest, brave and true;
But still the question comes to me
What did the privates do?

Who were the boys to guard the camp
When foes were hovering 'round
Who dug the graves of comrades dear
And laid them in the ground,
Who sent the dying message home
To those so kind and true,
If officers did all of this
What did the privates do?

Who were the boys to fill the place
Of comrades slain in strife,
Who were the men to risk their own
To save a comrade's life.
Who was it lived on salted pork
And bread too hard to chew,
If officers did this alone
What did the privates do?

Who laid in pits on rainy nights
All eager for the fray,
Who marched beneath the scorching sun
Through many a toilsome day
Who paid the sutlers double price
And scanty rations drew,
If officers get all the praise
Then what did privates do?

All honor to the brave old boys
Who rallied at the call
Without regard to name or rank
We honor one and all.
They're passing over one by one
And soon they'll all be gone
To where the books will surely show
Just what the privates done.

~ D. E. Buell, Co. B, 27th N.Y.S.V.

Source: Washburn, George H., A Complete Military History and Record of the 108th Regiment N.Y. Vols., from 1862 to 1894: Together with Roster, Letters, Rebel Oaths of Allegiance, Rebel Passes, Reminiscences, Life Sketches, Photographs, Etc., Etc., Press of E.R. Andrews, 1894 - New York (State), page 169.
 
Dexter E. Buell was 19 when he enlisted in Lyons, New York on July 5, 1861 and served with his company until he was mustered out on May 31, 1863 (the 27th New York was a 2-year regiment). Their first colonel was Henry W. Slocum.

Ryan
~ D. E. Buell, Co. B, 27th N.Y.S.V.
Well he was quite a poet. Wonder if he ever wrote anything else?
 
History has always concentrated on the "low hanging fruit" and this probably is a function about information being more available concerning high profile people. As time has gone on, however, more and more has been known about the privates (not a small part because of the interest in family history).

In the immediate years following 1865 the remembrances of all veterans were of interest and, today, these stories often can be more insightful than official reports and statistics.
 
Rank hath its privileges.
And there is a good reason for that phrase.

When I was a 1st Sergeant, part of my job was to ensure both the enlisted men AND officers did their assigned tasks. I felt one of the worst mistakes officers could make was to "pitch in" and help the enlisted men set up tents and the TOC (Tactical Operations Center) during an FTX (Field Training Exercise). I know the officers wanted to help and be thought of as "good guys," but by doing such enlisted chores, they were neglecting the entire unit. It was their job to plan for the future, to ensure food and fuel were provided for the entire unit, to lead and to anticipate future needs and problems. They couldn't do that while pitching a tent or helping dig a latrine.

I often had to intervene, pull the officers aside and tell them they were hurting the privates by not letting them learn to do their jobs and by not planning ahead. I also can remember that at a number of times I had to tell the officers to go to the head of the chow line in the field, instead of trying to be good boys and girls by just getting last in line. They HAD to eat first and HAD to get to work planning the operation and ensuring the big picture was taken care of so we enlisted types could get the day-to-day work done and the are secure. I remember them staying up late into the night, communicating, preparing, getting read for the o'dark thirty field exercises. THEN, we could all get down to the serious business of training for the next war.

The old saying I abided by in such matters had been around for a long, long, time.

"The more an army sweats in peacetime, the less it bleeds in war."

Just an observation before everyone gets too hard on them blinkin' officers! :wink:

With fond memories,
Unionblue
 
And there is a good reason for that phrase.

When I was a 1st Sergeant, part of my job was to ensure both the enlisted men AND officers did their assigned tasks. I felt one of the worst mistakes officers could make was to "pitch in" and help the enlisted men set up tents and the TOC (Tactical Operations Center) during an FTX (Field Training Exercise). I know the officers wanted to help and be thought of as "good guys," but by doing such enlisted chores, they were neglecting the entire unit. It was their job to plan for the future, to ensure food and fuel were provided for the entire unit, to lead and to anticipate future needs and problems. They couldn't do that while pitching a tent or helping dig a latrine.

I often had to intervene, pull the officers aside and tell them they were hurting the privates by not letting them learn to do their jobs and by not planning ahead. I also can remember that at a number of times I had to tell the officers to go to the head of the chow line in the field, instead of trying to be good boys and girls by just getting last in line. They HAD to eat first and HAD to get to work planning the operation and ensuring the big picture was taken care of so we enlisted types could get the day-to-day work done and the are secure. I remember them staying up late into the night, communicating, preparing, getting read for the o'dark thirty field exercises. THEN, we could all get down to the serious business of training for the next war.

The old saying I abided by in such matters had been around for a long, long, time.

"The more an army sweats in peacetime, the less it bleeds in war."

Just an observation before everyone gets too hard on them blinkin' officers! :wink:

With fond memories,
Unionblue
Wow you got to use Tents in the Army! Only time I ever saw a Tent or Sleeping bag was Cold Weather Training (really cold) and we carried them ourselves into the field. Sorry wrong, good Leaders go last in the chow line and make sure all their Men are fed first.
Leadership in the CW is still probably the same as today. 1/3 worthless, 1/3 just there (won't hurt you, but won't help you), and 1/3 super great.
 
The privates do the fighting in wars, and the officers lead. There are always good officers, and of course there are bad ones. We forget there are many dead ones, killed in action, killed in action or by other means. So we have both good and bad privates and officers. That is the way it has always been and always will be. In combat sometimes a private can and will lead the men. Leadership can come from any source, at any time.
 
