War is the only educator of soldiers and discoverer of commanders

SWMODave

Sergeant Major
Thread Medic
Joined
Jul 23, 2017
Location
Southwest Missouri
west point 1860.jpg

1860 Cadets at West Point
Courtesy HA Auctions
That evening the horses were brought up and all the guns but nine were taken off. We sat and watched them disappear in the darkness; watched our officers disappear, and freely expressed our opinion of their many demerits and few excellences. Soon long columns of infantry could be seen distinctly marching by. Then all was quiet excepting the firing of the pickets. We sat and listened for the expected advance of the rebels. But they did not come.

An officer rode up and asked who was in command. The Sergeant stepped forward and received his orders. Turning to us he whispered "Limber to the rear!” Silently the horses swung around, the gun was limbered up, and, with the caisson in the lead, we pulled out of the earthworks, gently drove across the cornfield, and struck into a dusty road in the forest. Then clambering up on a caisson I lay down and slept, leaving Cold Harbor behind.

But not forever. In my dreams I go back to the most protracted and deadly fighting that Anglo-Saxons have as yet done. The contestants on both sides were American.

On the Union side imbecile commanders ordered the best troops that ever marched to useless massacre. If their countrymen appreciated the homicidal crime at Cold Harbor, they would blow up the West Point Military Academy to cinders with nitro-glycerine and put an end forever in this country to the ghastly folly of trying to make soldiers with books.

War is the only educator of soldiers and discoverer of commanders. These are never made.

They are found.

Rifle Shots and Bugle Notes
 
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