The Fiction of Invincible Militia
company of 59 men, and making a Colonel of the first politician who could get together ten such companies. This system has been employed, without exception, at the beginning of all our wars. You can easily see how that works; a hail-fellow-well-met is put in command. The hustling life insurance agent probably becomes Captain. The shrewd political boss gets a Colonel’s commission, while the educated officer, who is not a good mixer, is elected to stay at home. And do you know, my son, that we have never got away from that system?
The victors of Concord and Lexington assembled near Boston without organization, and only by courtesy recognizing a common commander. Old Israel Putnam had gumption enough to protect his men behind rail breastworks, saying: “These Americans are never afraid for their heads: they only think of their legs. Shelter their legs and they will fight forever.”
And they did fight; they put up a powerful hot scrap on a powerful hot day, June 17,
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