Wow you got to use Tents in the Army! Only time I ever saw a Tent or Sleeping bag was Cold Weather Training (really cold) and we carried them ourselves into the field. Sorry wrong, good Leaders go last in the chow line and make sure all their Men are fed first.
Leadership in the CW is still probably the same as today. 1/3 worthless, 1/3 just there (won't hurt you, but won't help you), and 1/3 super great.
@bayonet ,

Where and with who did you do your service time?

The reason we had tents is because we were the Headquarters Company and we had to put our equipment under canvas.

All others had pup tents. When we went out in cold weather, we got the gear and the sleeping bags, but Ft. Drum, NY, with the 10th Mountain Division, wasn't a fun gig in the snow! Lake effect snow from the Great Lakes made the place colder than Alaska.

Unionblue
 
Wow you got to use Tents in the Army! Only time I ever saw a Tent or Sleeping bag was Cold Weather Training (really cold) and we carried them ourselves into the field. Sorry wrong, good Leaders go last in the chow line and make sure all their Men are fed first.
Leadership in the CW is still probably the same as today. 1/3 worthless, 1/3 just there (won't hurt you, but won't help you), and 1/3 super great.
"good Leaders go last in the chow line"

Truer words were never spoken.

Thanks for saying that.
 
Wow you got to use Tents in the Army! Only time I ever saw a Tent or Sleeping bag was Cold Weather Training (really cold) and we carried them ourselves into the field. Sorry wrong, good Leaders go last in the chow line and make sure all their Men are fed first.
Leadership in the CW is still probably the same as today. 1/3 worthless, 1/3 just there (won't hurt you, but won't help you), and 1/3 super great.
"Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don't" by Simon Sinek

Used copies as cheap as $5.99 plus shipping on Amazon
 
@bayonet ,

Where and with who did you do your service time?

The reason we had tents is because we were the Headquarters Company and we had to put our equipment under canvas.

All others had pup tents. When we went out in cold weather, we got the gear and the sleeping bags, but Ft. Drum, NY, with the 10th Mountain Division, wasn't a fun gig in the snow! Lake effect snow from the Great Lakes made the place colder than Alaska.

Unionblue
That would be an Airborne Ranger Batt and later on a SF A Team. "Pup Tents"! :bounce: My best friend was just a camo poncho liner.
Actually Minnesota & Wisconsin can get colder than Alaska too. "Headquarters Company"! Yup just like in the Civil War (or all Wars), the HQ boys eating better and sleeping better than the frontline grunts. Been to your Ft. Drum too. I remember a large pond or small Lake to the right of the impact area. We were dropping 60mm Mortar rounds down range. So I got bored and started dropping them into the water for the huge water geyser effect. Senior NCO there almost pooped his pants screaming in a panic as we were laughing our buns off. Oh yeah good times.
 
That would be an Airborne Ranger Batt and later on a SF A Team. "Pup Tents"! :bounce: My best friend was just a camo poncho liner.
Actually Minnesota & Wisconsin can get colder than Alaska too. "Headquarters Company"! Yup just like in the Civil War (or all Wars), the HQ boys eating better and sleeping better than the frontline grunts. Been to your Ft. Drum too. I remember a large pond or small Lake to the right of the impact area. We were dropping 60mm Mortar rounds down range. So I got bored and started dropping them into the water for the huge water geyser effect. Senior NCO there almost pooped his pants screaming in a panic as we were laughing our buns off. Oh yeah good times.
A 'snake eater?' Why am I not surprised?

Yeah, HHC, 110th MI BN, headquarters all the way. GP mediums and pup tents for us all around. Won't argue that we had it better than most (except for USAF personnel. Now those boys knew how to 'rough it!').

And yeah, as a former 1st Sgt., I can remember how my 'rowdy boys' in the company required most of my attention. Good guys mostly, just required some close supervision (and a bit of "extra" training).

How long were you in for?

Unionblue
 
Currently I'm reading A Place Worse than Hill (James Matteson); I've just finished the letters home from Pvt. George Whitman on Antietam. They provide descriptions from a unique point of view. I'd say that we are fortunate to have such information. How much we could learn from a private in Hannibal's army.

Edited to italicize book's title.
 
Last edited:
A 'snake eater?' Why am I not surprised?

Yeah, HHC, 110th MI BN, headquarters all the way. GP mediums and pup tents for us all around. Won't argue that we had it better than most (except for USAF personnel. Now those boys knew how to 'rough it!').

And yeah, as a former 1st Sgt., I can remember how my 'rowdy boys' in the company required most of my attention. Good guys mostly, just required some close supervision (and a bit of "extra" training).

How long were you in for?

Unionblue
Actually I have never eaten snake. Was in Active & Reserves from the late 70s to mid 90s.
Taught me Leadership early on and "Set an Example". We went thru 4 Platoon Leaders in a year. They didn't stand for poor Leaders who could not "Set an Example". Caused me some problems on the tail end of my government career when I was senior and was critical of present day poor leadership. Guess I was spoiled on good leadership examples growing up. If the Union had good leadership early on that Civil War might not have lasted so long and there would have been less death & destruction. That and no Alcohol for Officers!!!
 
@bayonet ,

Snake is actually quite tasty, sort of like chicken really. :wink:

Same here when it came to good leadership examples, as I was lucky enough to have real good ones on my first overseas tour in Turkey.

Then got luckier when I was stationed in Hawaii and served with two excellent Sergeant Majors.

And I fully agree with your idea of no alcohol for officers along with the idea the Union took way too long to get rid of the 'political' officers. The privates under those guys paid way too high of a price to have them in command.

Sincerely,
Unionblue
 
Last edited:
Back
Top